Cagliari Calcio president Massimo Cellino is in trouble. Stone of the scandal was his sailboat, the “Nélie,” an X-65 from the Danish shipyard X-Yachts purchased in the U.S. and then brought to Italy, according to Cagliari Court Judge Sandra Lepore, taking advantage of a tourist permit without paying VAT (allegedly costing about 400 thousand euros) and without ever regularizing the position before the IRS. Cellino was sentenced to a fine of 600,000 euros, a “half-millionth” lower than what prosecutor Andrea Massidda asked for.
THE “BILL”
The boat had been confiscated after a Finance Guard inspection in June 2012 and joint investigations by the Italian Revenue Police and the Customs Agency had revealed the non-payment of VAT: Cellino had defended himself by claiming that since he was a manager and not the representative of the U.S. company he could use the boat thanks to a signed and formalized contract, complying with the regulations in force between the United States and Italy. But the argument did not hold up.
THAT BOAT IS THE X-65
Designed by Niels Jeppesen, it features a modern, elegant aesthetic with high freeboards and a low, streamlined deckhouse. The extremely balanced and well-proportioned hull is free of forcing, demonstrating the undisputed nautical prowess this 65-footer must have. The living work has thin bow entries that together with the small maximum beam help to limit the wetted surface area thus allowing good sailing speeds even in light winds. The raised stern from the water also prevents any kind of dragging even at high heeling angles.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET.
Type: monohull
Length: mt.20.01
Width: mt.5.36
Bunks (min): 8+2
Bunks (max): 10
Displacement: ton. 27.8
Draught (max): mt. 3.4
Draught (min): mt. 2.6
Sail sup. (min): sq. m. 241.96
Design Category: Open
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