Saudi Royals Rescued from Yacht Fire

Members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia were reportedly rescued Aug. 31 from a burning yacht a few miles off the coast of Poros in the Greek islands.

Five passengers and six crew were rescued from the boat, which sank soon afterward.

Conflicting news reports about the fire have created a mystery surrounding the true identity of the vessel.

The Greek Merchant Marine Ministry confirmed the yacht's name as Mana, but a search of superyacht databases revealed two yachts by that name of differing length and ownership.

The yacht that sank has been confirmed by its central charter agent, Vernicos, to be the 102-foot Versilcraft, built in 1995. The early online media reports that suggested the yacht was the 117-foot Mana built in 1997 by the Turkish shipyard Akdeniz are incorrect.

The agent also confirmed that the yacht was on charter at the time of the incident. The charter had commenced on Friday, August 29 and the yacht was enroute from Spetses to Kalamaki when she caught fire. The cause of the fire is unknown but it apparently began in the engine room.

DOCKWALK.com is working to confirm further information. Watch this space for updates.