Moment 235ft superyacht worth £65m owned by Capri Sun tycoon crashes into dock in St Maarten

Moment 235ft superyacht worth £65m owned by Capri Sun tycoon crashes into dock in St Maarten after computer malfunction hits the steering

  • The 235ft-long superyacht GO smashed into a dock in St Maarten Wednesday
  • Footage showed the moment it ploughed into a wooden pier at 10.15am
  • It is thought a computer malfunction was to blame for the collision
  • The yacht is owned by billionaire Capri Sun juice boss Hans Peter Wild, 79 

A £65million superyacht has smashed into a luxury Caribbean club’s pier causing ‘very significant’ damage after suffering a computer malfunction.

The 235ft-long turquoise-hulled vessel is owned by Capri Sun juice tycoon Hans Peter Wild, 79 – who is worth £2billion.

Footage showed the superyacht GO – which has a helipad, gym, steam room, swimming pool and its own hospital onboard – plough into a jetty and concrete dock wall in Simpson Bay, St Maarten, on Wednesday. 

In one video, an onlooker can be heard saying ‘oh my God’ over and over again. In another clip, a witness said: ‘It’s hitting concrete now. What’s going on?’ 

It is not yet known how much it could cost to repair either the yacht or the dock, but a manager for the club suggested repairs could take months. 

Footage showed the superyacht GO – which has a helipad, gym, steam room, swimming pool and its own hospital onboard – plough into a jetty and concrete dock wall in Simpson Bay, St Maarten, on Wednesday

The yacht’s captain was trying to leave the Simpson Bay Lagoon from its berth at Ile de Sol Marina at 10.15am on Wednesday when the crash happened.  

Sint Maarten Yacht Club’s dock has been closed until further notice while the extent of the damage is assessed. 

Yacht is owned by Capri Sun juice tycoon Hans Peter Wild, 79 - who is worth £2billion

Yacht is owned by Capri Sun juice tycoon Hans Peter Wild, 79 – who is worth £2billion

A notice posted on its website on Wednesday read: ‘As most of you will have heard by now, this morning an accident occurred with a mega yacht. They lost control over the vessel and hit the dock of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.

‘Nobody was injured and the damage is solely structural, however it is very significant. We are currently assessing the extend of the damage to make a plan to rebuild.’

It is not known if Mr Wild was onboard at the time of the crash but photographs show a large gouge in the side of the yacht, which had to be pulled back to its berth at the marina.

It crashed into the dock twice after a computer malfunction, with the second time causing the most damage and leaving planks of wood strewn across what remained of the structure. 

It is not known if Mr Wild was onboard at the time of the crash but photographs show a large gouge in the side of the yacht, which had to be pulled back to its berth at the marina

It is not known if Mr Wild was onboard at the time of the crash but photographs show a large gouge in the side of the yacht, which had to be pulled back to its berth at the marina

It crashed into the dock twice after a computer malfunction, with the second time causing the most damage and leaving planks of wood strewn across what remained of the structure

It crashed into the dock twice after a computer malfunction, with the second time causing the most damage and leaving planks of wood strewn across what remained of the structure

Pictured before the crash. Built by Turquoise Yachts for Swiss businessman Mr Wild, the superyacht GO has a total guest capacity of 18 people and made its first run in March 2018

Pictured before the crash. Built by Turquoise Yachts for Swiss businessman Mr Wild, the superyacht GO has a total guest capacity of 18 people and made its first run in March 2018

Sint Maarten Yacht Club General Manager Michele Korteweg told the Daily Herald: ‘If the piles supporting the structure are still solid and stable, it should be easier to rebuild. 

‘If that’s not the case we will have to replace the piles which could take months. But in the meantime, we will come up with a temporary solution in order to be operational as quick as possible, at least at the minimum to connect the wooden accessway to the concrete dock.’

Witnesses claimed the superyacht was entangled in the propeller of an old sailboat at sea when it was about to dock. Its rudder was locked and it hit the pier, they said.

Built by Turquoise Yachts for Swiss businessman Mr Wild, the superyacht GO has a total capacity of 18 guests and 19 crew and made its first run in March 2018.