Photo: Perini Navi (Composite)
In the early hours of August 19, the sailing superyacht Bayesian sank after being hit by a “freak” storm off the coast of Palermo, Italy. Of the 22 people on board, including guests and crew, only 15 were rescued. One person died and six are still missing, including the owner.
Bayesian was a 183-foot (56-meter) sailing superyacht delivered by Perini Navi in 2008 as the Salute. Last refitted in 2020, Bayesian was owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, with his wife listed as the owner of the newspaper, one of 15 survivors. The party of guests is believed to have been out celebrating Lynch's acquittal on fraud charges.
On the morning of August 19, a “whim” weather event struck Bayesian while she was at anchor, capsizing and sinking her in less than 12 minutes. Her 246-foot (75-meter) aluminum mast, which for years was the tallest in the world but had since been dethroned as the second-tallest, was “nailed” when the ship was capsized by a waterspout.
Local and British authorities are conducting a search for the missing, but their chances of survival are slim, with air pockets in the hull being assumed to be trapped. At the same time, authorities are investigating whether human error may have played a role in the tragedy. Initial reports had said the Bayesian sank due to a combination of both: abnormal weather conditions and human error.
Photo: Firefighters
In particular, they are assessing whether the crew should have handed over lifeboats to guests, given that storm warnings had been issued, and whether all hatches and doors on the ship were closed when the shock wave hit.
Sam Jefferson, editor of Sailing Today magazine, tells a news outlet that the rapid way the Bayesian took on water and immediately sank indicates that all the hatches and doors were left open, probably because of the high temperatures that night. This rapid succession of events also explains why the people sleeping in the suites below deck simply did not have time to come out.
The Bayesian was a “bulletproof” yacht, David Hutchinson, captain of sister ship Rosehearty, says for another outlet. All the boats in that Perini Navi series were built to withstand the worst that Mother Nature could throw at them, so it is “hard to understand” how could it have been shot down like that.
Jefferson, on the other hand, points out that no matter how sturdy and capable a vessel may be, it is not built to handle tornadoes and whirlwinds.
Initial reports also stated that the aluminum mast had bent and snapped due to the strong gusts of wind, but Italian divers managed to stop it. Bayesian lies on its starboard side in one piece.
Among the six people still missing at the time of writing are Bayesian owner Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.
