Bayesian's final moments: Superyacht sank in extreme winds

Bayesian's final moments: Superyacht sank in extreme winds

An account of the tragedy of the Bayesian luxury superyacht

Sudden storm-like winds overturned the luxury superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily in August. A preliminary report into the accident found that the boat had “vulnerabilities” to extreme winds that were unknown to the owner and crew.

Background of the tragedy

The 56-meter-long sailing yacht belonged to British technology mogul Mike Lynch and was anchored about half a kilometer from the port of Porticello on the northern Italian island when it sank. Seven people died in this accident, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

Details of the accident

The preliminary report The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) provides a detailed account of the hours before the Bayesian's sudden capping and the desperate attempts to escape by the 12 guests and 10 crew members.

On the evening of August 13th, when the guests and some crew members went to rest, the sea was calm and the wind was light, but a thunderstorm was forecast. The Bayesian's captain, James Cutfield, instructed the night watch to wake him if wind speeds rose above 23 mph or if the boat began to drag the anchor.

The sudden turn

At about 3 a.m., a sentry noticed storm clouds and lightning approaching while winds were blowing from the west at about 9 mph. An hour later the wind rose to 55 km/h. At 3:55 a.m., the watchstander filmed the approaching storm and posted the video on social media before closing the cockpit windows and front doors to protect the yacht's interior from rain.

Eyewitness statements described furious gusts and gale-like winds leaving an avalanche of debris near the pier. At 3:57 a.m. the yacht began to drag its anchor and the watchman woke the captain and other crew members. Some guests were also woken up by the storm.

The dramatic escape attempts

With a sudden wind speed of over 128 km/h, the yacht tilted “violently” to a 90 degree angle at 4:06 a.m. in less than 15 seconds. This resulted in people, furniture and other loose objects being thrown across the deck. The report notes that “there were no signs of flooding inside the Bayesian until water entered over the starboard rail and flowed down into the interior spaces within seconds.”

The guests and crew tried desperately to leave the sinking ship. Two guests used furniture drawers as ladders to escape their cabin. The survivors floated in the water, using pillows as flotation devices, until the yacht's officer in charge was able to disconnect and inflate a life raft.

Rescue and tragedy

The captain of a nearby vessel responded to a distress signal from the life raft and rescued the survivors before informing the Coast Guard. Seven people died in this accident, including the yacht's cook Recaldo Thomas and Morgan Stanley International director Jonathan Bloomer, as well as their wives. Cutfield and 14 other people survived the sinking, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.

Results of the investigation

The investigation found that winds of 70 mph (117 km/h) were enough to tip the Bayesian past the point of rescue. It was also noted that the yacht may have been vulnerable in lighter winds. “These vulnerabilities (operating with sails down, center raised and 10% consumables on board) were not identified in the stability information book carried on board,” the report noted. “Consequently, these vulnerabilities were not known to the owner or crew of the Bayesian.”

Marine rescue and future actions

Ship salvage experts are currently working to remove the yacht from the ocean to better understand what happened.