13 hours ago
Italian racing sailboat Acrobatica found on Moroccan shores after 1300 mile drift
A racing monohull, the Class40 Acrobatica, has been found washed ashore near El Ouatia in southern Morocco, according to Ouest France. The Italian sailboat sank in the Atlantic in July 2024 following a violent collision with a tanker during the Transat Québec–Saint-Malo race. The skipper, Alberto Riva, and his two crew members were rescued by the cargo ship involved in the incident and later dropped off in the Azores. The boat, however, was left adrift and presumed lost at sea.
«It drifted more than 1,300 miles, carried by wind and currents, before reaching the Moroccan coast near El Ouatia, off the Canary Islands», Riva wrote on Instagram. «After all this time, it feels like I've recovered a part of myself», he added, visibly moved.
Riva's team is now working to recover the vessel. The sailor plans to travel to Morocco after his next race to oversee the operation and ensure the site is cleaned up. The story of the Class40 Acrobatica joins the rare and haunting ranks of ghost ships that reappear long after vanishing at sea.
