Incident Video: Offshore Tug Sinks Luxury Schooner in Spain

Every once in a while we’ll come across a collision video that poses the question of who’s at fault. This isn’t one of those videos.

The incident took place June 10th in Tarragona, Spain when the emergency rescue tug Punta Mayor apparently suffered a mechanical problem and backed into a 49.5-meter schooner moored at the marina, causing it to sink.

Sailing enthusiasts have identified the schooner as the Eleonora E, which was built in 2000 by Dutch yacht designer Van Der Graaf as an exact replica of the schooner Westward, designed in 1910 by renowned America’s Cup winning naval architect Nathanael Greene Herreshoff. The schooner had just underwent a refit in 2021 and is listed for sale at 6.9 million euros by the Bernard Gallay Yacht Brokerage.