Image Credit: @RicardoBSalinas/ X

An eyebrow-raising incident occurred off the coast of Naples, Italy, on 22 July 2024, involving a collision between Venus, owned by the widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Lady Moura, owned by Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

In a statement provided to SuperyachtNews by Grupo Salinas, it appears that the bridge of Venus was unmanned at the time of the collision.

“Lady Moura was anchored in the Bay of Naples at a depth of 40 metres, deploying 7 shackles of chain, which meets the minimum requirements for safe anchoring under the given conditions,” the spokesperson explained.

“This was calculated in accordance with the standards of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). The length in metres was determined using a coefficient of hold of 5, or per the Admiralty method, which calculates the number of shackles as the square root of the water depth in metres, multiplied by 1.5.

“Several hours later, Venus arrived at the anchorage and seemingly misjudged the length of the chain deployed by Lady Moura. A sudden and violent squall with winds of 50-55 knots from an unexpected direction—different from the prevailing forecasts—led to the impact between the vessels.”

However, despite numerous efforts by the crew of Lady Moura to alert the crew of Venus by blowing the whistle and hailing on the radio, “it appears that the bridge of Venus was unmanned”. Notably, neither vessel dragged anchor during the event.

“Thankfully, the damages to both yachts were minimal and cosmetic. Within hours, both parties resolved the situation amicably and professionally. Grupo Salinas appreciates the professionalism demonstrated by all involved and the swift resolution to ensure the safety and integrity of the vessels and their crews.”

Footage from the crash, posted on 7 August, has since sparked considerable debate online.

The video, shared by Pliego on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the 78-metre Feadship drifting towards Pliego’s yacht before making contact with the 105-metre Blohm+Voss yacht, despite cries from the crew. Both vessels were anchored in the bay at the time.

“You won’t believe this, but our yacht was hit while we were in Naples,” said Pliego in a tweet.

“Steve Jobs’ yacht, founder of Apple (now owned by his wife Laurene), hit us while we were anchored off Naples. I’d like to know what the captain and crew were doing that they didn’t see a yacht the size of mine in front of them.”

Pliego added that the collision ultimately resulted in nothing more than a scratch; however, it will need substantial funds to repair it. The billionaire then jokingly suggested to his followers to “go and buy Apple products to help them pay”.

Whilst the spokesperson has since noted that the crash was due to a change in wind, the competency of the crew has come under fire, with many questioning how this incident was possible in the first place.

“The crew on the yacht Venus were twiddling their thumbs; there’s no way they couldn’t see the Lady Moura,” says Fabian Alonso (@fabianla69) on X.

“It’s incredible that no crew member came out to place a fender anywhere; it seems like a ship adrift,” adds cafas (@cafascafas).

Despite the incident, the yachts have since cruised elsewhere, with Lady Moura now in Mykonos, Greece, and Venus sailing in the Ligurian Sea.

“Here is the video, so you can see that there is no shortage of idiots in the world and understand how important it is to have a responsible and attentive captain in command,” adds Pliego. “There’s no other way, we’re going to continue enjoying our holidays.”

No me lo van a creer pero nos chocaron el yate mientras estábamos en Nápoles.

Les cuento ☕️… el yate de Steve Jobs fundador de Apple (ahora de su esposa Laurene), nos pegó mientras estábamos anclados frente a Nápoles. Yo quisiera saber que andaba haciendo el capitán y la… pic.twitter.com/R1XVzZFGkD

— Don Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) August 7, 2024

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