After a superyacht caught fire and sank off the coast of Devon, a race is on to prevent a massive oil spill.

When the 85ft sailboat was enveloped by flames while parked in Torquay on Saturday, it was carrying roughly 8,000 liters of fuel.

According to witnesses, the fire burned through the rope mooring the yacht, ripping it loose and causing it to float around the marina before hitting a bridge that served as a barricade.

Although no one was hurt, the boat sank around 6 p.m.

The Environmental Agency is now in charge of the investigation, and on Saturday, inspectors issued two pollution advisories for the beaches closest to the marina.

More pollution recovery equipment is expected to arrive today from Birmingham.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Our officers are providing assistance to the Harbor Master Authority (HMA) to contain the oil and fuel within the booms that have been set up in the marina.”

“The Environment Agency will be providing further advice in the coming days to the HMA on waste management as part of efforts to recover the sunken yacht.”

Torquay-based musician David Balmer, 58, told, “They’re worried about the fuel getting into the water and into the harbor, which is obviously the last thing you want.

“There were masses of people around. It was engulfed in flames and there was this huge cloud of black smoke.

“It was quite a spectacle, it was just an unbelievable sight.”

Marina said, “We now have several booms around the area to protect the environment. Please continue to be patient during the clean-up process.”