ROMAN Abramovich has not set foot in Britain since the Government failed to renew his visa in May 2018.
So the Chelsea owner has been forced to do business in the most amazing setting imaginable – on his £1billion superyacht Eclipse.
Roman Abramovich’s superyacht Eclipse is the second largest private yacht in the worldCredit: AFP – Getty
The Chelsea owner spent £300m building the ship – but the price is reported to have soared to over £1billion because of luxury and security additionsCredit: AFP – Getty
Abramovich’s seven properties in the UK remain unoccupied, including two houses in Lowndes Square, Belgravia, together worth more than £150million.
So if he needs to take care of business, he must do it on his beloved Eclipse, which is anchored off St Tropez in the South of France.
It cost just shy of £300million when he ordered it in 2010 – and at the time it was the biggest private yacht in the world.
But by the time the Russian billionaire finally got the keys, the luxury extras and security measures had trebled costs to close to £1billion.
Although you design every part of it and you see it being built, nothing prepares you for the feeling you get when you actually see it in the flesh.
Eclipse’s designer Terry Disdale
It is probably the most extravagant boy’s toy ever imagined, with upgrades and maintenance taking the cost to somewhere close to £400million.
Built by renowned German shipbuilder Blohm & Voss in the Hamburg shipyards that built the Bismarck, Eclipse was launched after five years of design, development and testing.
For starters it is 533ft long – more than twice the size of the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
The fuel tanks are said to be able to hold a million litres, meaning it can travel 6,000 miles before it needs topping up.
Eclipse boasts nine decks, the top one containing two helipads and a garage.
The forward helideck opens out to allow for a Eurocopter EC155 to be stored in a hangar underneath.
The eighth deck features a swimming pool and a sundeck, with a pull-out barbecue and pizza oven and a built-in wood burning fire pit.
The main saloon boasts a fireplace and a massive driftwood sculpture from Bali in Indonesia.
There is another pool on the seventh deck with an adjustable depth feature that sees the floor rise and fall, so that it can be converted into a dance floor.
The 533ft Eclipse has 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, hot tubs, a sauna – and even a nightclubCredit: Rex Features
The massive ship also has a cinema, conference room, children’s playroom and hair salonCredit: AFP – Getty
The Eclipse has two helipads, three launch boats and a mini-submarine that can dive to 50mCredit: Rex Features
Abramovich has armour-plating around his master suite – the Eclipse also has bullet-proof windows and lasers to dazzle papparazziCredit: Getty – Contributor
There is also a huge gym and spa area with a beauty salon, sauna and massage room.
The lower decks contains the suites and cabins that can house 32 guests and 100 crew.
Each cabin in the yacht reportedly comes with a private 6ft home cinema screen, a Jacuzzi, spa and specialised security systems.
Designer Terry Disdale remembers the day his amazing creation was launched.
The yacht, built in 2010 and renovated in 2015, even has a missile detection systemCredit: Corbis
Each of the 24 guest cabins comes with a 6ft home cinema screen – the ship also has 70 crew membersCredit: Rex Features
“Although you design every part of it and you see it being built, nothing prepares you for the feeling you get when you actually see it in the flesh,” he told Boat International.
“The tug pulled it out and there was the thickness of a mattress between the wing stations and the shed walls.
“Literally they tied mattresses to the stations. When it appeared I was gobsmacked.”
The walls are covered in black wood, with silver rubbed into the open grain.
The Eclipse costs Roman around £40million annually to maintain and staffCredit: Rex Features
The Eclipse is more than twice the size of the pitch at Stamford BridgeCredit: AFP – Getty
Roman And Daria’s St Barts Break
Abramovich’s baby comes with a host of security gadgets that would make a James Bond villain green with envy.
The glass is armour-plated to repel bullets and the vessel is protected by an anti-ballistic missile defence system installed by German experts AST.
And should that not be enough, Eclipse is also equipped with a three person submarine that can descend to a depth of 160ft, should the oligarch need to make a hasty get-away.
The superyacht, which is currently docked in Hamburg, is however very expensive to maintain.
Running costs are estimated to be around £40million a year.
But he is still spoilt for choice for somewhere to call home.
He has owns three houses in France, including a £30million chateau, four residences in Russia, three in the USA including two in Aspen, Colorado, a hotel in an exclusive area of Tel Aviv, and a luxurious retreat on the Caribbean island of St Barts worth £56million.
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