First interior images of Mike Lynch's recovered Bayesian superyacht revealed
The hulk of the 56-metre (184ft) vessel was raised from the seabed near Porticello last week and taken to the port of Termini Imerese, where it is being examined by investigators working to determine how and why it sank.
Four photographs, obtained by Italy's state broadcaster, Rai, show the damage done to the Bayesian and its once-luxurious interior. One of the boat's reception areas is mud-soaked, cluttered and ruined, its upholstered sofas and chairs torn and stained.
Another shows an open hatchway leading down from the deck, while a side view of the hull and one of the vessel's propellers reveals some of the mud that accumulated during its 10-month spell beneath the waves.
The Bayesian was anchored near the port of Porticello when it sank during a violent storm shortly before dawn on 19 August 2024. Lynch had been enjoying a voyage around Sicily with his family and some friends celebrating his acquittal in a long-running fraud case regarding the sale of the technology company he founded, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, died, as did a lawyer, Chris Morvillo, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, a banker, and his wife, Judy; and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas. Nine other crew members and six guests were rescued.
Investigators hope the yacht will yield clues to the causes of the sinking. A forensic examination will seek to determine whether one of the hatches remained open and whether the keel was improperly raised.
According to a preliminary safety report released last month by the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the Bayesian may have been vulnerable to high winds when running on its engine. These 'vulnerabilities' were 'unknown to either the owner or the crew' as they were not included in the stability information book onboard.
The MAIB said a possible 'tornadic waterspout' headed towards the boats in the harbour. The docks seemed to divert the whirlwind, which went straight towards the Bayesian, and the vessel sank within a few seconds.
Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into suspected manslaughter. The boat's captain, James Cutfield, from New Zealand, and two British crew members, Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths, have been placed under investigation. In Italy, this does not imply guilt or mean that formal charges will necessarily follow.
The family of Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan national, have said they were waiting to see what the MAIB experts found.
'Lessons need to be learned from this tragedy, as well as establishing the truth of what happened and bringing those responsible to justice,' said James Healy-Pratt, a partner at Keystone Law, which is representing the Thomas family.
Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mike and Hannah Lynch as well as those of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer.
The complex operation to salvage the Bayesian was temporarily suspended in mid-May after Rob Cornelis Maria Huijben, a 39-year-old Dutch diver, died during underwater work.
Additional reporting Lorenzo Tondo
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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Heartache for Bayesian yacht victim Mike Lynch's family – estate faces bankruptcy after court demands it hand over £700M
IT was a tragedy that claimed the lives of a billionaire father and his daughter, drowned in a storm at sea. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was out celebrating his acquittal from US fraud charges when his £38million yacht Bayesian was knocked sideways by a sudden 80mph gust and started taking in water. 6 Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah drowned at sea while out on his £38million yacht Bayesian Credit: PA 6 Mike's wife Angela Bacares was pulled to safety by a crew member 6 The Bayesian disaster claimed the lives of seven people last August Credit: PA As the boat sank rapidly, his wife Angela Bacares was pulled to safety by a crew member — but Lynch, their 18-year-old daughter Hannah and five others on board never made it out. Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches next month, 58-year-old businesswoman Angela is facing a financial battle. There is the potential of court action by the families of the victims who died on the yacht — and earlier this week, the UK's High Court ruled that her husband's estate owes US tech giant Hewlett-Packard more than £700million relating to fraud claims. The case was brought six years ago by HP after they acquired his company Autonomy in 2011. The firm claimed Lynch and the former chief financial officer had fraudulently inflated its value. While Lynch was facing court action in America, HP was already chasing him through the civil courts in Britain — leading to this week's damages ruling. The High Court ruled that HP had paid a lot more than it would have done 'had Autonomy's true financial position been correctly presented' during the sale. If his estate — which goes to Angela and her remaining daughter Esme, 22 — ends up having to pay, it will almost certainly be bankrupted, leaving no inheritance for the family. It is believed Lynch shielded his wife's personal fortune from the messy court cases. She owned millions of pounds worth of shares held in her name in other family firms. I found doomed Bayesian I saw still haunts me And she made more than £15million from the sale of her shares when Autonomy was taken over. One pal told us: 'Mike wasn't perfect but he wasn't a criminal in any way, shape or form. He had asked various Cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers, including Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, to help him. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'These cases hung over him for years and he ended up under house arrest in San Francisco unable to leave for months, facing charges that he was ultimately cleared of. 'He helped a lot of people make a lot of money but they assumed he was guilty as charged and then ran a million miles. 'He was abandoned by his peer group and by his government then, when he won his US case, everyone wanted to be his friend again. 'The irony is he had gone out on the Bayesian to celebrate the US court outcome. "It's been one tragedy after another for his family.' The latest damages ruling had been delayed until this week because of the circumstances surrounding the yachting disaster on August 19 last year. The judge expressed his 'sorrow at the devastating turn of events' at sea and offered 'sympathy and deepest condolences'. 'STILL GRIEVING' He even said that he 'admired' Lynch, despite ruling against him. Insiders have told The Sun that the family want to appeal the High Court decision. Our source said: 'It's not just about money, it's about restoring Mike's reputation. "The family are considering their next move but we all know that appealing these sorts of decisions is lengthy and costly. "They are also still grieving their loss.' Lynch created software company Autonomy, which processed people's information and data, in 1996. He sold it to Hewlett-Packard for £8.6billion in 2011. The businessman reportedly netted around £500million from the deal before going on to set up tech investment firm Invoke Capital. Just a year after the mega-bucks deal, HP wrote down Autonomy's value by £6.5billion and brought a £4billion lawsuit against Lynch and ex-finance officer Sushovan Hussain. The allegations that they inflated the value of the company were investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office too, who found 'insufficient evidence' of wrongdoing — but some aspects of the case were then handed over to US authorities. In 2018, Lynch and Autonomy's former vice-president of finance Stephen Chamberlain were charged with fraud in the US and accused of making false and misleading statements about their company. But both were acquitted following a sensational three-month trial in San Francisco, where Lynch had been extradited to in 2023. If Lynch had been found guilty, he would have faced up to 25 years in prison. 6 Hannah was just 18 when she tragically died on the Bayesian Credit: Darren Fletcher He told reporters last year that given his poor health, he would have almost certainly died in jail. The pair were still celebrating their win when Chamberlain, 52, died after being hit by a car while out running near his home in Cambridgeshire. Two days later, the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily, claiming the lives of Lynch, Hannah, the vessel's cook Recaldo Thomas, high-profile US lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda and British banking couple Jonathan and Judy Bloomer. As part of a criminal investigation by Italian authorities, the yacht was raised from the sea bed last month. That inquiry may not conclude until 2027, bringing more heartache for the Lynch family. James Healy-Pratt, a US lawyer representing the family of chef Recaldo, said they would push for compensation from Angela, the crew and yacht management company Camper & Nicholsons. As one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs, Lynch had a life of luxury, enjoying exotic holidays and a £6milliion country mansion in Suffolk, which boasts 2,500 acres. The close family are said to have loved spending time at home, breeding rare livestock, including Suffolk sheep and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, which roamed free in the estate's woodland. But the businessman came from humble beginnings. Born to Irish parents — a firefighter father and nurse mother — Lynch won a scholarship to a private school in Essex. Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth Andrew Kanter He went on to gain a PhD in mathematical computing from Cambridge University. A friend said: 'He really was a genius. "He was just a brilliant mathematician and his life transformed as he built companies. 'He was a very early advocate of artificial intelligence — the very field in which we need expertise in this country.' Long-time friend Andrew Kanter, who was a pallbearer at Lynch's funeral, said: 'He was never happier than when someone asked to see the pigs on his estate. 'Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth. 'He never let his legal issues get in the way and did everything to make sure his kids grew up untroubled by whatever the world lay at his feet.' 'I truly believe that Mike would have looked at the UK ruling as a good day. "Although the numbers are crazy, even the judge has found that Hewlett-Packard had overstated its claim. 'Mike would have continued to fight this. "He always argued that a law that allows America to extradite British citizens and not have a return agreement was really flawed. 'It's been the case for 15 years and he was going to have that fight too. 'The legal issues weighed heavily on him but he never let it affect his family. 'I never saw him sitting around self-pitying. He wanted to clear his name. 'The loss of Mike is an incalculable loss for technology. 'He was utterly devoted to its growth in Britain.' 6 Divers at the wreck of the yacht Credit: ugpix 6 The interior of the Bayesian Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Heartache for Bayesian yacht victim Mike Lynch's family – estate faces bankruptcy after court demands it hand over £700M
IT was a tragedy that claimed the lives of a billionaire father and his daughter, drowned in a storm at sea. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was out celebrating his acquittal from US fraud charges when his £38million yacht Bayesian was knocked sideways by a sudden 80mph gust and started taking in water. 6 6 6 As the boat sank rapidly, his wife Angela Bacares was pulled to safety by a crew member — but Lynch, their 18-year-old daughter Hannah and five others on board never made it out. Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches next month, 58-year-old businesswoman Angela is facing a financial battle. There is the potential of court action by the families of the victims who died on the yacht — and earlier this week, the UK's High Court ruled that her husband's estate owes US tech giant Hewlett-Packard more than £700million relating to fraud claims. The case was brought six years ago by HP after they acquired his company Autonomy in 2011. The firm claimed Lynch and the former chief financial officer had fraudulently inflated its value. While Lynch was facing court action in America, HP was already chasing him through the civil courts in Britain — leading to this week's damages ruling. The High Court ruled that HP had paid a lot more than it would have done 'had Autonomy's true financial position been correctly presented' during the sale. If his estate — which goes to Angela and her remaining daughter Esme, 22 — ends up having to pay, it will almost certainly be bankrupted, leaving no inheritance for the family. It is believed Lynch shielded his wife's personal fortune from the messy court cases. She owned millions of pounds worth of shares held in her name in other family firms. I found doomed Bayesian I saw still haunts me And she made more than £15million from the sale of her shares when Autonomy was taken over. One pal told us: 'Mike wasn't perfect but he wasn't a criminal in any way, shape or form. He had asked various Cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers, including Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, to help him. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post- Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'These cases hung over him for years and he ended up under house arrest in San Francisco unable to leave for months, facing charges that he was ultimately cleared of. 'He helped a lot of people make a lot of money but they assumed he was guilty as charged and then ran a million miles. 'He was abandoned by his peer group and by his government then, when he won his US case, everyone wanted to be his friend again. 'The irony is he had gone out on the Bayesian to celebrate the US court outcome. "It's been one tragedy after another for his family.' The latest damages ruling had been delayed until this week because of the circumstances surrounding the yachting disaster on August 19 last year. The judge expressed his 'sorrow at the devastating turn of events' at sea and offered 'sympathy and deepest condolences'. 'STILL GRIEVING' He even said that he 'admired' Lynch, despite ruling against him. Insiders have told The Sun that the family want to appeal the High Court decision. Our source said: 'It's not just about money, it's about restoring Mike's reputation. "The family are considering their next move but we all know that appealing these sorts of decisions is lengthy and costly. "They are also still grieving their loss.' Lynch created software company Autonomy, which processed people's information and data, in 1996. He sold it to Hewlett-Packard for £8.6billion in 2011. The businessman reportedly netted around £500million from the deal before going on to set up tech investment firm Invoke Capital. Just a year after the mega-bucks deal, HP wrote down Autonomy's value by £6.5billion and brought a £4billion lawsuit against Lynch and ex-finance officer Sushovan Hussain. The allegations that they inflated the value of the company were investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office too, who found 'insufficient evidence' of wrongdoing — but some aspects of the case were then handed over to US authorities. In 2018, Lynch and Autonomy's former vice-president of finance Stephen Chamberlain were charged with fraud in the US and accused of making false and misleading statements about their company. But both were acquitted following a sensational three-month trial in San Francisco, where Lynch had been extradited to in 2023. If Lynch had been found guilty, he would have faced up to 25 years in prison. 6 He told reporters last year that given his poor health, he would have almost certainly died in jail. The pair were still celebrating their win when Chamberlain, 52, died after being hit by a car while out running near his home in Cambridgeshire. Two days later, the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily, claiming the lives of Lynch, Hannah, the vessel's cook Recaldo Thomas, high-profile US lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda and British banking couple Jonathan and Judy Bloomer. As part of a criminal investigation by Italian authorities, the yacht was raised from the sea bed last month. That inquiry may not conclude until 2027, bringing more heartache for the Lynch family. James Healy-Pratt, a US lawyer representing the family of chef Recaldo, said they would push for compensation from Angela, the crew and yacht management company Camper & Nicholsons. As one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs, Lynch had a life of luxury, enjoying exotic holidays and a £6milliion country mansion in Suffolk, which boasts 2,500 acres. The close family are said to have loved spending time at home, breeding rare livestock, including Suffolk sheep and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, which roamed free in the estate's woodland. But the businessman came from humble beginnings. Born to Irish parents — a firefighter father and nurse mother — Lynch won a scholarship to a private school in Essex. Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth Andrew Kanter He went on to gain a PhD in mathematical computing from Cambridge University. A friend said: 'He really was a genius. "He was just a brilliant mathematician and his life transformed as he built companies. 'He was a very early advocate of artificial intelligence — the very field in which we need expertise in this country.' Long-time friend Andrew Kanter, who was a pallbearer at Lynch's funeral, said: 'He was never happier than when someone asked to see the pigs on his estate. 'Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth. 'He never let his legal issues get in the way and did everything to make sure his kids grew up untroubled by whatever the world lay at his feet.' 'I truly believe that Mike would have looked at the UK ruling as a good day. "Although the numbers are crazy, even the judge has found that Hewlett-Packard had overstated its claim. 'Mike would have continued to fight this. "He always argued that a law that allows America to extradite British citizens and not have a return agreement was really flawed. 'It's been the case for 15 years and he was going to have that fight too. 'The legal issues weighed heavily on him but he never let it affect his family. 'I never saw him sitting around self-pitying. He wanted to clear his name. 'The loss of Mike is an incalculable loss for technology. 'He was utterly devoted to its growth in Britain.' 6 6
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Leader Live
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Carter announced she would be stepping away from the platforms for the remainder of the tournament ahead of England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final comeback against Italy to set up Sunday's final showdown with Spain. Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'
