September 20, 2020

Flybridge Cruiser on the Rocks in Favignana

A flybridge cruiser of about fourteen meters in length ended on the rocks in the Egadi island of Favignana, on the late morning of Sunday 20th September. The accident happened in Cala Previto on the South-West part. No injuries where reported with passengers being rescued by nearby boats, and the Piantoni flybridge boat was salvaged there after and led to safety. The accident is reported that the Piantoni flybridge cruiser was running when it hit an unmarked submerged reef, and then there after was beached in order to avoid total sinking.  One of three and the largest Egadi islands in the archipelago, located on the Western part of Sicily, Favignana is also the closest, distancing less to four nautical miles from the main land of the largest island in the Mediterranean. 
The flybridge cruiser in this accident is a Piantoni 45 Fantasy, which was presented in 1985 and produced till 1992 due to the bankruptcy of the company.  The Piantoni 45 Fantasy was popular for being a flybridge cruiser sub fourteen meters in length with three double guest cabins and two heads, and was powered by Cats 375hp and 420hp for later models.  The 45 Fantasy is still researched nowadays for having good seakeeping qualities and a strong construction. With the company re-opening its doors in around mid nineties to then close again before the end of the decade, the 45 Fantasy eventually evolved to a 48 Fly produced 93 to 95, with modified extended stern and a crew cabin aft.  Piantoni started life in the sixties founded by Pietro Piantoni and sons first building boats of wood, and then making the switch to fiberglass.  The company then became the Piantoni Brothers until it bankrupted in 1992/93.  Eventually the company opened again as Lombardi shipyard in 1999/2000 with a life span which lasted some years. 

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