Capitalism is alive and well aboard La Sultana, a luxury yacht that was once one of 12 unique spy ships built for the Soviet fleet.
The vessel now boasts seven luxury cabins that can sleep up to 12 guests, as well as a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, marina beach club, helipad and hammam, which can belong to you for $250,000, whatever your political views.
There aren’t too many original features left from the Cold War era, a period of hostility between the Soviet bloc countries and the Western powers from 1945 to 1990, but there is an original Russian language dial on the Bridge that’s remained intact.
The 60-metre boat has been painstakingly transformed by its owner and is now available to charter. La Sultana, in its former life, was named Aji Petri and was ‘berthed’ in 1962 at the Georgi Dimitrov shipyard in Varna in Bulgaria. It was built as a Black Sea passenger ferry designed to carry cargo and people between the ports of Odessa, Sevastopol, Istanbul and Yalta.
After the fall of the USSR, Aji Petri was assigned to a Bulgarian shipping company and resumed service as a passenger ferry between Istanbul and Yalta. Then, in 2007, the La Sultana Group transformed the vessel into a luxury superyacht fit for charter in international waters.
It took several years of dedicated restoration and an entire engine room refitting before the vessel re-emerged as the elegant La Sultana. Each suite has marble baths and showers, as well as Clarins amenities and plenty of space to relax. The Owner’s Suite is an enormous 66 square metres wide.
Facilities include three tender boats, including two Nantucket Limited Edition Sellerie By Lancel boats and an XPRO 490; a Mini-Moke jeep; an indoor swimming pool; outdoor Jacuzzi; a hammam; a Marina beach club; two jetskis; two kayaks; two windsurfing boards; diving equipment; a wakeboard; six bikes; wifi and onboard entertainment system.
Onboard the six-deck La Sultana are many areas to rest and relax, including a large dining room, extensive lounge area with bar, two outdoor lounges which can be used for dining, and a top deck with outdoor shower.
The interior has been tastefully designed and includes works from famous Moroccan artist Jilali Gharbaoui and a unique sculpture made from seashells and previously displayed at an Hermes store in Paris. Weighing 823 tonnes, she has a range of 5,000 nautical miles cruising at 11 knots and a top speed of 13 knots. La Sultana has a crew of 17 people and is now available for charter bookings.