Yalikavak

We see a lot of big boats and superyachts on our travels. So much so that most fail to impress anymore. That is until we unwittingly pulled into what we’ve dubbed “Billionaire Bay” in Turkiye. Thinking we’d just found ourselves a nice little anchorage to hide from the wind, we were surprised to sail around the corner and find more superyachts than you can poke a stick at.

Yalikavak (north-west of Bodrum) is a hub for megayachts (those over 260ft / 80m long). The marina here has previously been awarded superyacht marina of the year globally, and is dripping in luxury. Wandering around the docks feels like stepping into Monaco. It is full to the brim with hundreds of superyachts; each bursting with water toys, helipads, swimming pools, elevators, luxe interiors, and busy crew flitting about. Not to mention all the high-end shops, restaurants and boutiques.

It may therefore come as no surprise to the types of yachts that end up here. Russia is the second-largest market for superyachts, and after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian billionaires swiftly moved their yachts into Turkish waters, out of the reach of Western sanctions. Turkiye shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia.

Long Summer looked like a dot anchored next to these floating monoliths. This is not the place you want to drag anchor and ding a gigayacht! And although we did not meet any fellow boat owners in the bay, some of our more notable neighbours were:

Solaris

The now ex-owner of Chelsea Football Club, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, added this megayacht to his collection only last year. It is the most expensive custom-made superyacht ever built, and among the 15 biggest yachts in the world. The yacht shed that Solaris was built in is bigger and taller than Buckingham Palace.

The $610M yacht has 8 decks, 48 cabins, 20 high-speed jet-skis, a helipad, swimming pool, beach club, jacuzzi and spa. It also has secret pirate-proof passageways, a radar-based anti-missile system, bulletproof windows, armored cabins, and can zap drones out of mid-air. With ice-breaking capability and high-tech Azipod electrical engines, it can go nearly anywhere in the world. But for now, it’s confined to Turkish waters.

Ragnar

Another luxury vessel that can explore some of the most remote destinations in the world is Ragnar. It made headlines earlier this year when it was stranded in Norway as no one was willing to sell it food or fuel in protest of the war. Although its owner, former KGB agent Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, was not under Western sanctions at the time.

Worth a mere $85M, Ragnar was converted from a service ship and looks like a warship. It boasts an impressive super hull with ice-breaking capability for adventurous winter getaways. And along with the usual pools and spas, it also hosts an impressive fleet of tenders, including a helicopter, amphibious ATV, and heli-skiing equipment.

Anna

After a few days, Dmitry Rybolovlev’s yacht Anna joined the assortment. Rybolovlev resides at one of the most exclusive addresses on the planet in Monaco. In fact, he is the president of AS Monaco FC. He traipses around the city-state with more bodyguards than the monarch himself, is an avid art collector, and bought Trump’s Florida mansion for a cool $95 million before tearing the whole thing down.

But luxury doesn’t come cheap. At $250M his superstructure yacht (named after his daughter), has 6 decks, a helipad, pool, elevators, a beauty salon, and a beach club. The annual upkeep for boats is 10% of its value, so he needs another $25M every year just to keep it running.  

These vessels are no doubt fascinating. It’s incredulous what some people choose to spend their money on. But these lavish boats clearly exist for one reason only: to show off the owners’ wealth and status. The mega rich build these things for pure bragging rights.

I wonder who else we’ll bump into here in Turkiye…