Seized by the courts, the
Stefania
, an almost new 41 meter long yacht with luxurious finishes, will be auctioned on Thursday afternoon in Antibes, on the Côte d'Azur, for the benefit of the French State.
The procedure behind the seizure remains confidential for the moment, but it is the largest seizure of property by the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc), created in 2010.
The boat was seized in October by Italian police, at the request of French authorities, during a stopover in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa (northern Italy).
The tanks were full and the boat was going to set sail, heading towards Dubai.
The Italian press then spoke of a Belarusian owner being accused of money laundering, but when contacted by AFP, Agrasc did not respond.
Luxury yacht
The auctioneer Étienne De Baecque was responsible for organizing the return to France and the sale of the yacht.
It was necessary to recruit a new crew and manage the legal complications linked to the boat's Cayman flag.
Since November, the
Stefania
has been anchoring in Antibes, in the shadow of other even more imposing super-yachts, even if its designer hull in bronzed aluminum does not go unnoticed.
A room at
Stefania
.
NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
The interior of the
Stefania
, in Art Deco style, offers sought-after finishes including marble, gilding, fine wood and thick carpet.
NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
The two swimming pools are empty but the 120 m2 of terraces spread over two decks are gleaming, all in white marble and gold plating.
The Art Deco style interior offers the same sought-after finishes, between marble, gilding, fine wood and thick carpet.
Released in 2021 from the Monaco shipyard Dynamiq, offered last year for rental at around 200,000 euros per week, the
Stefania
has only 200 hours of navigation on the clock.
Auction
Since Monday, potential buyers can come and visit it.
But you will have to deposit 500,000 euros as a deposit to be able to participate in the sale.
The auctioneer's offices estimate that the bids could reach eight to 10 million euros but also mention "
a lot of competition between the competitors
".
In October, the Italian press spoke of 16 million euros.
With construction delays due to the Covid crisis and then shortages of materials, “
the market (for luxury yachts) is very tight at the moment
,” assures Étienne De Baecque.
In the end, the money will go into the coffers of the French state: “
For Agrasc it is a symbol to seize criminal property like this and put them up for sale.
This is their motto: “so that crime does not pay”
,” explains Étienne De Baecque.