The Oatley family, owners of the legendary 100-footer Wild Oats XI, must be wondering what misfortune will strike them next.
Just a fortnight ago the foredeck of their WOXI supermaxi fractured under excessive load from a hydraulic headsail ram. That repair is sure to be complex and expensive, and there are strong indications that the yacht will then be sold and the whole Wild Oats racing team disbanded.
Now, the family’s 92-foot motor yacht Andiamo is a total wreck (see above) after catching fire and sinking at her dock in Sydney. The blaze took hold on Saturday night and the $8m cruiser could not be saved despite concerted attempts from both land and water.
The supermaxi LawConnect is moored at the adjacent dock space and was fortunate not to be damaged by the intense flames.
Andiamo (the Italian word means “Let’s go!”) was a unique design suggested by Sandy Oatley. The lower sections of the hull were in the form of a trimaran and the propulsion came from two jet water-thruster engines in the outboard hulls.
As yet the cause of the fire is unknown.
