The fire at Maxi Dolphin broke out on Monday, 24 August 2026, at around 10 pm at the shipyard in Erbusco, near Brescia. A total of 50 firefighters with 13 vehicles were deployed, including reinforcements from Bergamo and Mantua. They battled the flames throughout the night and prevented the fire from spreading to a neighbouring business.
Managing Director Luca Botter confirmed that the affected building had been completely destroyed. The hangar housed an MD80, an MD75 and an MD51 Power. All three new aircraft were lost. It appears that no one was injured. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Nearly completed MD80 goes missing
Construction of the MD80 was particularly well advanced. The sailing yacht was due to leave Erbusco at the end of September and be taken to Marina di Ravenna. The MD80 is a 27.07-metre-long performance cruiser designed by Botin & Partners. The yacht has two rudders and a lifting keel, which allows the draught to be adjusted between 3.10 and 5.00 metres. With a displacement of 28 tonnes and a deck layout designed for cruising with a small crew as well as regattas with a full crew, the design combines two very different usage profiles.
The MD75 and MD51 Power have also been destroyed
Little information is available so far on the other two projects. Maxi Dolphin has several sailing yacht designs under the designation MD75. These include the ‘Karma’, built in 2019 by Mark Mills. It has not been confirmed whether the destroyed new build was based on this design, another MD75 or a further developed version.
The MD51 Power is a motor yacht series designed by Roberto Starkel, with which Maxi Dolphin entered the motorboat construction market in 2007. The model was built in several variants, each with different deck and interior layouts. The shipyard has not yet disclosed which version was on display in the hall. It appears that work on the MD75 and MD51 Power was still at an early stage.
The fire has struck a highly specialised manufacturing facility
The damage extends beyond the loss of three fuselages. Maxi Dolphin had more than 2,700 square metres of workshop space and facilities for processing composite materials in Erbusco. The site included a 40-metre-long oven for composite components. It is not yet publicly known which machines, moulds and tools were destroyed in the fire.
The extent to which such individual structures are tailored to their subsequent use is demonstrated by the one unveiled shortly before the fire Maxi Dolphin MD58 ‘Minnesota’. On this 17.90-metre-long carbon fibre cruiser, the weight distribution, on-board systems, layout and deck fittings were developed in accordance with the owner’s specifications. The loss of production facilities and well-established processes can therefore hit a custom-build shipyard just as hard as the loss of the newbuilds themselves.
Maxi Dolphin was founded in 1987 by Vittorio Moretti. Among the well-known yachts from Erbusco are the 36-metre-long ‘Viriella’, the MD100 ‘Nomad IV’ and the MD75 ‘Karma’. The brand has been part of MD Technologies since 2016; Luca Botter is the managing director.
Maxi Dolphin is looking into new locations
Immediately after the fire, Botter announced that production would continue. According to him, the company is already looking into possible sites in the region. The restart is set to cover both sailing yachts and motor yachts. Meanwhile, clearance and safety work was underway at the site in Erbusco. Only once the rubble has been cleared can the damage be examined in more detail and further insights into the cause of the fire be gained.
Is a quick recovery following this loss realistic? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
