128-foot yacht If Only burns near Nice

Aug 18, 2017 by Triton Staff

M/Y If Only, an Italian-flagged 128-foot (39m) Feadship, caught on fire about 2 p.m. Aug. 17 in the bay of Nice, France, less than 5nm from shore. Firefighters responded quickly and the 15 people on board — 11 passengers and four crew — were rescued, according to local newspaper Nice Maten. The cause of the fire is unknown, although some news agencies are reporting an unconfirmed suspicion that an electrical fire in the engine room was to blame.

During the fire, smoke could be seen billowing from what appeared to be midship portside. Local news agencies reported that the large plume of smoke was visible from the beaches, as well as from aircraft approaching or leaving the Nice-Côte d’Azur airport. One firefighter was taken to a hospital in Antibes after inhaling noxious fumes, according to SuperYacht News.

If Only, built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, was launched in 1974 as Wallanka and underwent a major refit in 1989.

Topics: