Out of Control Yacht Crashes In Marina Alicante Bridge

An out of contol 21 meter motor yacht collided into marina surroundings in the Port of Alicante, to the South East of Spain on the late morning of Saturday sixth August.  The yacht first collided with the marina dock wall, and then with the pier bridge when it ultimately stopped.  The yacht is reported to have had a malfunction to its engine command throttles, and was uncontrollable and unstoppable as it was making way through the water.  No one was injured in the accident with some damage material happening to the yacht, and the marina bridge.  The yacht was reported to be on charter duty and was preparing to leave the harbour for a cruise.

The yacht in this collision is an Astondoa 72 GLX as designed by Nuvolari Lenard and produced from 1998 to 2007.  This 72 GLX is the 2004 or later version with the large windows serving the master cabin at midships.  The Astondoa 72 GLX came out as a replacement to the 70 GLX and was replaced by the 76 GLX.

Flybridge Cruiser with Nine Persons Onboard Partially Sinks

A nine meter flybridge traditional cruiser with nine persons onboard partially sank, while cruising in the Islands archipelago of La Madalena in North East Sardinia on the morning of fifth August.  The motor cruiser was cruising in the La Madonna Port area between the islands of Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria when it started to embark water.  Immediate the action of the Italian Coast Guard who deployed two vessel the search and rescue CP 870 and fast intervention unit Alfa 70.  No injuries where reported to the nine passengers thanks to immediate help of boats in the vicinity. The traditional cruiser was reported taking on water due to a failed sea water inlet, and was later refloated and taken to a boat yard in La Madalena for repairs.

The boat in this accident is a Sagene 28 Fly version produced in the eighties.  Featuring a semi-displacement hull shape the Sagene 28 Fly was also available with as an enclosed pilothouse non flybridge version.

New Model: Vicem Classic 82 Flybridge

Vicem is proud to announce the European delivery of the first Classic 82 Flybridge. Build of cold molding for a third-time Vicem owner the Classic 82 Flybridge is a classically designed superyacht in the style of a Downeast flybridge cruiser, with dedicated social spaces and amenities to match. From the flying bridge to the aft deck and salon, the Classic 82 Flybridge offers an ideal mix of social entertaining and onboard accommodations, with top-performance and seakeeping capabilities on the water. The bridge deck, which features the yachts second helm, also offers a U-shape settee and entertaining console, complete with a wine chiller, sink, and a barbecue grill. The foredeck offers a sun-pad plus an twin settee built-in at the bow. Inside the Classic 82 Flybridge Vicem combines classic finishes, book matched mahogany veneers, and premium joinery. The layout is designed to take advantage of the yachts six plus meters of beam to allow for three large staterooms with walk-around queen-size berths.  The master stateroom is full-beam midships located with hanging locker storage, ensuite head and shower, a straight settee with storage to port, and a vanity to starboard. All staterooms have ensuite heads with showers and plenty of under-berth stowage in addition to hanging lockers. In order to provide the salon with unparalleled views and uncompromised space, the Classic 82 Flybridge features a lower deck galley finished with Corian countertops and premium appliances. The main salon opens into the aft cockpit on a single level through double sliding doors and offers seating configurations enough for large families or social gatherings. A pair of facing L-settees in the cockpit as well as a large L-shape and straight settee in the salon provide seating for twenty people in comfort and style. The primary helm station is also situated in the salon, providing the captain with unobstructed views all around while underway. While not underway, the crew have access through a dedicated passage to ensuite living quarters. The crew’s quarters will also have a Garmin electronics array that mirrors the helm control stations for vessel monitoring at all times. Vicem Classic 82 Flybridge is powered by twin Volvo 900hp and in its test sea trails reached a seventeen knots top speeds, a fifteen of cruise and a projected range of 1100 nautical miles at nine knots.

Technical Data:

LOA - 24.70 m (81ft)

Beam - 6.20 m

Draft - 1.60 m

Displacement - 

Fuel Capacity - 6000 l

Water Capacity - 1000 l

Max Persons - twenty

Accommodation - six guests in three cabins, two crew in one cabin

Engines - 2 x Volvo D13 900hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - seventeen knots max, fifteen fast cruse, nine knots long range

Range - 1100 nm at nine knots

Project - Vicem 

Construction - cold molded, strip planked mahogany covered with Akzo Nobel Epoxy resin

Certification - CE A

www.vicemyachts.com

Sportfish Runs Aground in Norwich, New London

An eleven meter Pursuit sportfish cruiser with one person onboard ran aground on the breakwater of the Thames River, Norwich PI, New London, USA on 06:00 hours of Thursday fourth August.  The captain and lone occupant was not injured and received immediate help by two Firefighting boats who assisted the sportfish cruiser from the land pumping out the water which was coming from the damaged hull.  Later a TowBoatUS boat was finalizing a tow procedure to be made in high tide, which also meant to seal the hull bottom damage from the collision.

The sportfish cruiser in this grounding is a Pursuit 3800 Offshore as produced from 2001 up to 2004.  The Pursuit 3800 Offshore also called the Express was replaced by the 3800 Open a direct evolution with a sloop stern.  In 2008 Pursuit decided to focus exclusively on outboard powered boats, leaving to sister boat Tiara the inboard segment with the 3800 Open replaced by the similar looking upper structure but completely new hull OS 375 Offshore.

Two Persons Saved as Sea Ray Boat Sinks Near San Juan Islands

Two boaters were saved as a thirteen meter Sea Ray cruiser started sinking in Wasp Passage, between the Crane and Shaw Islands, in San Juan, state of Washington, on the morning of Wednesday third August.  The two boaters were saved by the m/v Tillikum which operates the Washington State Ferry Service, as two crew launched a rescue boat and recovered the boaters.  The Sea Ray cruiser was reported to have ended aground and started to sink.

The Sea Ray cruiser in this sinking is a 460 Sundancer as produced from 2016 to 2019.  The 460 Sundancer came out as a replacement to the 470 Sundancer, with Sea Ray focusing on smaller models and never replacing the model after its production stopped.

Project: Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi 470 Regina

Following the success of the 340 Regina Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi expands its range with the 470 Regina, a project just like the smaller sister of Paolo Ferragni who presents a modular fifteen meter open sport cruiser with versatile solutions to maximize outdoor space, and provide guests with a close relationship with the sea.  The 470 Regina's key features are the aft folding balconies and a split solarium, while the stern is equipped with am up-down bathing platform system that facilitates tender or jet-ski launch and lifting. The bow of the 470 Regina will feature an unedited versatile concept that enhances space use: a lounge solarium that splits in two and moved to the sides creates what FIM calls Bow Life. This area can be used in many ways thanks to its modularity, with the possibility of filling it with seawater to create a mini pool, or with a table converting into an additional dining area. The Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi 470 Regina standard interior layout will offer two luxury spacious cabins forward and midships each with a private ensuite toilet and shower.  The forward cabin will have an area to starboard that can be configured, according to needs, into an office, bar or vanity console. A three-cabin configuration with a third bunk cabin is also available, this coming to starboard and eating space from the forward cabin.  Finishing in the Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi 470 Regina will come from modern Alpi woods, contemporary inserts, and refined details, with customizable upholstery elements coming from a variety of fabrics and leathers.  Extensive research of materials and furnishing accessories carried out by FIM is also made visible when entering the toilets, with countertops in Laminam giving a marble-effect finish, which match and contrast with the premium Velis fixtures signed by the Italian company Nobili, while high-end petrol blue wash basins are made of stainless steel.  The 470 Regina is powered by twin Volvo 480hp or 600hp engines with IPS pod propulsion, reaching speeds up to 39 knots with the large engine option.  An outboard version with triple or quadruple Yamaha 425hp is also in the works.  Hull number one of the 470 Regina is in completion stages, set to be presented at Cannes boat show 2022 in September. 

www.fimotoscafi.com

Super Yacht Burns and Sinks in Ibiza Port

M/y Good Vibes a 33 meter super yacht caught fire about 14:30 hours on the afternoon of second August, in Ibiza.  According to reports the super yacht was sailing in the Es Freus, between Ibiza and Formentera at the time the fire started.  A commercial ship helped tow the super yacht to an empty part of the Ibiza harbor in order to make controlling  the flames easier, with the fire fighting squad eventually switching off the fire at about 20:00 hours.  After this the yacht mostly sank and heavily listed to stern was towed to the marina where the day after it capsized.

M/y Good Vibes previously named Madness is a Bilgin 110 Sky delivered in 2010, with naval architecture and design by Mahir Bestas and build in a mahogany hull and marine ply super structure covered with epoxy resins.  Good Vibes was last refitted in 2019 and is one of three Bilgin 110 Sky delivered.

Sunseeker Yacht Burned Down by Fire in Comino, Malta

A 23 meter Sunseeker motor yacht went ablaze at 00:15 hours, on first August in the bay of Santa Marija, on the island of Comino, in the Maltese islands.  The yacht was on anchor with three persons onboard reportedly sleeping, who jumped in the water and went to safety on a nearby yacht as they saw the fire. The Maltese civil protection with assistance from the Armed Forces of Malta went to extinguish the fire to no avail, with the yacht fully burned down and sank some three hours later.  Some unconfirmed reports are stating that the yacht fire started on the flybridge.  No one was injured in the fire, although the guests onboard where treated for fume inhaling.

The Sunseeker in this fire is a 2005 75 Yacht mark one as introduced in 2003 and produced till 2007 in about twenty units.  The Sunseeker 75 Yacht followed the design language of the 82 Yacht introduced a couple months earlier.  The Sunseeker 75 Yacht was a replacement to the 74 Manhattan and was replaced by the 70 Manhattan.  A 75 Yacht Mark.II was produced from 2014 to 2017, what was an evolution of the 70 and 73 Manhattan models. 

Sport Yacht Collides Into Reef to Avoid Collision, One Dead Three Injured

One person died and three others where injured when an eighteen meter sport yacht named m/y Amore collided with a reef in La Nibani Islands, close to Porto Cervo in the Emerald Coast to the North East of Sardinia, on the night of 31 July at around 20:50 hours.  The collision came following a manovre by its captain to avoid m/y Sweet Dragon of 21 meters in size coming from its right side, with Amore navigating from South to North.  One person the owner of Amore a 63 year old English German named Dean Crossbein was reported dead following a heart attack on the collision.  Amore sustained a large gapping hole damage to the port side of its bow, where the crew cabin is located.  Two other unnamed smaller boats where also involved in the accident, with Sweet Dragon and another smaller boat giving first-aid assistance to Amore immediately after the impact.  Both Amore and Sweet Dragon where detained by the Coast Guard for further investigation, with both captains of the large sport yachts accused of involuntary man slaughter.

M/y Amore is a Profilmarine Cherokee 60 as designed by Alberto Mercati and produced from 1987 till about the late nineties.  Profilmarine from Viareggio was owned by its architect Alberto Mercati, which made historical success in the eighties with the 50 model which sold over fifty units in that decade.

M/y Sweet Dragon is a 1989 Magnum 70, the first hull out of eleven made to a design of Pininfarina.  Sweet Dragon was commissioned by the family Campari and has been owned since 1995 by x-Italian prime minister and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi. 

Navigation Social Media

Social media for the most has become part of our lives just as much TV was in the twentieth century or radio in the nineteenth.  How many times do you end in Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and or TikTok watching short clips of boats and yachts and then commenting about it.  Social media has changed our viewing experience just as much as Cable Television, PayTV, and Satellite. 

The bad side of the coin of social media is that everyone is entitled to an opinion, and while that it is always the case, when someone writes a post it tends that people believe what they want to.  For example if someone posts a video of a boat on fire, the first speculation is that this was made voluntary to make an insurance pay out of it and get out of the financial burden that is boating.  What people tend to forget is that boating for many people is passion, and while it is a known fact that it is an expensive hobby, many people once they get used to it, cannot live without a boat.

Social media has also changed how news travel now being faster to everything.  If a boat accident happens you usually get it before on social media followed later by the news rooms.  Also today even the smallest of accidents gets reported on social media with some newsroom then following the story of what happened.  Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have channels build around boating accidents and fails.