Just four days after a reported pirate attack on board S/Y Tiara off the coast of Corsica, the captain spoke briefly with DOCKWALK.com about the safety of his crew.
“The guests and crew are obviously in shock, but we’re all okay,” says Capt. Pascal Pellat-Finet, captain of the S/Y Tiara. “That’s all I can say at this time.”
The captain, speaking exclusively via phone with DOCKWALK.com, said he’d like to offer more information, but is under strict orders not to speak with media about the incident.
“We are in the middle of a charter now that should conclude next week,” says Pellat-Finet. “There is a police inquiry into the pirate incident. We are not able to say anything to the media until later, when the inquiry is complete.”
The 178-foot (55-meter) Tiara, commissioned by Israeli millionaire Jonathan Leitersdorf in 2002, was reportedly moored off Porto Vecchio Sunday night, several miles off the southern coast of Corsica, when it was boarded by four masked gunmen.
The thieves, armed with rifles and handguns, robbed the crew and charter guests of nearly $200,000 in cash and an undetermined amount in jewelry and artwork, according to several published reports.
Though Capt. Pellat-Finet would not confirm the information, The Australian reports that the guests are wealthy members of the German financial world. Guests can charter the vessel for roughly $265,000 per week, according to the Moody Yachts France charter website.
Tiara is well-known for its celebrity charter guests, which have reportedly included actor Jack Nicholson and fashion designer Giorgio Armani.
Tiara was built in 2004 by Alloy Yachts and is registered in the Cayman Islands.