The famous superyacht Bella T, which was moored in Cape Town’s Table Bay Harbour for more than two decades, has been sold to a new owner – before going up for auction on 1 March.
READ: Superyacht Bella T to be auctioned after 23 years in Cape Town harbour
The Western Cape High Court ordered the old superyacht to be put up for public auction in 2021 in the case of Rapaport Flagship Limited, the applicant, and Europa Shipping Capital SA, the respondent. Solution Strategists, the firm that was to oversee the auction, found a buyer before the auction took place, and the offer was accepted by the Western Cape High Court, reports Business Insider.
The auction house would not disclose the price Bella T was bought for, but Rapaport reportedly had a claim against the vessel amounting to about R14 million.
Although the new owner has not been identified, they were described by Ariella Kuper of Solution Strategists as ‘a local South African businessman … with loads of experience and the potential to restore her’, according to Boat International.
Bella T will be towed to Hout Bay Harbour for renovations with the hopes of sailing again. The yacht is 45.3m long and has a top speed of 13 knots (24.076km/h), and she can accommodate 12 guests and eight crew members.
Picture: Superyacht Times
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