Will Abramovich Finish The Eclipse?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jan 29th 2009 at 8:01AM

Last month we checked out rumors that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich might be selling his yacht, Pelorus. This month, Sail World questions whether Abramovich will be able to finish his current yacht project, the Eclipse. The Eclipse is set to be the world's largest yacht but in a year in which Abramovich has lost billions anything is up for grabs. Earlier this month it was announced that Abramovich has slipped to being only the third richest owner in the list of top soccer owners. His fortune is said to be around $10 billion which seems like an extraordinary amount of money for one person but few people have as profligate a lifestyle as Abramovich. He owns multiple mansions around the world, spends a tremendous amount of money on art and owns a fleet of yachts. All this, combined with the expense of owning the Chelsea soccer team, adds up to one hefty tab.

The Eclipse is said to be costing close to $355 million and could go even higher. Yachts are also famously expensive to upkeep and the bigger the yacht the bigger the expense when it comes to maintenance, repairs and just finding someplace to keep it parked. At around 530 feet and with multiple helicopter pads, the Eclipse is likely to be one of the most expensive private yachts in the world to maintain.

Gallery: All Things Abramovich