UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 11, 2013: Vincenzo Poerio, Benetti’s CEO, says that the investigation into exactly how the fire started is still going on. However, at a press event during the Cannes Boat Show today announcing the introduction of the new Benetti Fast Displacement line, he started off discussing FB261, additionally showing a photo of her that he says was taken on September 9. In it, FB261 is on the hard at the Livorno yard, with protective wrapping around part of her structure. Poerio says the megayacht will be completed in 12 to 14 months. “The client is happy we have started the construction again,” he explains. He reiterated that Benetti has increased its fire-control procedures. “That was a good lesson for us and for the whole yachting world,” Poerio says. FB261 did not yet have her sprinkler system activated, he states, because the megayacht had just been launched the day before. He adds that an alarm did go off, but no one was aboard, so it was not heard right away. Poerio further expressed thanks for the support of several members of the Super Yacht Builders Association (SYBAss).
the original story follows below
FB261, a 184-footer (56-meter) nearing completion at Benetti, was damaged in a fire that broke out onboard on August 20. While insurance investigators are still evaluating the situation, a few details have been released, and Benetti has further released a statement about how it plans to stem off future similar situations.
The megayacht was in the water, having been launched earlier this summer and expected for delivery soon. She features an interior by Bannenberg & Rowell. Footage taken of the fire shows flames coming from inside on two decks. No one was working onboard when the occurred. Fire officials from Livorno, the Italian city in which the shipyard is located, arrived on scene, reportedly following Benetti’s own response team. The fire was finally extinguished in the late afternoon; no injured were said to have occurred. That evening, Benetti stated that the fire seemed to have been started due to an electrical spike, resulting from a strong lightning storm in the area.
This morning, Benetti released another statement:
“The sense of responsibility and the passion of the Benetti team will make us learn from such an extreme case and reinforce the team commitment, to continue to build as we did in the last 140 years beautiful Benettis sailing worldwide,” refers Vincenzo Poerio, Azimut Benetti Megayacht division CEO.
The cause likely depends on three exceptional circumstances:
1. A massive electrical storm affected Tuscany and in particularly Livorno’s area that night;
2. The protection against extraordinary electrical shocks, including thunderstorms in operation when a yacht is in commissioning, was not yet armed;
3. No one was sleeping on board that night and could hear the alarms.
Benetti has immediately taken drastic measures to avoid any other extreme case like this may happen in the future.
The vessel will be taken out of the water and completed in a short time.
We are following the story and will update it accordingly as the insurance inspectors and others complete their reports.
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