This catamaran alongside a quay in La Rochelle caught fire last night. The blaze was so intense I wonder if it was a gas explosion.

In any case, the blaze completely gutted the hull and everything in it, as the photo above shows. It’s 45ft-plus yacht so far as I could tell and all that’s left intact is one stern boarding ladder and a lonely little stern light.

The fire shot so high up the mast and quay wall that it dismasted the boat and ignited two vans parked on the quayside which were incinerated as well.

The slings were put under the hull this morning but I’m not sure quite how the lifting will go; there’s not much structure left. Will check back later.