The Italian tycoon’s £20million superyacht blazes in front of stunned tourists off the Spanish island – just a month after taking delivery of a 150ft vessel
- The 150ft, £20million Aria SF superyacht caught fire near the Spanish island of Formentera on Thursday
- The ship is owned by a 62-year-old Italian businessman who owns an auto parts maker founded by his father
- Paolo Scudieri, father of four from Naples, ordered the ship in 2019 but only took delivery last month
- The boat had five bedrooms, a swimming pool and a gym, but has now been completely destroyed
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A £20million superyacht owned by an entrepreneur worth over £400million has caught fire off the coast of a Spanish island.
The 150ft vessel Aria SF caught fire on Thursday afternoon in Cala Saona, on the west coast of the Mediterranean island of Formentera, just a month after being delivered to shipowner Paolo Scudieri.
Nine passengers and seven crew were on board when the fire broke out and were also rescued unharmed by two Spanish coastguard vessels. It is unclear if Scudieri was one of those saved.
A £20million superyacht owned by an Italian businessman worth £400million has been destroyed by a fire that broke out off the coast of a Spanish island
The Aria SF, owned by Paolo Scudieri, 62, caught fire on Thursday afternoon off Formentera, in the Mediterranean
Fire engulfs the upper deck of the Aria, after it caught fire off the Spanish island of Formentera on Thursday
The boat had a swimming pool, five bedrooms and a gym before being reduced to ashes on Thursday afternoon.
The black smoke caused by the fire was visible as far as the neighboring island of Ibiza.
Naples-born industrialist Mr Scudieri is chairman of car interior components producer Gruppo Addler, which was founded by his father Achille in 1956.
The company designs and manufactures acoustic and thermal components for the automotive industry. It has more than 15,000 employees in 23 countries and has a turnover of around £1 billion.
A family man, Mr. Scudieri, 62, whose net worth is estimated at $500 million, is the Principality of Monaco’s tourism ambassador and sits on the board of Banco di Napoli.
He has also diversified into the food sector and his company Excellence Campane owns several shops and restaurants in Italy.
He recently told Il Mattino about his first encounter with the legendary Enzo Ferrari, recalling: “I was 20 years old, already a big fan of Enzo Ferrari, and I sent him a birthday card.
“I found his response with an invitation set for the next morning at 8:30. … I didn’t hesitate, I immediately got into the car and against my mother’s wishes I drove all night to be punctual the next morning in front of my idol.
‘I never thought that in a few years I would become their supplier’.
A view of the yacht from the deck of a nearby firefighting boat shows how it was completely destroyed by the fire
Scudieri ordered the ship in 2019 but only took delivery last month and has now seen the ship go up in smoke
Nine passengers and seven crew members were on board the ship when it caught fire, but they were all rescued unharmed and brought to safety.
A Spanish Coastguard vessel extinguishes the wreck of the Aria, completely destroyed by the flames
Aria SF’s glitzy launch in Ancona last month was accompanied by an opera singer, a chamber orchestra and a tricolor confetti cannon in the colors of the Italian flag, as its owner Mr Scudieri , cheered at the sight of a bottle of champagne smashing against the hull.
The superyacht that caught fire, which had a swimming pool, five bedrooms and a gym, was due to make its official debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival later this year.
It is believed to have been towed to Ibiza by a coastguard vessel. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
A spokesman for the Spanish coastguard service, speaking after the fire was almost extinguished on Thursday evening, confirmed: “Seven crew members and nine passengers are all safe.”
“They were evacuated on a police boat. The fire is now almost extinguished.
“Two coastguard vessels, Salvamar Acrux and Guardamar Concepcion Arenal, were mobilized by our coordination center in Palma in Mallorca after the alarm was raised at around 5 p.m. yesterday/Thursday.
The Aria is pictured during her launch in April, just months before she was destroyed by fire
Mr Sculderi is believed to be worth around £400m and owns an Italian auto parts maker
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