US Car Dealership Millionaire Parted With His American Beauty After Almost a Decade

This well-known Trinity yacht that’s almost 200-foot-long (60 meters) is more than a decade old, yet this is only the third time it has changed hands throughout this entire time. This is a testament to its impeccable value and seaworthiness. It’s not only an awe-inspiring pleasure craft with all the extravagant luxuries of a high-class, private floating mansion. It’s also a rugged vessel that has completed no less than 16 successful transatlantic crossings so far.

The American shipyard delivered it in 2012. Back then, it was known as Areti and was reportedly commissioned by a Russian gas industry mogul, Igor Makarov. Like many other serial yacht owners, Makarov commissioned several yachts with the same name.

He even had two of them built at the same time so that he could have one pleasure craft ready in both the Mediterranean and the US, where he spent most of his time. The Lurssen-built Areti was the latest yacht he commissioned in 2017. By that time, he no longer owned the Trinity-built Areti, which had been sold just three years after its delivery in 2015.

The yacht’s second owner was the one who made it famous under the name of Mia Elise II. Terry Taylor, one of the top car dealers in Florida and founder of AMSI (Automotive Management Services), was the classic millionaire who owned an ocean-front mansion, a private jet, and, of course, a private superyacht. He reportedly was the owner of Mia Elise II for almost a decade – the yacht was recently sold and renamed Iron Blonde.

At the time of the sale, the former Mia Elise II was considered the largest and the newest Trinity on the market. It emerged fresh from an extensive refit that included paintwork for both the hull and the superstructure, a remodeling of the tender garage, new furnishings, and the 10-year survey by ABS. In better shape than ever, the 11-year-old yacht was asking for $34.9 million.

Mia Elise II combines an impressive 916 GT volume with a shallow nine-foot (2.8 meters) draft. What this means is that the American yacht boasts the volume of nearly two 50-meter yachts, and is one of the largest yachts in operation that can easily access the Bahamas. The ultra-generous accommodations can welcome up to 12 guests across six spacious cabins and a huge 15-person crew in ten cabins.

With an original interior design by Patrick Knowles and the acclaimed Trinity craftsmanship, the freshly-renamed Iron Blonde is sure to become an iconic American superyacht. We’ll probably get a closer look at its revamped interiors once the yacht restarts its charter activity under the new ownership.