The 25.2-metre Oyster sailing yacht Viva la Vida has capsized off the coast of the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, during participation in the 2026 Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia's largest offshore keelboat regatta.
According to an official statement from the British shipyard, on Friday 21 August the vessel struck what is believed to be a rock or a reef at low tide while sailing a downwind leg at pace, with her spinnaker deployed. The yacht sustained severe damage to the lower part of her keel, resulting in the loss of her bulb and ultimate capsizing.
The decision was taken to abandon the yacht after she began taking on a significant amount of water following the collision. All 10 passengers on board were safely transferred to another boat, thanks to a Mayday call issued at the time of the impact.
"Oyster is in direct contact with Viva La Vida's owners and will provide every appropriate form of support," the statement from the yard also read. "We will also, if requested, cooperate fully with the relevant authorities, insurers and other parties, and will support any post-incident review of the circumstances and the damage sustained."
"A full technical assessment depends on recovery and detailed examination of the yacht. Until that work is complete, it would be premature to draw conclusions about the cause, nature or extent of the damage. Further information will be shared once it has been verified and when appropriate."
Delivered in 2019, Viva la Vida is one of seven vessels in the 825 series from Oyster and was designed by British design studio Humphreys Yacht Design, which penned her distinctive painted hull. Her interiors were designed in-house and feature a trio of vertical windows - a signature characteristic of Oyster yachts.
BOAT International will update the story as it develops.