Italian coastguard assist 52m Benetti superyacht

On Friday afternoon, the Italian coastguard was dispatched by local port authorities to aid M/Y Latitude. The 52m yacht had lost its ability to manoeuvre in the Strait of Bonifacio, La Maddalena TV reports.

Port authorities in La Maddalena, a small island in the Strait of Bonifacio, had identified Latitude's ‘abnormal behaviour’, 5 miles to the northeast of the island, through the Automatic Identification System (A.I.S.).

Contacted via radio, Latitude's captain confirmed to port authorities the yacht was encountering problems with its engines, and that he hence had to proceed at reduced speed. As 14 guests were on board and conditions were rough, the captain requested assistance from the coastguard.

A coastguard's boat was then dispatched to help Latitude's crew. After establishing the crew and guests were in no apparent danger, they transmitted to the captain the coordinates of local specialists handling towing operations.

In the meantime however, crew were able to repair one of the two engines and continue cruising towards Corsica. Italian authorities then escorted the yacht to French national waters. Marine Traffic data shows the yacht has since reached the port of Antibes, France.

52m Latitude was built by Benetti in 2008 to an exterior design by Stefano Natucci. Capable of accommodating 12 guests in 6 cabins, the yacht carries a crew of 13. Latitude is powered by twin Caterpillar 3512B engines giving her a cruising speed of 14 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles.