Abramovich Installs Anti-Photo Shield on World's Largest Yacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Sep 22nd 2009 at 7:00PM

In addition to the military-grade missile defense system, armor plating and bullet-proof windows featured on Roman Abramovich's new 557-ft. Eclipse (above), the world's largest and most expensive privately owned yacht, the Russian oligarch has installed a high-tech anti-photo shield designed to keep the paparazzi at bay. The system relies on lasers to block any digital camera lenses nearby, the London Times reports. Infrared lasers will detect the cameras' electronic light sensors, known as charge-coupled devices (CCDs), and then fire a focused beam of light at the camera, disrupting its ability to record a digital image. The Times, which also claims the total cost of the Eclipse has now ballooned over the $1 billion mark, reports the yacht set off on a sea trial last week with 150 engineers and maritime experts aboard who will put it through its paces over 10 days. Abramovich, who just paid $89 million for a villa in St. Bart's, is due to take delivery of the yacht on December 22.

Tags: Eclipse, megayacht, oligarch, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich, Russia, russian billionaires, RussianBillionaires, security, yacht

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

shieldsbrown Sep 22nd 2009 8:09PM

Roman, honey, you need to get over yourself.

stanley kubrick Sep 23rd 2009 9:26PM

The anti-paparazzi technology is a joke. Just like "Star Wars" missile defense, it would be easily defeated by a group of paparazzi because it cannot focus on several cameras pointed at it at once. It could also be defeated by a single photographer- all they would have to do is point one or two "dummy" cameras at the boat and then shoot pictures with another. Like the boat itself, it's just trying to draw attention to itself and its owner.

dani_layne_007 Sep 29th 2009 8:00PM

I'm not judging, for all the people who lust after the rich, but it is a shame he can't put the laser money to better use. I hope this is not true because in these times he can actually help people stay in their homes for the winter. Not just give money because Putin says so.