More questions

There are a host of disturbingly unanswered questions about this incident.

When BYM correspondent, Tom Walsh, visited Mirabella V he said “Mirabella V continues to inspires those of us that only see her pass and it's good to know she's a truly excellent product from a British shipyard.” So what went wrong?

Owner Joe Vittoria was clearly proud when he posed above Mirabella’s anchors. Today, some are questioning the effectiveness of those anchors, though Tom Walsh - a very experienced yactsman - says “I could see no problem with the size or scope of the anchors, handling gear or machinery when I visited her.” That does not alter the fact that the absence of official statements tends to cast a cloud over, not just the anchor manufacturers, but every

company involved in the supply of parts, design and build of this superyacht. That is unfair.

Mirabella V’s website says “Quite apart from developing a mechanism to lift this massive keel, a lot of study and calculations went into figuring out what reinforcements would be required and where they should be located to cope with sailing or grounding loads.” AND “Mirabella V's lift keel, all 150 tonnes of it, has required a significant level of research and

detail engineering, both with regard to the structural integrity of the 10 metres deep fin as well as the system and reliability requirements for the lifting mechanism.”

The Daily Telegraph has quoted the owners’s son as saying “the problem (Editor’s Note:failure to prevent the grounding) may have been due to a hydraulic failure of the keel, which had leaked piston fluid.” On the other hand, Paul Johnson is quoted by the Independant as saying “The boat is not budging from the ground because the keel mechanism has failed AFTER the impact.” Such anomalies are unfair to all involved and require immediate clarification if speculation and rumour, which is already rife in the bars of Beaulieu, is not to escalate, damaging those who are innocently involved.

Editor’s Note: Since these first four pages were written, the on-line version of the Telegraph has been changed. See “The sequel”.

There are, perhaps, two questions that most deserve answers. Whichever super yacht Captain you talk to, they will say “When an easterly comes up, you get out of Beaulieu Bay and go round to Villefranche.” So why did Mirabella V’s crew elect to remain in Beaulieu Bay when, as early as Monday, easterlies force 6 to 7 were forecast for sometime on Thursday?

Above all; the average 10 metre secondhand yacht owner has a cheap echo sounder that screams at him when the anchor drags and the depth changes, so how could the highly qualified crew of this multi-million vessel, equipped with state-of-the-art navigational aids  have failed to get warning that they were nearing rocks until it was too late.

Marian Martin - September 23, 2004.

[BYM News Home] [Mirabella V] [Mirabella on the Rocks] [Windage] [Consequences] [More Questions] [Sequel] [Some Facts] [Rumour] [IOM Report] [Comment]