yacht briatore ecclestone

How F1’s Bernie Ecclestone Flipped His Massive $30 Million Superyacht

Bernie's still got it.

Image: DMARGE

Luxury superyacht Force Blue — once owned by American tycoon Roy Speer and later by Italian millionaire Flavio Briatore — ended up in the hands of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, who flipped it for an impressive profit.

From Jeff Bezos to Vladimir Putin , everyone who’s anyone has a fancy superyacht. Now, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone hasn’t just joined that privileged club, but he’s shown everyone else how to make a quick buck in the process.

As reported by Auto Evolution , Force Blue entered the world more than two decades ago in 2002. It spent its initial seven years under Roy Speer’s ownership. However, the journey took an exciting turn when Flavio Briatore acquired the Royal Denship yacht. Like many superyacht owners, Briatore gave it a makeover, infusing it with Italian style.

WATCH: Check out Jeff Bezos’ $700m superyacht…

A Decade of Waiting

Unfortunately for Briatore, his time with Force Blue was short-lived: In 2010, Italian authorities seized the yacht due to allegations of unpaid taxes while it was docked in the famous La Spezia on the Italian Riviera. While legal battles between Briatore and the authorities raged on, Force Blue waited in limbo.

Force Blue languished without a rightful owner for an entire decade as legal disputes rolled on. Then, in 2021, the yacht suddenly went up for auction. The winning bidder? Bernie Ecclestone, former Chief Exec of Formula One and a close friend of Briatore.

Ecclestone secured the yacht for an absolute steal: With a starting bid of just €7 million (~$12 million AUD), this was less than half of its estimated value and a fraction of what Briatore had reportedly paid for it back in 2009, which was just under $87 million USD (~$115 million AUD).

Ecclestone’s Makeover Magic

Ecclestone wasted no time after acquiring Force Blue : He embarked on a comprehensive refit that transformed the old expedition yacht into a modern, high-end vessel.

The refit boasts a beach club, a state-of-the-art spa — considered one of the largest spa facilities on the water — a private cinema and, perhaps most impressively, a DJ booth with a massive disco-lighting rig that’s capable of accommodating up to 60 seated guests or over 300 for quay events.

Weighing in at over 1,300 tons, Force Blue provides lavish accommodation for 12 guests and a sizable crew of 19. The lower deck featured five guest cabins, while the upper deck was dedicated to the full-beam master suite.

Luxury Redefined

It’s safe to say that with its brand-new full-height windows offering stunning sea views, Force Blue has become a superyacht that inspires envy amongst the rich elites who seem to purchase these vessels like it’s going out of fashion. No doubt it now requires the kind of extensive, cutting-edge security that we’ve come to see across the sector too.

Most impressively, however, is its massively increased worth after the refit, especially when you take into account the bargain bucket price that Eccelstone snapped it up for.

While experts are being cagey about an updated sale price, seemingly not wanting to let a number slip before Eccelstone decides he’s ready to sell and — given his undeniable business nouse — figures out his own magic number, suffice to say he should be able to more than triple his €7 million investment…

While most superyacht owners are hardly strapped for cash, it’s still quite the flex to make such an impressive return on such a massive and seemingly superfluous investment… it seems that Bernie’s still got it.

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FORCE BLUE Yacht – Remarkable $20M Superyacht

FORCE BLUE yacht is Bernie Eccelstone’s $20 Million superyacht. The striking yacht was delivered in 2002 from the Danish shipyard, Royal Denship, and features interior design from Rune Design, Laura Sessa Romboli, and Celeste Dell`Anna.

The sticking exterior of the yacht was developed by Tom Fexas Yacht Design and Ole Steen Knudsen.

The vessel is perfectly designed for entertainment on the water, with plenty of family-friendly spaces for a true superyacht lifestyle experience.

FORCE BLUE yacht interior

The interior of the FORCE BLUE yacht features magnificent designs from Rune Design, Laura Sessa Romboli , and Celeste Dell`Anna .

The vessel has accommodation for 12 guests in 6 cabins one VIP cabin, three double cabins, and one twin cabin.

There are crew accommodations for 17 crew members. The superyacht is packed with luxury features, from a well-appointed library that offers a relaxing spot, the movie theatre to wind down after a long day, or the dance floor where guests can dance the night away.

The extravagance continues in a full spa with a sauna and a dip in the jacuzzi. The spa includes a hammam, mud bath, and sauna pool.

There is also a gym for guests to catch a workout. The FORCE BLUE is packed with water toys for fun on the water.

These toys include a collection of towable toys, diving equipment, a sea bob, paddleboards, and much more. The FORCE BLUE yacht is also wheelchair friendly.

She features extensive exterior spaces for the perfect event charter and has a light and refreshing interior that guests can enjoy.

FORCE BLUE is the perfect yacht to hold events on as the aft bridge deck has a full bar and reception area for 60 guests.

FORCE BLUE yacht exterior

The exterior of the FORCE BLUE yacht was designed by Tom Fexas Yacht Design and Ole Steen Knudsen .

She features a royal blue steel hull in a white aluminum superstructure. Her hull is a full displacement hull, making her more stable while at anchor.

She was first built in 2002 by the Danish shipyard, Royal Denship. She later went through a refit at the beginning of 2022.

She was built as a part of Royal Densip’s expedition series, which include the yachts, TURMOIL, and BIG ARON. The shape of the yacht is a trawler expedition-style for adventure purposes.

FORCE BLUE yacht specifications

The FORCE BLUE yacht has a length of 63.3m, a beam of 11.38m, and a draft of 2.95m. She has a displacement of 1325 gross tons and is fitted with twin Caterpillar engines .

She comfortably cruises at 14 knots and reaches a maximum speed of 18 knots.

She has a range of up to 8000 nautical miles. She features an onboard stabilization system that ensures comfort for guests while at sea.

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Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone bought Flavio Briatore’s £18m yacht for bargain £6.6m after it’s seized by police

• Etienne Fermie
• Published : 8:00, 28 May 2022
• Published : Invalid Date,

FORMER Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone treated himself to his old mate Flavio Briatore's yacht.

The stunning 63-metre Force Blue became available for auction last year, after Briatore was convicted of not paying the VAT.

And Ecclestone , 91, couldn't resist grabbing himself a bargain, picking up the yacht for a snip at £6.6m - despite his mate having originally paid £68.2m for it.

Briatore, 72, who previously owned QPR alongside Ecclestone - was found to have not paid around £3m in VAT on the boat between 2006 and 2010 - as well as around £700,000 in fuel duties.

The yacht, the 78th biggest on the planet, initially became available for charter in the Mediterranean, before the court decided to sell up at auction.

And according to Italian reports , Ecclestone snapped it up for just £6.6m - despite it being valued these days at around £17.5m.

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Able to house 12 guests, Force Blue possesses luxury features including a spa, gym and Jacuzzi to relax in - as well as a cinema and disco room if Bernie fancies a boogie.

Perhaps Bernie will be able to share the yacht with his kids, having become a father again at 89 with wife Fabiana..

And if he has his way, there could be more offspring yet .

He told SunSport last year: "Fabiana said she wanted a ­family, and I told her, ‘That’s no problem for me. Half a dozen kids is great’."

On being a father again, he added: "I am really happy. When I had the girls in the first place, obviously I was much younger.

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“But also I was more worried about running a business than running around after them.

"Now I have more time on my hands and I hope I can spend it with my son as he grows up. I don’t know if we will stop here. Perhaps he should have a little brother or sister.

"Do I take anything? No! Fabiana gives me some tablets — vitamin D — but I don’t take anything else."

Briatore, who also knows Ecclestone from his days as Renault F1 chief, was rushed to hospital in 2020 after testing positive for Covid-19.

• Bernie Ecclestone

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Former Formula 1 patron Bernie Ecclestone bought Flavio Briatore’s yacht

The story involved two of the most famous names in Formula 1 .

Bernie Ecclestone, for decades at the head of the direction of this sport, seems to have recently bought the Force Blue mega yacht at the auction, previously owned by the famous businessman and former Formula 1 team manager Flavio Briatore.

The background

The story originated in May 2010 when the Italian finance police seized the yacht, owned by Briatore since 2002, while it was in the waters of the Italian city of La Spezia. Onboard, in addition to the crew, were also the showgirl Elisabetta Gregoraci, today the entrepreneur’s ex-wife, and her son Nathan Falco.

The accusation made by the investigators was clear right away. The entrepreneur was accused of having simulated a commercial activity of chartering his luxurious boat in the period 2006 – 2010. This would have allowed him to use the Force Blue, formally owned by the company Autumn Sailing Limited, for recreational use in Italian territorial waters, avoiding him to pay the due import VAT, equal to approximately 3.5 million euros.

Furthermore, again according to the prosecution, the yacht’s fuel was indicated as exempt from excise duties while it had to be burdened by ordinary taxes.

The first instance trial against Flavio Briatore ended in 2015, with a suspended sentence of 1 year and 11 months in prison for tax crimes related to the charter of the Force Blue yacht.

After various judicial vicissitudes that saw Briatore first convicted and then partially acquitted by misdemeanor prescription, the current situation sees a new trial that has reached the last level of judgment.

Why the auction of the yacht?

It was auctioned on January 27, 2021, at one-third of the market value. This is the fate to which the judges of the court of Genoa condemned the yacht Force Blue. The Flavio Briatore luxurious floating villa was seized in 2010 for the alleged evasion of 3.6 million VAT on imports.

The yacht was awarded to the highest bidder on an auction basis of 7 million euros, which is less than half of the 20 million estimated value at the time of the seizure. On the evaluation weighted the serious degradation conditions in which the Force Blue finds itself after a decade of forced inactivity, interrupted only occasionally for rental in the summer season.

This last solution was necessary to contain management costs which, however, did not avoid the accumulation of debts by the State, which therefore opted to sell the yacht at the preventive auction without waiting for the end of the Briatore’s process.

The latter had tried to block, through his lawyers, the sale by presenting four instances which, however, were vain.

What kind of boat are we talking about?

Force Blue is a superyacht over 63 meters long, almost 12 meters wide, and with a gross tonnage of over 1,325 tons. It was built and launched in 2002 by the Royal Denship, a Danish construction house that is no longer in business.

It is propelled by two 2000 horsepower engines and reaches a top speed of 17 knots. The cruising one stops at 14.

Comfort is ensured by the presence of an onboard crew that can reach up to 17 people.

Ecclestone’s entry onto the scene.

It was enough for the British tycoon to offer € 490,000 more than the seven million auction base to get the boat.

To contend for the boat through an offer were in 4.

In addition to the 90-year-old Bernard Ecclestone, the other competitors were all companies: Lethora Holdings Ltd based in the Virgin Islands , Sulfur Ltd based in the Bahamas , and Locamar Sa based in Luxembourg.

All offers in a sealed envelope were delivered to the notary Ugo Bechini who opened each one on the morning of January 27th, at the Hotel Bristol, a very central Genoese hotel.

Future developments

Is it all finally over? Absolutely not! In fact, as we said earlier, the process that sees the ownership of Force Blue as a dispute is not concluded.

Paradoxically, with a reversal of the sentence, Flavio Briatore could still return to being his legitimate owner, canceling the auction with which Ecclestone won the yacht.

We just have to wait until the next 9 of June to know the final sentence.

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Flavio Briatore definitively acquitted of tax fraud

His yacht had already been seized and sold at auction by the Italian state.

Twelve years of waiting and six trials. On 26 January, Flavio Briatore was definitively acquitted after a marathon trial for tax fraud.  Now cleared, the Monegasque resident and former Renault Formula One team boss obtained from the judges the annulment of the confiscation of his 63-metre yacht: Force Blue.

The problem is, the yacht in question, worth an estimated 20 million euros, had been seized in 2010 by the Italian police and sold at auction for three times less to Briatore’s friend Bernie Ecclestone, the former boss of the Formula One group. This raises the question of recouping the value of the yacht.  “The new owner of the yacht and Briatore are entitled to demand suitable compensation,” Briatore’s lawyer Massimo Pellicciotta told the Ansa news agency.

The police confiscated the yacht twelve years ago, off the Italian coast. Ownership of Force Blue was at the heart of the affair, with a British Isles company allegedly leasing it to Briatore, who was since accused of improperly evading more than €3.6 million in import VAT and more than €800,000 in fuel taxes between 2006 and 2010.

At the same time, the Genoa Court of Appeal judges also overturned the businessman’s 18-month prison sentence, pronounced in 2018.

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Bernie Ecclestone buys USD 25 million yacht FORCE BLUE for 9 million

Bernie Ecclestone, has gifted himself the FORCE BLUE yacht from his former partner Flavio Briatore.

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone bought Flavio Briatore’s $ 25,000,000 yacht for $ 9,000,000 , which had been seized by police and auctioned

The impressive 63-meter yacht Fraser Force Blue was recently up for auction, after Briatore, who bought it in 2002 for $ 93,000,000 , failed to pay about $ 4,000,000 in VAT on the boat between 2006 and 2010, as well as USD 960,000 in fuel taxes.

The yacht, which happens to be the 78th largest on the planet, was initially available for charter in the Mediterranean, before the court decided to sell it at auction.

With capacity for 12 guests, Force Blue has luxurious features that include a spa, gym and Jacuzzi for relaxation, as well as a movie theater and disco.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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