Marina Port Vell (MPV) in Barcelona has hired Capt. Anders Pehrson as dockmaster.Pehrson has spent the past 15 years as a chief officer and captain…
OneOcean Port Vell, a yacht marina in Barcelona, has been bought by Qatari investment bank QInvest, along with an investment fund beneficially owned by Russian billionaire Vagit Alekperov.
Originally developed by the U.K.-based Salamanca Group, which invested more than 100 million euros into the marina to build out its infrastructure, the marina has focused on the megayacht market. It’s a strategy that has yielded an 85 percent rise in visiting yachts of larger than 262 feet (80m) over the past year, the marina has reported, as well as the sale of a 525-foot (160m) berth on its Spanish Quay, which was structured as a long-term lease until 2036 and became the largest berth ever sold. The spot was since used by Alisher Usmanov’s 512-foot (156m) M/Y Dilbar.
“We are very pleased to be leading the new ownership of OneOcean Port Vell,” QInvest CEO Tamim Hamad Al-Kawari said. “As one of the most prestigious marinas in the region situated in one of Europe’s leading cities, we are confident about its prospects for the future.”
Valued at $13.8 billion by Forbes, Vagit Alekperov was, according to Spanish media, already involved with the marina as he was allegedly part of the group of three Russian businessmen that backed Salamanca Group’s initial investment. According to Forbes Russia, Alekperov is also the owner of Dutch-based shipyard Heesen Yachts.