Watch: £81m superyacht belonging to Russian billionaire arrives in Belfast
A 77-metre superyacht worth £81.2m owned by a Russian billionaire was seen docking in Belfast on Friday afternoon.
The vessel – named La Datcha – is owned by Siberian-born Oleg Tinkov, who founded Tinkoff Bank in 2006, one of the world's largest online banks.
Equipped with its own helipad, the ship arrived into the city having travelled from Port Ellen in Scotland.
La Datcha Yacht arrives in Belfast on August 15th 2025
With room to sleep up to 12 guests across six cabins, the yacht also includes an observation lounge and private deck area.
For those wanting to enjoy some leisure time, the vessel also features a sundeck jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath rooms, massage room and a fully equipped gym.
There are also snowmobiles on board, with the ship able to traverse the world's most remote destinations including an ice-classed steel hull which can venture deep into the Polar regions.
La Datcha in Belfast on the 15th August 2025 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph)
In a 2021 interview with Boat International, its owner – who was born in 1967 – described himself as an 'adventurer'.
'It's the same tired song and dance every time: Portofino, Porto Cervo and Monaco. The same boring triangle,' he told the publication.
'There is so much more to the world than the Mediterranean or the British Virgin Islands. This is just five per cent of the world's coastline and, being the adventurer that I am, I'm eager to explore the remaining 95 per cent.
'My son and I have already conquered the North Pole and the South Pole. Few have journeyed to both poles [within 12 months].
News in 90 Seconds - August 15th
'For me it's boring to buy another white boat, to sit on the sundeck and just sweat my arse and drink champagne.
'That's for other rich and fat people. I am quite energetic still. I like to move my arse, that's why an explorer perfectly fits me.
'I wanted to reach destinations such as the Russian Arctic, because I believe that these white boats which are swimming around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean are the past and explorers are the next big thing.'
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