Ill-fated yacht for sale at a discount

The stricken Team Ocean after its middle hull snapped last June in Dubai.

DUBAI // A trimaran that spectacularly split in two off Dubai while attempting a speed record is seaworthy again and looking for a new owner. The multimillion dollar Team Ocean yacht, skippered by Ivan Bourgnon, was just minutes into its bid last June to break the unofficial record for a circumnavigation of Nakheel's archipelago, The World, when it broke up.

As it reached its cruising speed of 25 knots off the Palm Jumeirah there was a sudden bang, the bow rose up and the carbon-fibre central hull snapped in half. The alarm was raised at Duboats in Dubai International Marina Club, which was serving as the trimaran team's headquarters. Mr Bourgnon, the owner, said from France yesterday that he was hoping to fetch ?350,000 (Dh1.62m) for the repaired boat. It has been in dock in Dubai since its ill-fated assault on the three hour- 15 minute record.

"We are no longer racing 60-foot boats," he said. "We have put the masts down and we do not have the budget to run such a boat. These are very expensive to run and maintain. It will be fully repaired, new paint job and it will be like brand new." He said this type of boat new was worth ?3m and that two prospective buyers were visiting Dubai next week, one Danish and another from New Zealand. Toby Haws, the administration manager at Dubai Marina Yacht Club, said the boat would be cleaned up over the next few days and moved from its temporary home.

After the accident, it was towed to Dubai Marina and lifted by crane from the water for repairs. It sat in the dry dock for the summer and, after repairs, was placed back in the water for roughly six months. Mr Bourgnon has held numerous records, including the longest distance sailed by a 60ft trimaran in 24 hours (1,006.35km). He had brought the boat to Dubai to demonstrate its abilities on the water and raise the profile of the sport.

The trimaran had won a series of races and had been sailed to Dubai from Europe. Mr Haws said: "It has been mended and any mend like that has to be strengthened and tested. The boat is made up of a special carbon-fibre structure, but it needs to be tested before it is decided she races again." [e-mail]