Itama Yacht Burns Down Near Elba Island

A 22 meter Itama sport yacht titled La Corsa with three passengers aboard, went ablaze and eventually sank ten nautical miles offshore to the South East of Elba Island at about 13:30 of Thursday thirteen June.  The Portoferraio station received a Mayday call at about 1200 hours, from the yacht captain that smoke was coming from the engine room of the yacht, after this it is reported that in some minutes the yacht went ablaze with the three passengers having no option but to abandon ship and jump into the life-raft.  Patrol boat SAR CP892 responded to the mayday and eventually collected the three passengers, later dropped at Marina di Campo for a medical visit.  For this yacht fire the Livorno station also re-routed a Military ship and a helicopter from the Sarzana base of the Guardia Costiera.  The yacht fire and sinking is reported to having caused no pollution, although Portoferraio has still issued the owner with the notice to make all necessary arrangement to prevent this.

Aboard this yacht with the captain were Italian member of parliament Stefania Craxi daughter of previous Italy President Bettino Craxi, along with her husband Marco Bassetti the current Banijay CEO.

M/Y La Corsa is one of two Itama 76 as produced in 2001 and 2002.  A project of Mario Amati, his biggest Itama has been a long time coming, first announced as a 65 in the mid nineties, and then as 70 with initial construction starting in around 99.  Eventually the first unit was sold and delivered with a second hull coming a year later.  The Itama 70/76 was replaced by the Marco Casali designed Ferretti Group era Seventy Five in 2008, a model which is still in production today and has so far sold over thirty units.