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Rival oligarch's latest toy won't float Abramovich's boat - it's a superyacht even bigger than his
Last updated at 18:30pm on 15.07.08
This is the futuristic superyacht set to sink Roman Abramovich's claims to rule the high seas among Russian oligarchs.
Owned by a fellow billionaire from the former Soviet Union, the £200million stealth ship has taken to the water for the first time.
And the first voyage Andrey Melnichenko took in it was to Norway to take delivery of three Claude Monet paintings.
Supersize me: Andrey Melnichenko's new superyacht positively dwarfs a speedboat, lower left
The 400ft long superyacht is said to have its own discotheque featuring a glass roof which is situated directly under the swimming pool.
There is a large 'owners' suite' as well as six luxury cabins for up to 14 guests and enough room for a staggering 42 crew members.
Other details of the interior have been kept strictly secret by its German boat builders Blohm and Voss along with its renowned designer Philippe Stark.
But it is rumoured to have a helicopter hangar, as well as two 30ft speed boats kept in hatches on both sides of the hull.
Mr Melnichenko's boat is 23ft longer than the 377ft Pelorus, the largest of four superyachts owned by Chelsea FC boss Abramovich.
He bought the boat from a Saudi businessman in 2003 before giving it an extensive face-lift.
However fellow Russian Mr Melnichenko is believed to have topped this with his new cruiser, simply called 'A'.
Maiden voyage: The vessel is named simply A, after Melnichenko's model wife Aleksandra
Loaded: Andrey Melnichenko, 35, and wife Aleksandra Melnichenko
The 36-year-old is worth £4.6 billion and named the spectacular yacht after his model wife Aleksandra, 31.
Yacht 'A', known as Project Sigma during construction, docked in Kristiansand, Norway, last week to collect the Monet paintings.
Each work of art was placed in its own crate surrounded by dozens of security guards before being loaded on-board.
Sinking feeling: Roman Abramovich on his own megaboat, Pelorus
It came days after one of Monet's famous Water Lilies paintings "Le bassin aux nympheas' sold at Christies auction house in London for 41 million pounds.
Mr Melnichenko is currently 172nd on the Forbes rich list after making his wealth from the banking and energy industries.
He was a founder of worldwide MDM Bank and went on to become its president from 1997 to 2001.
The billionaire has also invested in a number of Russian industrial businesses including Siberian coal company SUEK and mineral company Eurochem.
His futuristic yacht is registered in Bermuda, weighs a whopping 5,900 tons and can travel at speeds of up to 27 miles per hour.
Shipmakers Blohm and Voss constructed the battleship Bismarck, the pride of the Nazi fleet in World War Two.
The world's largest superyacht - at 452ft long - is owned by Larry Ellison, a sailing enthusiast and founder of Oracle Software.
