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Coastguard Trying to Recover a Luxury Sport Yacht That Sank After a Massive Fire

At a time of the year when an outstanding number of pleasure crafts are out on the water, it's not all fun and games because there's always the risk of an accident that could end up tragically. Fortunately, all the people, in this case, made it out safely, but the yacht wasn't so lucky.
The Hooligan sport yacht caught on fire in the Baltic Sea and sank, after the passengers onboard managed to escape 6 photos
Photo: Instagram/Salvage_and_wreck
Hooligan (Ex J&Li ) YachtHooligan (Ex J&Li ) YachtHooligan (Ex J&Li ) YachtHooligan (Ex J&Li ) YachtHooligan (Ex J&Li ) Yacht
Ten Finnish passengers were perhaps admiring the beautiful views in the Gulf of Tallinn, Estonia, when a glitch in the system quickly turned into a massive fire. It happened this past weekend, and the weather didn’t help at all. The Estonian Border Guard and police had to put up with high waves and strong winds, in addition to the fact that it was already dark outside, Superyacht Times reports.

After those on board managed to call for help from the Police and Border Guard Service (PPA), they escaped the vessel that was being engulfed by flames using the yacht's lifeboat. Luckily, a nearby yacht was able to pick them up, and they would later be transferred to the Estonian Rescue Unit. The yacht’s fate was less fortunate. Because of the weather conditions and the severity of the incident, the authorities were unable to save it from sinking in the Baltic Sea.

It was the end of the line for the luxury yacht named Hooligan (previously known as J&Li), which was built back in 2008 by the Italian shipyard Canados. The 90-footer (27.5 meters) was a Canados Open 90 model, a sleek and modern sport yacht. Powered by two MTU engines, it could hit an impressive speed of 47 knots (54 mph/87 kph), cruising comfortably at 38 knots (43.7 mph/70.3 kph).

Hooligan’s sophisticated interior was designed by Luiz de Basto, and up to nine passengers could be accommodated on board, in addition to three crew members. The high-speed beast was different than the typical flybridge yachts built by Canados and turned heads with its sharp lines and elegant color scheme. It had also completed a refit in 2016, so it should have been in good shape.

At the time of the incident, the sports yacht that was flying a Finnish flag had about 13 tons of fuel onboard. Some of that had burned, but the rest remained in the tank. That meant the risk of a heavy oil spill, which is why the Estonian coastguard made efforts to recover the boat as soon as possible.

The local authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the incident and of the mysterious "technical fault." It seems that no foul play is suspected, although it’s still unclear what caused the fire. No details about Hooligan’s owner came up either, and it looks like the boat wasn’t operating as a charter yacht at the time.



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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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