Story by Ryan Prosser
A superyacht has sunk off the coast of Sardinia just days after it was unveiled by its owner.
Angiola II capsized between L’isola dei Cappuccini and Capo Ferro in Costa Smeralda, following a fire onboard on Tuesday evening.
The 30-metre vessel had been delivered only four days earlier to its owner, an unnamed Italian businessman who was hosting 13 other people on his £6.8million purchase when disaster struck.
All passengers onboard were safely evacuated onto other boats, Corriere della Sera reported.
The cause of the sinking is under investigation, with no fuel leak discovered.
Footage of the incident showed the superyacht sinking and banking to one side in the Mediterranean Sea.
Authorities are currently deploying a 200-tonne specialist tugboat to recover the wreckage from the sea, which is being monitored with containment barriers placed around the drowned boat.
Previously known as the Limbo and Arsana, the Angiola is one six yachts under the Amer F100 line made by Permare in 2020.
It was propelled by four Volvo Penta diesel engines and has changed hands several times since it first set sail.
The luxury vessel had been delivered to its new owner following a renovation just four days before the incident on Tuesday (Picture: Jam Press)
The vessel has a top speed of 28 knots or just a 32 miles per hour, and has an official capacity of ten people across its five cabin rooms.
It had been extensively renovated before being handed to its latest owner.
Sardinia is one of Europe’s top destinations for superyachts, however their presence has attracted complaints from locals over their use of private beaches and overcrowding the coast.
Amer Yachts said the vessel had been correctly maintained while it was in under warranty.
Its CEO Barbara Amerio said: ‘Like everyone else, we are relieved that passengers and crew are safe – and, like everyone else, we are awaiting official findings.’
She added: ‘It is painful to see a boat sink to which we devoted a year and a half of work, cared for like all our boats, down to the smallest details.’
