Crash investigators examine super yacht´s “black box”

The investigation into the collision between the super yacht Auriga and the Trasmediterranea catamaran Milenium continues, but yesterday investigators for the Port Authority Marine Captain and the Guardia Civil, said that they believe the accident could have been caused by “carelessness” on behalf of the Auriga. Apparently, both of the vessels would have picked each other up on their radars at least five minutes before the super yacht collided with the catamaran in waters off Andratx. Based on the evidence which has been gathered by investigators, a reconstruction of the accident indicates that the super yacht set sail from Formentera at 18.00 hrs last Thursday and had plotted a course to the Port of Andratx via Ibiza. Sources close to the investigation have stated that the Auriga sailed close to the coast at a speed of around 18 knots and apparently, prior to colliding with the catamaran, managed to avoid a yacht and a merchant vessel, both of which sailed across her path. The captain of the merchant ship apparently picked up the Auriga on his radar at a distance of three miles and the yacht when the super yacht was four miles away, giving both of the vessels around five minutes to take action in order to avoid a collision.