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Arcona 460 sinking prompts investigation by Arcona Yachts

• Katy Stickland
• April 12, 2024

The Swedish-flagged Arcona 460, IdaLina sank in the Pacific Ocean after the rudder stock failed, punching a hole in the yacht's hull

The Arcona 460 was designed to be both fast and easy to manage. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

An investigation is underway by Arcona Yachts after an Arcona 460 sank around 300 miles east of the Marquesas in the Pacific Ocean.

The rudder stock broke below the quadrant on the Swedish-flagged IdaLina , and punched a 15cm hole in the hull , causing the yacht to sink.

A video reportedly of the broken rudder stock has been posted on social media.

The two crew – Ingmar Ravudd and Katarina Bääth Ravudd – were uninjured in the incident, which took place on 8 April. They were rescued from their liferaft by the crew of Pacific Wind .

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the couple by Niklas Ravudd, who wrote the following about the sinking of IdaLina :

“The rudder stock went completely off and my Dad and Tina struggled for two hours to stabilize it. They had to remove wires and autopilot to try and lower the rudder to plug the hole. But the rudder had damaged the lower part of the hull too much and a 6-inch (15 cm) hole was filling the boat with water quite fast. They tried to plug the hole with the equipment onboard but it was no use. Two bilge pumps worked hard too but it wasn’t enough. Water was already 8 inches (2 cm) in the saloon and they had to plan to abandon ship, they packed as much as they could and jumped into the life raft. They were lucky that the Swedish boat “Pacific Wind” was nearby and came to their rescue just before IdaLina went down in the Pacific. My dads always wanted to sail around the world, and now they are stuck in French Polynesia.”

In a statement, the CEO of Arcona Yachts, Fredrik Malmqvist, said, “At Arcona Yachts, safety is our priority, and we are therefore taking this very seriously.

“We understand from the Arcona 460 owners that the rudder stock was broken, however, we don’t yet know how or why. We are working closely with our suppliers and key people to immediately investigate this serious incident further.

“Our thoughts are with the owners, family and crew and we send our sincere thanks to the crew of the nearby vessels that assisted with the rescue. As soon as we know more, we will release further information,” added Malmqvist.

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The Arcona 460 was launched in 2004, and soon became Arcona Yachts’ flagship, thanks to its powerful, fast and very responsive performance on the water, and well-laid-out deck.

Construction-wise, a bolted-in galvanised steel frame takes the keel and rig loads. Hull stringers and bulkheads are laminated in place and the hull and decks are hand-laid GRP with polyester resin and a 20-30mm foam core, with solid laminate at strong points.

The keel is a cast iron fin encapsulated in GRP with a lead bulb bolted on. The aluminium rudder stock and web has a foam-filled GRP blade.

The layout down below gave options for coastal cruising, offshore sailing or racing.

Note: This article was updated on 16 April to include details of the GoFundMe page

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Investigation opened into Arcona 460 sinking

An investigation is underway following the sinking of the Swedish flagged Arcona 460 IdaLina as she took part in a World Cruising Rally.

The yacht was in the Pacific Ocean when the incident occurred, said to be caused by the rudder stock breaking and punching a 15cm hole in the yacht’s hull.

All the crew were rescued by nearby vessels, and no-one was injured.

Posting a message to a WhatsApp group, Katarina Bååth said: “The rudder stock came off completely and the movement of the rudder caused the collar around the rudder grommet to break loose, leaving us with a 15cm diameter hole below the surface of the water.”

In a statement, Arcona Yachts said it had received the sad news, and was taking the incident seriously.

“At Arcona Yachts, safety is our priority, and we are therefore taking this very seriously,” said Fredrik Malmqvist, Arcona Yachts CEO.

“We understand from the Arcona 460 owners that the rudder stock was broken, however we don’t yet know how or why.”

And he said Arcona was working closely with suppliers and key people to carry out an investigation.

Fredrik continued: “Our thoughts are with the owners, family and crew and we send our sincere thanks to the crew of the nearby vessels that assisted with the rescue.”

Further information will be released once more details are ascertained. A video posted on YouTube shows the yacht took around a minute to sink. The crew had taken to a liferaft.

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New Arcona 415 – The first yacht with Zero Emissions propulsion as standard

Arcona Yachts press release

Gustavsberg, Sweden 18.8.2021 - Arcona Yachts is delighted to announce the launch of the new Arcona 415 , the first series produced sailing yacht with electric propulsion as standard.

Electric propulsion is already available across all of the Arcona fleet as an upgrade option and Arcona Yachts are proud to have the largest fleet of electric ‘zero emissions’ yachts on the water, the first being the Arcona 380Z launched in 2015.

Urban Lagnéus, Arcona Yachts CEO says, “Electric is here to stay. Our performance cruisers will always sail beautifully but in light winds, when you need to use the engine, electric propulsion is the way forward. The sleek and light hull design works extraordinarily well with electric propulsion. The ability to spend your leisure time at sea without emissions, and yet gain advantages in comfort and performance, opens up a new world of opportunities for our normal usage”.

“The needs of our customers are changing, and we wanted to evolve the design of the Arcona 415 to respond to this. Customers often ask us for a yacht that has the space to sail with friends or grown-up family members, so the option of a three or two cabin version with an additional en suite in the owners’ cabin is increasingly requested.”

The Arcona 415, with her beautiful lines, modern hull shape, open transom, more accessible stowage space and increased light, continues the tradition of Arcona 410 as a quality performance cruiser built with superb attention to detail, as always. In terms of power, a 15kW electric motor is the equivalent of a 50hp diesel engine on our 40-43ft yachts.

For the propulsion system we are proud to work with Oceanvolt, who represent the world's absolute top companies when it comes to design and manufacturing of electric motor systems. The lightweight system uses hydro regeneration via the propeller to regenerate power whilst sailing, storing it in the propulsion battery pack for later use. Regeneration depends on sailing speed, however our customers have seen the hydro regeneration commence when the yacht is sailing at a speed as low as 3.3knots.”

The benefits of electric propulsion are numerous; not having an exhaust and the elimination therefore of emissions, the ongoing cost saving vs. fuelling up with diesel, the minimised operating noise and vibrations, the increased space for living, the complete power management, the ease of use and maintenance, and having an overall lighter weight thus increased performance.

Urban Lagnéus continues, “We can all do our bit to combat climate change, and to be the first yacht builders with zero emission propulsion as a standard is an important step towards further enjoyment of sailing the Arcona way. The new features on the Arcona 415, and the electric propulsion as a standard have been introduced to ensure that the Arcona 415 remains at the forefront of modern performance cruisers on the market today.”

For further details on the Arcona 415, please contact [email protected] , visit arconayachts.se or call +46 8 519 410 40.

Written by Anna

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First look: Arcona 50 – all new concept

• Theo Stocker
• May 15, 2023

Arcona has opted for an all-new concept with the Arcona 50, with Niels Jeppesen penning the lines for this new 50 footer

Product Overview

All Arconas from 1982 onwards originated from the drawing board of the late Stefan Qviberg. The lines he drew created easily-driven hulls with fine entry bows and smooth runs. It was no small thing, then, to find a replacement for Qviberg, and rather than replace an existing model, Arcona has opted for an all-new concept with the Arcona 50.

Stepping up to 50ft for the first time, the Arcona 50 aims at the bluewater cruising market with a higher volume and slightly gentler hull more suited to offshore sailing for a shorthanded crew.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the lines look familiar, if not particularly Arcona-esque, as they come from Niels Jeppesen, former chief designer for Danish rival X-Yachts. Along with Ariadna Pons, they have drawn a hull that has fuller sections, particularly forward, a wider beam, and more pronounced hull chines (though no hard-angled angles).

She also sports twin rudders for the first time to handle the wider beam, as well as allowing the rudders to be located further aft, for more accommodation space, and creating room for an athwartships tender garage, in addition to the large sail locker forward.

Fit-out is in either Khaya mahogany or light European oak

Engine options are for 80 or 100hp and optional retractable bow and stern thrusters. With tankage of 385 litres for fuel and 375 litres for water, this boat is set up for longer-distance cruising. There are also options for a carbon rig to further improve performance, as well as a carbon furling boom. I also like the option of an inner forestay for setting blade or storm jibs.

This reflects a higher degree of creature comforts on board, compared to the rest of the range which is aimed at fast coastal cruising. This includes a large U-shaped galley, a full nav station and a generous saloon with C-shaped seating and a moveable bench seat midships.

There’s a huge en suite owner’s cabin forward with a king-size island bed and two double or twin cabins aft along with another heads and shower compartment. There’s plenty of stowage, with attractive shelving on the forward saloon bulkhead, and overhead lockers outboard of the saloon seating.

The quality of the finish should be high with mahogany or light oak as finish options.

Arcona 50 specifications

LOA: 15.80m/51ft 10in Hull length: 14.99m/49ft 2in LWL: 13.98m/45ft 10in Beam: 4.60m/15ft 1in Draught (standard): 2.95m/9ft 8in Draught (racing): 2.5m/8ft 2in Draught (shallow): 2.2m/7ft 3in Sail area: 142m2/1,528 sq ft (151m2/1,625 sq ft) Ballast: 4,600kg/10,141 lb Displacement: 13,900kg/30,644 lb Price: €825,000 ex VAT Contact: www.arconayachts.se

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Arcona 50, the First By Jeppesen & Pons, Now Revealed

The new Arcona 50 has been unveiled. The Arcona 50 is the first Arcona model designed by Jeppesen & Pons, and the new flagship of the fleet.  Intended for the blue water cruising market, this 50ft model marks a step-change for Arcona Yachts with a new design collaboration and the sum of many new design features.

The brief for Jeppesen & Pons’ first Arcona was to design a 50-foot performance cruiser that can be easily handled by two people. Designed to go further, a core focus in the design of this yacht is to ensure she delivers for an international market in both performance and comfort.

The construction

Hull, deck and internal structure will be made of vacuum infused, Divinycell cored GRP with strategic important areas reinforced with carbon. This carbon reinforcement is useful for both strength and weight-saving. As with all Arcona yachts, the Arcona 50 also features a galvanised steel keel frame.

In a first for Arcona, the Arcona 50 has twin rudders, with aluminium rudder stocks as a standard. The twin rudders provide more control in the water. Another first for Arcona is the addition of a dinghy garage. Watertight composite bulkheads separate the accommodation from both the bow sail locker and the dinghy garage.

New to Arcona are also the L-shaped cockpit benches and the two cockpit tables, which improve functionality and enable guests and crew to move around the cockpit more easily under sail. The seats conceal 4 self-draining bench lockers, large enough for a liferaft on the starboard side and ropes/moorings to port. The deck aft lockers to port and to starboard hide the yacht’s gas bottles and shore power socket.

The new Arcona 50 has a three-spreader mast with discontinuous rod rigging plus double hydraulic backstay cylinders with a central pump station. A carbon mast and furling carbon boom are available as an upgrade. There is an optional inner forestay to attach a furling heavy weather jib for ocean passages. There is also the option for a bowsprit for easily controllable use of asymmetric sails.

Arcona 50, about the interiors

The interior is Khaya Mahogany and can be upgraded to Scandinavian Light Oak. New to Arcona, the woodwork is cored to maximize weight-saving without compromising on the aesthetics.

The galley has lots of practical stowages, a gimballed cooker with an oven, and a generously-sized sink and fridge. The galley island provides easy access to the L-shaped saloon seating. There is the option to have U-shaped seating and an additional galley worktop too.

The saloon table has an additional seat to the starboard that can be moved and locked into position. It can further double up as a coffee or cocktail table if desired. The nav station faces aft for ease of contact with those above deck.

The owners’ cabin features a kingsize bed, lots of storage, and an ensuite with a separate shower. Optional upgrades include more wardrobe space, an additional seat, or a beauty table. For guests, there is an additional head with a separate shower area. The two aft cabins can be a double or a convertible twin configuration.

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All carbon Arcona 465 on test – is this the ultimate performance cruiser?

• March 3, 2017

Is this all-carbon 46ft performance cruiser too hot to handle? Pip Hare goes for a test sail

Swedish yard Arcona, together with designer Stefan Qviberg, is offering a way out of the inevitable compromise between equipment and speed by building the new 465 with a carbon hull and deck as standard. By taking the weight out of the hull of this 46-footer, Arcona believes that the boat can still be fitted out with the luxury interior customers would expect and that owners will be able to load on nearly a tonne of extra gear and still enjoy great performance.

In theory it makes sense: the 465 is only three per cent heavier than the 430 but with ten per cent more sail area. But does it still feel like a cruising yacht in practice?

Area tested: Solent Wind range: 6-14 knots, flat water Model: number 1 fitted with teak decks and trim, carbon rig and uprated engine

Here is a boat that instantly changes its personality, coming alive when under sail. The helm was light and the boat felt nimble and fast.

As we made our way upwind, I firmed up the leeches on both sails to see what I could get out of it in the flat waters of the Solent. Thanks to my tweaks we were well heeled and achieving over seven knots of boat speed at a TWA of 37 degrees in 13 knots TWS.

Tips and tricks for successful shorthanded upwind sailing

The 465 is undoubtedly a stiff boat, but as light as the helm was, when hard on the breeze and trimmed for height, we could have used a dozen or so burly crew on the rail. This begs the question: has Arcona gone too far towards the performance end of the spectrum for this boat to be interesting for serious cruising sailors?

From my point of view the boat felt great – alive, capable and fun – but would you really want that electric feeling from the helm as a constant feature if double-handed cruising? My answer came from two of our crew, Richard and Colin, both of whom are Arcona 430 owners who cruise their boats extensively double-handed with their wives.

The moment I headed down below to experience the boat while sailing, these two took over and with some softening of the sails transformed the twitchy bucking beast I had created into a smooth and fast ride. We found ourselves cruising along just off the breeze at nearly nine knots while they amiably swapped notes on their beloved 430s.

Sailing for grown ups

The Arcona 465 is not a beginner’s boat. The combination of lightweight hull and powerful rig requires a certain amount of experience to make the most of its sailing potential and to calm things down for a comfortable passage.

Loads on this 46-footer are not insignificant and the mainsail was quite an effort to grind in, although the standard Harken 60AST winches (not fitted on the test boat) would certainly have made a difference. An optional electric winch on the cabin top helped with tensioning the halyards.

The traveller is full width across the cockpit floor and easy to trim from forward of the steering position, but could not be managed by the helm. Helming itself was a delight; the twin wheels are placed well outboard giving a great view of the jib whether sitting or standing, to windward or leeward.

Two collapsible platforms come out of the deck to provide a level platform for the helmsman while the boat is heeled. I could easily reach around the steering binnacle to the mainsheet.

It is lovely to see features like inhaulers as standard – it not only makes a great difference to sail trim, but also gives the impression the boat is serious about sailing. As standard there is a removable inner forestay from which a storm jib or even small staysail could be flown.

The boat I tested had a twin spreader carbon rig (aluminium is standard) which was easily controlled from the cockpit with a hydraulic backstay pump.

We hoisted an enormous A2 spinnaker and in a dying breeze that peaked at around nine knots were able to sail powered up at a wind angle of 100 degrees down to about 150, with speeds reaching eight knots. Off the breeze we held our speed at low wind angles, even in as little as six knots TWS.

The asymmetric sails are set off a stainless bow roller; our boat was also set up for symmetrical spinnakers though we had none to try. In every direction the Arcona 465 felt nimble and quick and we were turning heads as we strolled past everything on the Solent, sailing close under the lee of boats of a similar size.

How to choose the right asymmetric spinnaker for your type of sailing

After a few hours on the water it was interesting to observe the boat’s two distinct personalities: depending on who was on the helm and whether they were ramping up or backing off the power, the boat could switch from being a twitchy sprinter to a calm ultra-runner and back again. Under engine, the 465 spun on a sixpence, reversed well and was utterly obedient in tight spaces.

The test boat had an 80hp engine rather than the standard 56hp, coupled with a Gori prop. It was a lot of power and if not used gently, did feel a bit aggressive. I have no doubt that a 56hp would do the job.

The engine controls and throttle are tucked away at ankle height on the starboard side of the boat. This does take a bit of getting used to – it’s quite a long way to bend down – though if you manoeuvre the boat from a sitting position, things become a lot easier.

Arcona can fit the throttle higher up on the binnacle if requested, but aesthetically this is not so pretty and would also be at risk of being knocked or caught by the mainsheet during gybes. Access to the engine was reasonable at the front and to the sides, but particularly good behind the engine and to the saildrive, with whole panels that can be removed in the aft cabin.

Arcona has made every effort to keep the deck layout of this boat clean and spacious. The 4.2m beam is elegantly absorbed into the length of the boat giving a clutter free feel on deck and promising plenty of space below.

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Arcona Yachts reveals new flagship model

Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

Written by: Marine Industry News

Swedish boatbuilder Arcona has unveiled the new flagship Arcona 50, its first yacht designed by Jeppesen & Pons.

The Arcona 50 is a 50ft offshore performance yacht, said to have ocean-ready sailing performance, superb ease of use when sailed shorthanded, and a luxurious level of cruising comfort.

Arcona Yachts started a new design collaboration with Niels Jeppesen , founder and the former principal designer of X-Yachts, in November 2021, alongside naval architect and yacht designer, Ariadna Pons.

As a first for Arcona , the model has twin rudders, with aluminium rudder stocks, as standard. Watertight composite bulkheads separate the accommodation from both the bow sail locker and the dinghy garage – another first for the brand.

Also new to Arcona are the L-shaped cockpit benches and the two cockpit tables, which enable guests and crew to move around the cockpit more easily under sail.

As seen in superyachts, but new to Arcona, the woodwork is cored, which the company says maximises weight-saving without compromising on aesthetics.

The Arcona 50 has twin wheels as standard, and the cockpit layout and the sail handling systems are set up for shorthanded sailing and ease of use.

The new flagship has a three-spreader mast with discontinuous rod rigging plus double hydraulic backstay cylinders with a central pump station. A carbon mast and furling carbon boom are available as an upgrade.

The standard central padeye holding the single mainsheet block is recessed below the cockpit floor. An electrically operated mainsheet traveller track, also recessed below the cockpit floor, is available as an upgrade.

Below deck, the galley has an island for easy access to the L-shaped saloon and the saloon table has an additional seat that can be moved and locked into position. The owners’ cabin forward is large and airy, and the two aft cabins are available in a double or a convertible twin configuration.

“This new flagship marks a step-change for Arcona with the exciting design collaboration, our largest model to date and some superb new design features,” says Arcona Yachts’ CEO, Urban Lagnéus. “Designed to race in comfort and cruise with speed, we believe an Arcona yacht should be able to be sailed and managed shorthanded.

“We are as much sailors as yacht builders. The combination of the design expertise from Jeppesen & Pons, the high standards of our Swedish craftsmanship and build quality together with our sailing knowledge, is the ideal recipe for a yacht that sails beautifully. We have already had strong interest from existing and new customers about this new model. Put simply, we want to build a boat that both we and the owner will be proud of.”

The first Arcona 50 build starts in September 2022, and the first five boats are planned for launch in 2023.

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Arcona launches first series-production zero-emission yachts

Arcona Yachts of Sweden has launched its latest model, the Arcona 415, which the company claims is the first series-produced sailing yacht with electric propulsion as standard. The company launched its first zero-emission vessel, the Arcona 380Z, in 2015, and electric propulsion is available across the Arcona fleet as an upgrade option.

Urban Lagnéus, Arcona Yachts CEO, said, “Electric is here to stay. Our performance cruisers will always sail beautifully but in light winds, when you need to use the engine, electric propulsion is the way forward. The sleek and light hull design works extraordinarily well with electric propulsion. The ability to spend your leisure time at sea without emissions, yet gain advantages in comfort and performance, opens up a new world of opportunities for our normal usage.”

The 415 is propelled by a 15kW electric motor supplied by Oceanvolt, which the company says provides similar performance to its 50hp diesel engines. The system uses hydro regeneration via the propeller to regenerate power while sailing, storing it in the propulsion battery pack for later use. Regeneration depends on sailing speed. However, according to Lagnéus, “Our customers have seen the hydro regeneration commence when the yacht is sailing at a speed as low as 3.3kts.”

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Luxury yachts and other myths: How Republican lawmakers echo Russian propaganda

Two senior Republican lawmakers, the chairs of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, say their colleagues are echoing Russian state propaganda against Ukraine.

Researchers who study disinformation say Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, are merely acknowledging what has been clear for some time: Russian propaganda aimed at undermining U.S. and European support for Ukraine has steadily seeped into America’s political conversation over the past decade, taking on a life of its own.

McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck News he thinks “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”

Turner, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN that anti-Ukraine messages from Russia are “being uttered on the House floor.”

For the past decade, since Russia’s first military incursion into Ukraine in 2014, Moscow has spread propaganda and disinformation in a bid to undercut U.S. and European military support for Ukraine, according to U.S. and Western officials.

Some of the arguments, distortions and falsehoods spread by Russia have taken root, mostly among right-wing pro-Trump outlets and Republican politicians, researchers say, including that Ukraine’s government is too corrupt to benefit from Western aid and that the Biden family has alleged corrupt ties to Ukraine.

Russia, in keeping with traditional propaganda techniques, seeks to make its case and tarnish Ukraine through a mixture of outright falsehoods, half-truths, inferences or simply amplifying and promoting arguments already being made by American or European commentators and politicians, researchers say.

The propaganda is sometimes spread covertly, through fake online accounts, or openly by Russian officials and state media. As a result, the origin of some allegations or criticisms is often opaque, especially when a certain accusation or perception has gained wide acceptance, leaving no clear fingerprints.

Early in the war, a false story boosted by Russian propaganda — that the U.S. had helped Ukraine build biological weapons labs — gained traction on right-wing social media and was touted by then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Russia also is conducting a parallel propaganda campaign in Europe. Belgium’s prime minister said Thursday that his government is investigating alleged Russian bribes to members of the European Parliament as part of Moscow’s campaign to undermine support for Ukraine. Czech law enforcement officials last month alleged that a former pro-Russian member of Ukraine’s parliament, Viktor Medvedchuk, was behind a Prague-based Russian propaganda network designed to promote opposition to aiding Ukraine.

Here are some examples of Republican lawmakers using arguments often promoted by Russian propaganda:

Buying yachts

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of Congress behind closed doors in December to appeal for more U.S. help for his country’s troops, some lawmakers raised questions about Ukraine allegedly buying yachts with American aid money.

Zelenskyy made clear that was not the case, according to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a strong supporter of arming Ukraine. “I think the notion of corruption came up because some have said we can’t do it, because people will buy yachts with the money,” Tillis told CNN. “[Zelenskyy] disabused people of those notions.”

Where did the yacht rumor come from?

Pro-Russian actors and websites promoted a narrative alleging Zelenskyy bought two superyachts with U.S. aid dollars. One Russia-based propaganda site, DC Weekly , published a story last November that included photos of two luxury yachts, called Lucky Me and My Legacy , which it alleged were bought for $75 million.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal opponent of military aid to Ukraine, in November retweeted a post about the alleged yacht purchase from the Strategic Culture Foundation, a Russian-based propaganda outlet directed by Russia’s intelligence services, according to the Treasury Department. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the organization, accusing it of spreading disinformation and interfering in U.S. elections.

Another outspoken critic of aid to Ukraine, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, also made a similar claim.

In a December interview with former President Donald Trump’s White House adviser Steve Bannon, Vance claimed that members of Congress wanted to cut Social Security benefits to provide more aid to Ukraine, and that money would allegedly be used for Zelenskyy’s ministers to “buy a bigger yacht.”

“There are people who would cut Social Security, throw our grandparents into poverty. Why? So that one of Zelenskyy’s ministers can buy a bigger yacht?” Vance said. “Kiss my ass, Steve. It’s not happening.”

The tale of Zelenskyy’s luxury yacht, however, turned out to be totally false . The yachts cited in the DC Weekly article remain up for sale , the owners told The Associated Press.

Two academics at Clemson University, disinformation researchers Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren, found that DC Weekly ran numerous stories copied from other sites that were rewritten by artificial intelligence engines. The articles had bylines with fake names along with headshots copied from other online sites. DC Weekly appeared to be a Russian effort to launder false information through a seemingly legitimate news site as part of an attempt to undermine U.S. support for Ukraine, according to the researchers .

Asked by reporters about Vance’s comments, Tillis said: “I think it’s bullshit. ...If you’re talking about giving money to Ukrainian ministers — total and unmitigated bullshit.”

Greene’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Vance’s spokesperson said the senator was making a rhetorical point about how he opposed sending U.S. assistance to what he sees as a corrupt country, but was not asserting the yacht stories online were accurate.

Vance’s office referred NBC News to an earlier response to the BBC on the same topic:

“For years, everyone in the West recognized that Ukraine was one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Somehow everyone forgot that just as we started sending them billions of dollars in foreign aid.”

Enabling ‘corruption’

Russian state media for years has painted Ukraine as deeply corrupt, and has argued that the U.S. and its allies are wasting money and military hardware by assisting such an allegedly corrupt government.

“This is absolutely a line that they have pushed, and then once it appears in the Western ecosystem, other [Russian] media picks it up and it gets recycled back,” said Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

This line of argument has gained traction partly because Ukraine does face a genuine corruption problem.

Russia’s effort to focus attention on corruption in Ukraine reflects a long-established propaganda method of using facts or partial truths to anchor a broader assertion or accusation, sometimes making a leap in logic, Schafer and other researchers said. Russia’s message amounts to: Ukraine is corrupt, therefore U.S. and Western aid will be stolen and wasted.

Schafer said it was ironic for Russia, a country mired in corruption and kleptocracy, to be leveling accusations about corruption.

Republican Rep. Mary Miller has said she strongly opposes more assistance for Ukraine because it amounts to sending cash to “corrupt oligarchs.”

“With Zelensky coming to DC this week to ask for more money, I will continue to vote AGAINST sending your tax $$ to corrupt oligarchs in Ukraine for a proxy war that could have ended in ‘22,” Miller wrote in a post on X in December.

The Illinois lawmaker also echoed another assertion that often appears in Russian media, that the Biden administration allegedly undermined efforts by Russia to avoid war with Ukraine.

 “A peace deal was on the table that [Ukraine] and [Russia] were both ready to sign, but Biden said NO,” she wrote.

There was in fact no proposed peace agreement that Russia and Ukraine were prepared to sign before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to U.S. and European officials. As Russian troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Western governments urged Russia not to invade and warned there would be economic and diplomatic consequences.

Reuters has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a possible deal to avert a war that had been discussed with Kyiv by Russia’s envoy to Ukraine. The Kremlin said the report was inaccurate and has said Russia tried for years to arrive at an understanding with Ukraine.

As for corruption in Ukraine, Zelenskyy has vowed to tackle the problem, sacking senior officials in some recent cases. But some civil society groups have criticized his approach and Ukrainians say corruption is the country’s second-most serious problem, after the Russian invasion, according to a poll conducted last year.

In an annual survey, Transparency International said Ukraine made progress toward addressing the issue and now ranks 104th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index , climbing 12 places up from its previous ranking.

Ukraine is not alone among countries that receive U.S. and other foreign aid but struggle with corruption. Supporters of assisting Ukraine argue it would undermine America’s influence in the world and its humanitarian efforts if Washington withheld foreign aid from every country where there were reports of corruption.

Miller’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Biden family and Ukraine

Republicans have repeatedly alleged that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter have corrupt ties to Ukraine, and that they sought $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to protect the firm from an investigation by Ukraine’s prosecutor general.

There is no credible evidence for the allegations. A key source for the accusations against the Bidens is a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who was arrested in February on federal charges of fabricating the bribery claims. Smirnov says he was fed information by Russian intelligence.

Republicans had heavily promoted Smirnov’s allegations against the Bidens, seeing them as crucial to a planned impeachment effort against the president that has since fizzled .

“In my estimation, that is probably the clearest example of Russian propaganda working its way into the American political system,” said Emerson Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council.

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona cited the false bribery allegations in expressing his opposition to providing assistance to Ukraine.

“In exchange for … bribe money from Ukraine, Joe Biden has dished out over $100 billion in taxpayer money to fund the war in Ukraine. I will not assist this corruption by sending more money to the authoritarian Ukrainian regime,” Gosar said in a statement in October.

Gosar’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Dan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. 

Syedah Asghar is a Capitol Hill researcher for NBC News and is based in Washington, D.C.

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Take a look at what architects pitch for a redesigned Cape Coral Yacht Club

New details, photos, and a video have emerged on the proposed changes to the Cape Coral Yacht Club Community Park, changing it from an Old Florida feel to a 'Key West' vibe.

The city plans to present these updates on the Yacht Club at this week's committee of the whole meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday in council chambers at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.

Here's what we know.

Yacht Club changes explained

Cape Coral's  Yacht Club Community Park , which includes a yacht basin, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a ballroom, and a beach, has served as a popular attraction and staple for the city since the 1960s, built and open just a few years after  the city's inception in 1957 by brothers Jack and Leonard Rosen .

In 2018, voters approved a $60 million expansion of the city's parks and amenities through the Parks and Recreation General Obligation (GO) Bond. Part of that was intended for the Yacht Club.

The Cape Coral City Council originally planned to close and begin work on renovations for the park in  2021 .

But then Hurricane Ian struck the city on Sept. 28, 2022, delaying the project with the council eventually opting to revamp the whole area, with the city pointing toward the  high cost of repairs and being over FEMA's 50% rule  as justification for moving forward with new buildings and amenities.

Longtime residents and former city officials opposed the plans - however, they could not sway the council to change its mind on the new plans.

What's featured in the new Yacht Club?

The  current plans  include a new two-story community center to replace the ballroom, removing the tennis courts, rearranging the area to accommodate a four-story parking garage, a new restaurant, and a new 14,500-square-foot resort-style pool.

Current parking at the park; including for boats, vehicles, and boat trailers, amounts to 551 total spaces.

The proposed changes would bring a four-story garage with approximately 685 parking spaces, 15 surface spaces at the main building, 46 boat trailers, and 158 boat slip spaces - totaling 904 parking spaces.

The new two-story community center would have 47,000 square feet and include a new ballroom, concession, history room, exterior balcony, storage and meeting space, and a multi-purpose hall.

Previous discussions estimate the cost of the project to be as much  as $100 million .

Demolition has begun

Cape Coral has already begun the work toward these changes as demolition started this month.

The city will demolish the main buildings and attached amenities of the Yacht Club, including the ballroom building, the Tony Rotino Center, tennis courts, pool, and harbormaster.

Johnson-Laux Construction, a full-service construction management firm that operates out of Winter Garden, has been contracted to demolish and deconstruct the Yacht Club for $987,716.04.

The firm is also tasked with  preserving a portion  of the old ballroom building, which includes interior ceiling beams, stonework, a fountain, and interior doors.

Construction will  not affect the beach area.

What's next? When's the completion?

A public meeting to review and showcase current Yacht Club designs will be held on May 7.

The city is still in the design phase and has no estimated timeframe for completion.

Luis Zambrano is a Watchdog/Cape Coral reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. You can reach Luis at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Lz2official .

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Black boatmen transformed colonial Virginia’s economy. Now, two friends are bringing their forgotten stories to life on the James River. Tap to dive into the history

How to hear Virginia’s ‘forgotten’ history along the James River

Jessica Kronzer | [email protected]

April 22, 2024, 5:28 AM

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Two Virginia men are hoping to change that.

Will Smith and Will Cash, or the Wills (as they’re often called), bring customers aboard a replica of an 18th century batteau. While the word borrows from the French term for “boat” (bateau), the vessels were mostly used in North America as freight haulers during the colonial period.

The Wills hope to share the largely forgotten history of the boatmen who built a community on the James River.

“There was a lot of people that put a lot of work in, whose stories are disappearing all the time,” Smith, 36, told WTOP. “We see ourselves as being able to carry that torch on, making sure people … are able to really take that in and understand the state as it is today.”

The river tours set out from Scottsville, Virginia, a small town just south of Charlottesville.

During the early 1700s to mid-1800s, batteaux were navigated mostly by enslaved and freedmen who transported goods, oftentimes tobacco, from Virginia’s Piedmont to the markets in Richmond.

The men would then row back up the river, hauling goods that plantation owners wouldn’t otherwise have easy access to, such as coffee, tea, molasses and sugar.

Smith and Cash are longtime friends. They co-own the James River Batteau Company , offering river cruises with light acoustic music and flavorful charcuterie in the afternoon and at sunset. The pair rows groups of customers while retelling the stories of the batteaumen who spent their time on the same passageway.

Nancy Gill, a former mayor of Scottsville and the host of the James River Podcast, is somewhat of a superfan. She’s taken three tours with the Wills.

“You don’t get from a history class or a textbook, what you get going out on the river with them,” Gill said.

‘The Cadillac experience of being out on the river’

James River batteaux are typically around 7.5 feet wide and 45 feet long — for reference, that’s a bit longer than your average telephone pole.

That skinny, narrow build makes for a relatively stable, dry cruise down the river, Smith said, when compared to a canoe or raft that run the risk of tipping over.

“This is more or less the Cadillac experience of being out on the river,” Smith said.

The two white-oak batteaux the company uses are built by hand.

“You can’t exactly just go to the batteau store these days and go pick one up,” Smith said.

The Wills are the company’s only employees. The two build the boats themselves and handle all other responsibilities like marketing the tours and checking water levels before bringing guests out on the river.

The build process takes two months.

“We are literally fashioning every piece of the boat from the ribs to the stem pieces (and) the planking ourselves,” Smith said.

They use oakum to create a watertight seam on the boats as a finishing touch.

Summertime floating down the James River

On the tours, Smith recounts the history while he poles the boat down a middle portion of the James. When they’ve strapped two wooden vessels together — which allows for more guests — Cash quietly dashes along the opposite of the batteaux, pole in hand, providing the necessary manpower to steer.

After delivering the oral history, Smith strums the guitar and sings as the day fades away, much in the same way as the batteaumen who would play music while poling up and down the very same portion of the river centuries ago, he said.

It’s picturesque. Floating down the James River in Virginia on a warm summer day, you can expect to spot fish and turtles in the crystal clear water below. Sycamore trees line the riverbanks. Occasionally, you can spot a bald eagle.

“The boat itself also folds you into the scene in the way that being on a plastic boat doesn’t,” he said. “When you see the batteau on the river, it just looks like it’s in its natural habitat and you’re there with it.”

What really catches people’s attention on the tours though, isn’t the sights, he said — it’s the quietness.

“That’s one of the things we find our guests really react to,” he said, adding that many guests come from urban areas like D.C. or Northern Virginia. “Just being out on the river and hearing nothing but birdsong all of a sudden puts people in a very relaxed state.”

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How the batteau ‘transformed’ virginia.

The batteau was invented in 1775 in Albemarle County, where Smith grew up.

“These James River batteaux completely transformed the face of Virginia,” Smith said. “There was no way for people that were living in the interior of the state to sell their product, until you had a boat capable of shipping that product to the ports of Richmond.”

That was a gamechanger.

“The men that actually worked on these boats are really what facilitated all of that economic activity that kind of grew up and created the cities and towns we live in today,” Smith said.

The boatmen transported heavy loads year-round at times in tough conditions, only stopping for ice or low water. There’s no shade on board and little protection from the rain.

At times, the journey was treacherous.

The enslaved men who piloted the boats would be gone from the plantation for months at a time. As a result of their long journeys, Smith said they were often afforded more trust and independence than people working in the fields.

“Explaining their role in the settlement of Virginia’s Piedmont is a story that we want all Virginians and anyone joining our tour to know,” Smith said of the boatmen.

A century later, batteaux found buried in mud spark curiosity

In the mid-1800s, batteaux were replaced by canalboats. With that, the history of the batteaumen largely vanished for more than a century.

“That changed in 1985, when several boats were discovered in downtown Richmond buried under the mud,” Smith said. “These boats sparked a resurgence and an interest in batteaux.”

The discovery of the vessels led to the first ever James River Batteau Festival later that same year. During the yearly event, groups build replica batteaux and pilot them 120 miles from Lynchburg to Richmond on a similar route as the batteaumen did 200 years ago. Hundreds of people in kayaks and canoes join on the eight-day journey with around 10 to 15 handmade batteaux.

In some spots along the river, including Scottsville, people crowd along the river when the group arrives and departs.

The festival is how Smith tipped his toe in batteau.

“My father built his first boat the year I was born in 1987,” he said. “I grew up coming down to the batteau festival and floating on the boat for a day.”

As teenagers, the Wills got involved in the festival. Smith captained his first boat in 2006, the year after he graduated from high school.

“We were the only ones on planet Earth floating down a batteau,” he said. “It was just about as unique as anything you could get involved with.”

After nearly 20 years of navigating the James, the men started giving batteau tours in 2022.

Connecting the dots in Va. history

The tour, Smith said, “connects the dots” between the role of tobacco and the settlement of the Piedmont for attendees.

Most people they come across don’t know much, if anything at all, about batteaumen. Some of that, Smith said, could be attributed to the sheer volume of Virginia history.

“I’m standing here in Scottsville, Virginia,” he said. “You drive 25 minutes up the road, Charlottesville, and there’s Monticello. Virginia, especially 17 to 1800s Virginia, just has a massive amount of history to cover.”

That’s the “generous” way to look at it, he said, but another explanation has more to do with the subjects of the stories.

“These being enslaved African Americans or freedmen of that time, we don’t have a lot of their stories that we end up celebrating as much in Virginia,” he said. “I think the fact that this was their story is one reason it’s been forgotten.”

That vision resonates with Virginians like the former mayor Gill, who was first exposed to batteaux upon moving to Scottsville in 1999 — but she said the tour gave her a more in-depth understanding of the James River’s role in Virginia’s settlement.

“It was a verbal history and almost a re-enactment of that history that brought the lessons home for me,” she said of the tour. “We really need to pay attention to our history, and what got us to where we are today. They tell that story about central Virginia so well.”

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Jessica Kronzer graduated from James Madison University in May 2021 after studying media and politics. She enjoys covering politics, advocacy and compelling human-interest stories.

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Brittany mahomes bikini holds on for dear life ... on yacht w/ gal pals.

Patrick Mahomes ' wife, Brittany , really is a bikini model now -- the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie put her stunning body on display during her vacation in Mexico ... and flaunted some serious underboob in the process.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his longtime partner had a romantic trip in Cabo San Lucas over the past several days ... but on Sunday, it was all about the girls.

Brittany was spotted on a luxurious yacht with at least four other ladies ... soaking up the sun as they lounged on the back deck.

Britt rocked a tiny, orange two-piece for the occasion ... which is something she's quite accustomed to lately, as she was named to SI's newest swimsuit issue back in February.

No word on what all the ladies got into ... but chances are they had Taylor Swift 's new 'Tortured Poets Department' album blaring on the speakers, considering Brittany was super pumped for Travis Kelce 's girlfriend when the project dropped.

It was quite the eventful trip for the Mahomeses -- as we previously reported, the couple was heckled by Raiders fans while out at dinner together last week.

But all good things come to an end ... and same goes for the trip -- after all, the next football season will be here before ya know it.

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