Sighting in Vence, October 9, 2016

Shortly after midnight, two witnesses were on a terrace when they noticed two luminous phenomena several kilometres away, one towards Corsica and the other towards Nice. One of the witnesses went up to another terrace on the upper floor and photographed the two shapes, which were elongated, identical to each other and stationary. Both phenomena then vanished abruptly. Only one witness account was collected.

The investigation considered the most plausible explanation to be two cruise ships sailing offshore along shipping routes. Several points support this. Comparing with a daytime photograph made it possible to locate the horizon line, on which the ship behind the first phenomenon lay, and, by correlation, the second one as well. The measurements and calculations of distances, lengths and speeds are all consistent with such ships and with their position on the sea route passing offshore. The sudden disappearance, which the witnesses had not noticed happening, can be explained by the ships' lights being abruptly switched off as they moved away from the coast after their "salute" near San Remo. Finally, the witness's difficulty in making out the horizon is explained by the uniform colour of the sky and the sea at night.

GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable observation of two cruise ships sailing offshore on shipping routes.