Last October, we got the specifics of the 550-foot, $400 million yacht that Chelsea owner/Russian billionaire/likely Bond villain Roman Abramovich was building: it would be the largest yacht in the world, and it would be equipped with missile defense radar, miniature escape submarine, private security force, two helipads, and a disco.  Now that it’s actually built and in the water, the total cost reached a little over $500 million.  But it’s, um, tax deductible?

The son of Jewish parents, Abramovich began his business career selling plastic ducks from a grim Moscow apartment but, within a few years, his vast wealth spread from oil conglomerates to pig farms.

Russia’s richest man has flourished under president Vladimir Putin, with critics saying he used his government ties to take over former state-owned assets and reap the profits for personal use…

Abramovich reportedly lost up to £13billion in the global financial crisis, but he was already in the process of having his biggest-ever yacht built.

Somehow I don’t think Abramovich was sweating defaulting payment on the world’s largest yacht.  Oh,  he has the payment.  Yes, he has the payment right here in this briefcase.  Can you just show him how the death ray he asked for works?  He wants to make sure it’s operational before he pays in full.

|via Rumors and Rants|

Pedro Martinez was apparently a guest of Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo’s boat, Nasty Hook, where Arroyo is residing over the course of spring training, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. And drinking on a boat is always fun; it’s like a big, white front porch that bobs in the water! And those sure are some pretty, self-respecting women on that boat. It’s too bad you can’t drown pubic lice.

|big ups to Busted Coverage, masters of the big blue watery road|

]]> http://withleather.uproxx.com/2009/03/pedro-martinez-was-on-a-boat-on-a-boat/feed 12 http://withleather.uproxx.com/2008/05/he-was-aiming-for-the-water-hazard http://withleather.uproxx.com/2008/05/he-was-aiming-for-the-water-hazard#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000 Matt

Ugh, boat owners.  Those self-entitled assholes think they can just park anywhere they want.  Why, just the other day I saw a couple of jet skis in a handicapped spot.

No, the real story of these photos — taken at the exclusive Loch Lomond club in Scotland — is just garden-variety irresponsible boating.

The skipper of the boat, which was called The Final Fling, was forced to abandon ship and jump into the water ["I regret nothing!" -Ed.] after it was sent off course by waves from another vessel. It hit rocks and flew into the air, landing on the golf course. Golfers who saw the boat coming towards the course ran for cover…

People running for cover as a boat comes ashore?  Oh man, this is just like Speed 2.  I wish someone else had seen Speed 2 so they could agree with me.

[Waggle Room via SbB]