Oyster 825 Viva La Vida capsizes during Hamilton Island Race Week

The 25-metre Oyster 825 sailing yacht Viva La Vida has capsized during the 2026 Hamilton Island Race Week in Queensland, Australia, after suffering severe damage to its keel. All 10 people on board were evacuated safely, and no injuries have been reported.

The incident occurred on Friday (21 August 2026) during the 41st edition of Hamilton Island Race Week, which ran from 16 to 22 August through the Whitsunday Islands. The regatta is Australia’s largest offshore sailing event and attracted 194 entries this year.

According to an official statement issued by Oyster, Viva La Vida was sailing downwind at speed with its spinnaker set when it struck what is believed to have been a rock or reef in shallow water. The impact caused extensive damage to the lower section of the keel and the loss of its ballast bulb.

Initial reports suggested that the yacht may have hit an object or the seabed. Oyster has said that a technical assessment will require the yacht to be recovered and examined, before the exact circumstances can be independently established.

After the collision, a Mayday call was made, and the 10 people aboard were transferred to another vessel. Reports from the scene indicate that attempts were made to control a rapid intake of water onto the vessel, including the use of additional pumping equipment, but the ingress could not be stopped. The yacht subsequently capsized and was seen floating upside down in the Whitsunday Passage.

Photographs of the yacht shared on social media and in local news reports show that the lower ballast section of the keel was no longer attached, while a substantial part of the upper keel structure appears to remain connected to the hull.

“Oyster is in direct contact with Viva La Vida‘s owners and will provide every appropriate form of support,” the statement from the yard reads. “We will also, if requested, cooperate fully with the relevant authorities, insurers and other parties, and will support any post-incident review of the circumstances and the damage sustained.”

“A full technical assessment depends on recovery and detailed examination of the yacht. Until that work is complete, it would be premature to draw conclusions about the cause, nature or extent of the damage. Further information will be shared once it has been verified and when appropriate.”

Viva La Vida was competing in the Blue Division at Hamilton Island and won its class on corrected time in the opening race. It then finished sixth in the second and third races and fourth in the fourth race before retiring following the incident. It finished sixth overall.

The yacht is owned by Americans Barry and Susie Parkin, both Olympic sailors. Barry Parkin represented Great Britain in Soling at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while Susie Parkin competed in the 470 class at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.

Launched in 2019, Viva La Vida is one of seven yachts in Oyster’s 825 series. Humphreys Yacht Design designed the exterior and interior, while Oyster handled the naval architecture. The yacht measures about 25.2 metres, has a gross tonnage of 58 GT and can accommodate up to 10 guests in four cabins, with space for two crew.

In January 2026, Viva La Vida joined the Oyster World Rally, a planned 16-month circumnavigation covering about 27,000 nautical miles with 22 other Oyster yachts. Hamilton Island Race Week was one of the stops on the voyage. The yacht had also competed in the Caribbean 600 and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

Comparisons with 2015 loss of Polina Star III

The incident has prompted comparisons with the 2015 loss of another Oyster 825, Polina Star III. That yacht, hull number 825-02, capsized and sank off the Spanish Mediterranean coast after losing its keel. Its crew escaped safely.

The damage documented on Polina Star III, however, was different. Following recovery, the wreck showed extensive damage to the hull around the keel attachment, including a large opening in the hull laminate. Images of Viva La Vida currently show much of the upper keel and surrounding hull still in place. No technical connection between the two incidents has been established.