A video captured the moment the luxury yacht Galactica collided with the Heusdense brug in the Netherlands, producing loud scraping sounds. The incident occurred shortly after the vessel arrived in Dutch waters for performance trials. The yacht, owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Vagit Alekperov, was later towed away.
The crash of the multimillion-dollar yacht Galactica into the Heusdense brug bridge in the Netherlands was documented in a video shared on Reddit's r/ThatLookedExpensive subreddit. The footage shows people moving around the yacht amid harsh metal scraping noises as it strikes the structure. One commenter remarked, "More like that sounded expensive."
According to SuperYacht Times, the incident happened just days after Galactica entered Dutch waters for performance trials. A photograph from the outlet depicts the yacht being towed by another boat following the collision. Luxurylaunches reports that the vessel, now renamed Genesis, has been without its owner for some time. Vagit Alekperov, a Russian billionaire sanctioned by the U.K. in 2023, appears to have abandoned the ship. Alekperov holds a 28.3% stake in Lukoil, Russia's largest oil company, which accounts for about 2% of global oil production.
Online reactions to the video included humorous comments. One user suggested, "A few tons of Vaseline should've let it slip thru." Another quipped, "Now it's a battle-scarred Galactica." A third noted, "There's something glorious about having rich peoples days ruined."
The event highlights the maintenance challenges of idle luxury yachts, which can incur significant costs when left in harbors for extended periods.