High Drama on the Riviera: Famous Yacht Sea Lady II at Risk of Sinking After Fiery Incident in Saint-Tropez

In a distressing turn of events, the esteemed Sea Lady II is precariously close to sinking. The mishap occurred shortly after the vessel docked at Quai de l’Épi in the Vieux-Port on an ill-fated summer evening. The blaze’s cause remains a mystery, yet its consequences have been devastating, rendering the yacht with serious structural damage and a compulsion to take on water. This unfortunate incident required an intervention from approximately sixty firefighters, supplemented by two fireboats. In the process, they prompted an evacuation of about thirty nearby yachts as the flames proliferated through the forward hull and lower decks. It was a harrowing escape for the eight crew members and several passengers, with two crew members seeking treatment for smoke inhalation. Built in 1986 by British shipyard W.A. Souter & Sons and previously known as D’Angleterre II, the 277-tonne Sea Lady II is famed for her robust design by Don Shead Ltd. She had undergone an extensive refit in 2024, a testament to her durability. However, this incident has raised significant environmental alarms. A ruptured fuel tank containing approximately 27,000 litres of diesel aggravated the situation, fostering concerns about the surrounding marine environment. To mitigate the potential contamination, anti-pollution booms were deployed swiftly. The Vieux-Port, typically a bustling corner during peak summer, remains closed to navigation, impacting local operators and charter movements. Authorities are currently focusing on recovering the remaining fuel and preparing the hull for inspection and refloating. The recovery and structural assessment operations are being overseen by the municipality of Saint-Tropez, working closely with the Prefecture of Var and the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean. As the Sea Lady II’s future hangs in the balance, this incident serves as a reminder of the delicate interplay between human leisure and the vulnerability of nature’s elements.