In less than 15 seconds and with wind gusts of 130 km/h, the 56-meter long and 473-tonyacht Bayesianviolently capsized at a 90-degree angle off the Sicilian coast. It took 16 minutes to sink to a depth of 49 meters. This is highlighted in the provisional report from the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which concludes that the boat could easily capsize with gentler winds. Additionally, it has been indicated that the 75-meter single mast, the second tallest in the world, and a raised keel increased the vulnerability.
This information was "unknown" to the crew and the owner, technology millionaire Michael Lynch (59), as it was not included in the stability information book on board. Everyone was reassured when, after the launch of the Bayesian, the owner of the Italian shipyard Perini Navi told them that "the yacht is unsinkable."
Image of the Bayesian, Mike Lynch's superyacht.Gtres
The sinking on August 19, 2024, resulted in the death of seven people, including its owner, his daughter Hannah (19), Morgan Stanley's President International Jonathan Bloomer (70) and his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Leda, and chef Recaldo Thomas. The other 15 survivors managed to board a life raft from the Bayesian and were rescued by a small boat sent by the yacht Sir Robert Baden Powell, anchored a few meters from the incident.
The luxury sailboat was anchored 300 meters off the coast of the small fishing port of Portillo, about 15 kilometers east of Palermo (Sicily). It was in motor navigation condition, with the sails down and the daggerboard used for stabilization in the raised position. Interestingly, the ship set sail the day before to the location where it sank to protect itself from predicted storms. Inside, there were 12 passengers and 15 crew members.
To conduct its investigation, the MAIB commissioned a model from the Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics at the University of Southampton to examine the yacht's stability under these conditions. The report was based on a "limited amount of verified evidence" and was later adjusted to replicate its conditions on the night it sank. No further data was obtained because concurrently, there is a criminal investigation being conducted by Italian authorities that has restricted access to the wreckage.
Italian prosecutors have stated that raising and examining the yacht for evidence would provide key elements for their investigation into possible charges of manslaughter and negligent shipwreck against New Zealand captain James Cutfiel, chief engineer Tim Parker, and watchstander Matthew Griffiths. Additionally, the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency is investigating whether maritime law violations occurred.
According to the report, "there were no signs of flooding inside the Bayesian until water entered through the starboard side and, within seconds, entered the internal spaces through the stairs." Around four in the morning, chaos ensued. The darkness and the force of the waves took over the ship. According to the testimony of several survivors, "we used fallen furniture as an improvised ladder to try to escape after the boat tilted, then we were suddenly thrown into the sea. Five people were injured "by falls or by objects falling on them," and the sailor was "thrown into the sea," according to the report.
Indicative and inconclusive
Angela Bacares, widow of millionaire Michael Lynch, confessed to investigators that "the boat tilted suddenly. We all fell. The lights went out, and the water flooded us." On August 21, two days after the accident, the bodies were recovered. What stood out the most is that four of them died without water in their lungs, as they were trapped "in bubbles of toxic air as the boat sank," the forensic doctor recounted. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group -the parent company of the Perini Navi shipyard- continues to believe that it was all due to a chain of human errors because he argues repeatedly that their boats are "unsinkable."
Authorities have stated that until the investigation work is completed and the final report is published, the provisional conclusions should be considered indicative and inconclusive.
British high society was shocked when the death of Lynch, founder of Darktrace, the world's leading cybersecurity company sold last year for 4.66 billion euros to the US fund Thoma Bravo, was made public. The magnate was a visionary as he hired former MI5 and NSA agents -British and American intelligence services, respectively- to implement AI in security matters. Mysteriously, the company's co-founder, Stephen Chamberlain, was run over two days earlier.
Michael Lynch had organized a trip with his friends to celebrate his acquittal in the United States on charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the 2011 sale of the software company Autonomy, founded three decades ago, to Hewlett Packard (HP). According to The Sunday Times, the Lynch couple's fortune was around 600 million euros.