'Yes I hit the Tinny': Yacht Skipper pleads Guilty

5:48 AM Tue 9 Dec 2008 GMT

'Craig Gore - made it on his own' .

A SKIPPER employed by Australia's Richest Young Millionaire Craig Gore could lose his boat licence and his job after running over a 'tinny' while behind the wheel of Mr Gore's 23m luxury yacht.

Just last year Craig Gore, son of the late Mike Gore and Sydney property developer, surged to the top of the Business Review Weekly's Young Rich list after amassing a fortune of about $300,000, and, in a counter-cyclic aggressive move, has just acquired Hope Harbour Marina on the Gold Coast.

However all of that didn't help his yacht skipper Michael Edmund Davis, 52, of Hope Island, who yesterday pleaded guilty to unsafe operation of a vessel causing grievous bodily harm.

Southport Magistrates Court was told three teenagers were injured in the collision, the worst being the unlicensed female driver of the aluminium boat.

The 16-year-old girl had to have her spleen removed and suffered four broken ribs and a punctured lung, the court was told.

The two 15-year-old boys on board with the girl were not seriously injured.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Damian Summerfield said Davis was the master of the yacht on January 11 last year when it collided with a small tinny.

Sgt Summerfield said Davis told police he saw the tinny but maintained his course and speed, assuming they had seen him and had plenty of time to change course.

He lost sight of the tinny as it went under the bow.

Hope Harbour Marina with Broadwater in the background where the incident occurred - .. .

The court was told Davis jumped overboard to retrieve the three teenagers from the water and Mr Gore, who was on board, provided first-aid to the young female.

Davis has a ship master's licence and is employed to look after vessels owned by Mr Gore.

Sgt Summerfield said the prosecution alleged Davis's failure to keep a 'lookout' contributed to the collision.

'The defendant said he only periodically observed the boat,' he said.

Sgt Summerfield submitted a fine of between $7000 and $8000 was appropriate and some of that money should go to the victim.

He said disqualification of his boat licence for between three and four months was appropriate.

Defence barrister Ron Frigo said his client had been in the marine industry for more than 20 years and had more than 30 years of boating experience.

Mr Frigo said the occupants of the tinny were three teenagers, all of whom were unlicensed.

He said the teenage female driver had no real boating experience and no knowledge of navigating the Broadwater.

'No one in the tinny saw the ship until 10-15 metres before impact. It's a 23-metre large recreational vessel,' he said.

The three teenagers were on holiday and had been camping on South Stradbroke Island.

Mr Frigo said the conclusion of a marine report was that the teenaged driver failed to maintain a proper lookout and failed to keep out of the yacht's way.

The girl was also charged with unsafe operation of a vessel and unlicensed operation of a vessel. She was dealt with as a juvenile.

by Renee Redmond,goldcoast.com.au/Sail-World