Three yachts ranging from 15 to 27 metres have been destroyed in a fire at the Maxi Dolphin shipyard in Erbusco, Italy.
According to a statement shared by the yard, the blaze began in the late evening on Monday 24 August, with firefighters battling the flames "through the night". Local reports detail that around 20 fire teams from the nearby city of Brescia attended the scene, with support from the Bergamo and Mantua fire departments.
The blaze was reportedly contained to the area in which it broke out, to prevent it from spreading to any of the other nearby warehouses and build sheds. Once extinguished, efforts began to remove the burnt material, clean and make the site safe.
The fire has destroyed the shipyard's build shed alongside three under-construction yachts: a 27.1-metre MD80 sailing yacht, a 22.9-metre MD75 sailing yacht and a 15.4-metre MD51 powerboat. The MD80 was reportedly close to completion, scheduled for delivery at the end of September.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A statement from the shipyard read: "The fire stopped us. And for a few hours last night, it left us speechless. Almost 40 years of history, craftsmanship and passion cannot be stopped by one night. Now comes the hard part: cleaning, securing and restarting. But we are already looking ahead."
Luca Botter, CEO of Maxi Dolphin, said: "The fire stopped us and it is an immense pain, but we will start again immediately at another site, both for motorboats and sailing boats. We will not stop."
Founded in 1987, the shipyard is recognised for building custom and semi-custom sailing and motor yachts in advanced composite and carbon fibre. Some of its most recognised builds include the 36-metre Viriella, delivered in 2001, and the 30.5-metre Nomad IV, delivered in 2013.
BOAT International will update the story as it develops.