Even before completion Alibaba" project already had a few miles under her keel. After the unintentionally premature undocking in Bremen-Aumund, the ship was taken to the dock in Hamburg for minor repairs to the bow and final outfitting. The 142-metre ship was then taken to Bremen for sea trials, where delivery is expected to take place shortly.
One Lürssen with lines from Germán Frers
After surfacing on the North Sea, a press release revealed which creative minds were actually involved in the striking project. The silhouette in the style of a modern frigate was developed by Germán Frers, known for his sailing yachts. The interiors were designed by Milan-based studio Nauta Design, which is known for simple elegance with Italian flair - usually seen on sailing yachts.
For "Alibaba", Nauta was responsible for the design of 1000 square metres of outdoor areas and 2000 square metres of indoor space spread over five decks. Nauta's President Mario Pedol says: "It has been four exciting years of creative work in which we have defined every last detail of what I would describe as an outstanding combination of atmosphere and a unique lifestyle experience."
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The fact that Nauta Design has experience with large motor yachts was demonstrated with "Azzam"the longest in the world at 180 metres. The Milan-based company has been on board since the start of the "Alibaba" project. However, the original client is presumably not the one who will take delivery of the 142 metres at the end of the year. In any case, the similarity to "Pacific X" of the Russian natural gas oligarch Leonid Michelson. The situation was similar with Mark Zuckerberg's 118-metre Feadship "Launchpad" .
Following the completion of the sea trials of Lürssen's "Alibaba" project, there are indications that it will soon be christened "Dragonfly". This name would in turn speak in favour of Sergey Brin as the owner. Born in Moscow in 1973, Brin, like his Google partner, became a yachtie in 2011 when he acquired the 73.30 metre aluminium format "Dragonfly" from Silver Yachts. Brin's fleet has grown over the years to include smaller formats, and he put his flagship up for sale at this year's Monaco Yacht Show. The 142 metre long "Dragonfly" is unlikely to beat the top speed of 27 knots of the old (now "Capricorn"). The steel-aluminium construction with its diesel-electric hybrid drive concept and pods is unlikely to be slow.
Brin used yacht for disaster relief
Sergey Brin used the old "Dragonfly" on missions for his rapid response organisation Global Support and Development (GSD), which has been providing first aid and reconstruction since 2015. GSD was founded as a result of a spontaneous deployment to Vanuatu in the South Pacific after Cyclone Pam struck. Global Support and Development provides disaster relief primarily in the Caribbean, off Latin America and in the South Pacific.
