The sinking of the superyacht Bayesian in just 16 minutes, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of seven individuals, has shocked the sailing community and beyond.
Italian authorities are currently probing the events leading to the sinking of the 56-meter Perini Navi sloop during the early hours of August 19, when a severe storm hit the yacht near Porticello, a fishing village on Sicily’s northern coast.
Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby sailboat that first provided assistance, described the storm to reporters as “very, very violent.” He stated, “I have never witnessed a vessel of this size go down so rapidly. Within minutes, there was nothing left.”
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, informed the BBC that there was a span of 16 minutes from the moment the power failed at 03:56—when water inundated areas with electrical circuits—to the loss of the GPS signal, marking the yacht’s sinking.
A four-member team from the British government’s Marine Accident and Investigation Branch has arrived in Italy to collaborate with their Italian colleagues, as the Bayesian was flying a UK flag.
As per reports from Italian news outlets, prosecutors from Termini Imerese in Sicily have initiated investigations involving Bayesian captain James Cutfield alongside two British crew members, ship engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffiths.
The men face inquiries into alleged multiple counts of negligent manslaughter and causing a shipwreck. There is currently no sign of guilt, and formal charges may not necessarily ensue.
Parker-Eaton is under scrutiny for potentially failing to engage safety systems to secure the boat’s hatches and doors, which might have led to flooding in the engine room, causing a blackout and contributing to the wreck, according to Italian news agency ANSA, which cited investigative sources.
Griffiths, who was on night watch in the cockpit, reportedly should have alerted the crew about the approaching severe weather that resulted in the sinking, ANSA reported.
Investigators will also assess the vessel’s design, stability, and operation; it boasts a 72-meter aluminum mast, the tallest worldwide, alongside a lifting keel. Moreover, they will analyze the severe weather’s impact, including a downburst, and the involvement of the New Zealand captain and the other eight crew members.
The remains of UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International along with his wife Judy, and lawyer Chris Morvillo of Clifford Chance and his wife Neda, were recovered from the yacht’s interior by divers days later.
The body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was discovered shortly after the vessel sank.
Fifteen survivors, rescued from a life raft, included Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, five guests including a one-year-old, plus Cutfield and the crew.
“The crew reported that the weather worsened and they were on deck securing movable items like cushions and doors while the boat was tilting about 20° to starboard in strong winds,” ANSA reported. “Suddenly, the tilt intensified, and they found themselves in the water. This seems indicative of abrupt massive flooding.”
ANSA also noted that the retractable keel, featuring a large pivoting centerboard, was typically only deployed during sailing and was drawn up at night to minimize noise.
The yacht capsized on its starboard side, sinking in 50 meters of water.
Italian prosecutors suggested that a downburst impacted the ship, contradicting initial accounts of a tornado or waterspout. A downburst occurs when air descends from a cloud base, generating wind speeds exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h) before dispersing erratically upon contact with the surface.
Thunderstorms are relatively frequent in Europe during late summer, with widespread low pressure in August believed to have intensified the storms.
The International Centre for Waterspout Research confirmed that 18 waterspouts were observed off Italy’s coast on August 19.
Unusually warm sea temperatures may have further exacerbated the storm’s severity, with the Mediterranean reaching a record high of 28.9° on August 15.
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