Latest news with #PeriniNavi
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking of the £30milllion superyacht Bayesian 'seek to pin blame for tycoon's tragedy on negligent crew'
Prosecutors investigating the sinking of £30million superyacht Bayesian are seeking to blame the crew – to save the Italian yacht building industry, experts have told The Mail on Sunday. Seven people including tech billionaire Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, died when Bayesian sank in a freak storm last August after being hit by winds in excess of 70 mph. An interim report issued by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch suggested the yacht was susceptible to 'high winds' and 'if tilted to more than 70 degrees would be unrecoverable'. The crew were 'unaware' of this vulnerability because it was not mentioned in the 184ft Bayesian's manual, it added. The yacht's trademark 236ft mast may have also been to blame, it is suggested. But Giovanni Costantino, chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, who bought Bayesian's builder Perini Navi, has repeated several times in interviews that the yacht was 'unsinkable' and blamed 'human error' for the disaster. And prosecutors seem to have ruled out any possibility that the yacht's design and mast, which was removed from Bayesian and brought up separately, may have contributed to the disaster. According to a leaked prosecution document seen by the MoS, the focus is instead on skipper James Cutfield, first engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and nightwatchman Matthew Griffiths, who, it says, all 'cooperated negligently with each other'. The MoS can reveal that prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano points the finger at Mr Griffiths for 'not noticing the worsening weather conditions', before saying Mr Parker-Eaton should have 'been aware water was entering the stern of the yacht'. He adds that Mr Parker-Eaton 'failed to warn the captain promptly' before finally concluding Mr Cutfield 'did not adapt swiftly to adapt all measures needed to deal with the emergency that had arisen, causing it to sink'. The trio have been placed under formal investigation by prosecutor Cammarano for multiple manslaughter and negligent shipwreck causing a disaster. All three insist they did all they could to save the yacht and that hatches, doors and windows were all closed in anticipation of the storm that swept in. But last night a UK marine source, who asked not to be named, told the MoS: 'It's quite clear here that the Italians are looking to protect their yacht-building industry and by passing the blame on to the crew they can make sure they will do. 'The UK MAIB report clearly states the yacht was vulnerable in high winds and this wasn't noted in the manual. The night Bayesian went down winds were more than 70mph and this was enough to knock her over. 'Once she tilted to 70 degrees, there was no turning back and that's what happened. 'Yes, water would have got in as a result but the crew would have no idea that she was vulnerable in high winds because, crucially, it wasn't mentioned in the manual.' Another London-based maritime accident investigator told the MoS: 'It's always much easier to blame the crew than the yacht manufacturers themselves, so this doesn't surprise me. They are a much easier target when it comes to the insurers as well.' Seven passengers and crew died on the yacht and 15 people, including Mr Lynch's wife Angela, were rescued. Bayesian is now on dry land in Sicily and being examined.
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Epoch Times
Extreme Winds Likely Toppled Mike Lynch's Superyacht Off Sicily, Interim UK Report Finds
A superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, was likely knocked over by gusts of more than 117 km per hour in just 15 seconds, an interim UK report has said. The incident killed seven people, including Lynch and his daughter Hannah, when his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch 'The interim report presents a desktop study of the facts as we know them,' He said that the study has reviewed the yacht's stability, the likely local weather conditions at the time, and the effect of that weather on the yacht. 'The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over. Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable,' he said. 'The results will be refined as the investigation proceeds, and more information becomes available.' The Related Stories 8/30/2024 8/23/2024 Thunderstorms had been forecast, and those on board the Bayesian could see occasional flashes of lightning away to the west. But as the skipper prepared to manoeuvre the Bayesian up into the wind from their position on the flying bridge, the wind suddenly increased to more than 70 kts. The awning over the flying bridge then ripped from port to starboard. At 4:06 a.m., the Bayesian violently heeled over to 90 degrees to starboard, taking less than 15 seconds to do so. People, furniture, and loose items fell across the deck. The generators shut down immediately, and battery-supplied emergency lighting came on. The report said the 72-meter (79-yard) aluminum mast, the It said it's possible the Bayesian was similarly vulnerable to winds of less than 63.4 kts and that these vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board. Consequently, these vulnerabilities were also unknown to the owner and the crew of the Bayesian, it said. An Italian investigation into the sinking is ongoing. The vessel is still under sea. A salvage operation is scheduled to resume on Thursday after a diver was killed last Friday during preliminary operations to lift it. The Last year, Giovanni Costantino, CEO of Perini Navi's parent company, The Italian Sea Group, Lynch had invited some close friends and work colleagues on a boating trip to celebrate his June acquittal in a federal fraud case in California. He had been cleared of defrauding Hewlett-Packard when he sold Autonomy, a software company he co-founded, to the U.S. computer giant in an $11 billion deal in 2011. His co-defendant in the fraud trial, 52-year-old Stephen Chamberlain, who was also cleared of any wrongdoing, died after being hit by a vehicle while out running in Cambridgeshire, England, on Aug. 17. Among the guests on the Bayesian were Morgan Stanley International Bank Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo—who had been part of Lynch's defense team at the trial—and his wife, Neda. They all died, as did Lynch and the boat's chef, Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan Canadian national. The Epoch Times contacted The Italian Sea Group for comment. Chris Summers contributed to this report.
The Advertiser
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Mike Lynch's yacht doomed by extreme wind, report finds
The superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117km/h, an interim UK report says. The 56-metre-long Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August 2024 when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch says. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117km/h on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report says a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it says. About 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50 metre-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report. The superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117km/h, an interim UK report says. The 56-metre-long Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August 2024 when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch says. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117km/h on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report says a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it says. About 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50 metre-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report. The superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117km/h, an interim UK report says. The 56-metre-long Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August 2024 when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch says. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117km/h on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report says a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it says. About 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50 metre-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report. The superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117km/h, an interim UK report says. The 56-metre-long Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August 2024 when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch says. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117km/h on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report says a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it says. About 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50 metre-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report.
AsiaOne
15-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
Mike Lynch's yacht doomed by extreme wind, interim report finds, World News
LONDON — The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117kmh, an interim UK report said on Thursday (May 15). The 56m-long Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August last year when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch said. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117kmh on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report said a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it said. Around 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50m-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72m. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report. [[nid:716936]]
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Lynch's yacht doomed by extreme wind, interim report finds
LONDON (Reuters) - The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, was probably knocked over by winds of more than 117 kilometres an hour, an interim UK report said on Thursday. The 56-metre-long (184-foot) Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August last year when it was likely hit by a very strong downward wind, killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others, Britain's Marine Accident Investigations Branch said. The investigation established that, when the yacht's retractable keel was in the raised position, wind speeds in excess of 117km per hour on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over. It said it was possible the yacht was similarly vulnerable to winds of lower speed. These vulnerabilities were not identified in the stability information book carried on board and were consequently unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian. "The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees the situation was irrecoverable." The report said a sudden increase in the wind speed caused the yacht to keel over to 90 degrees in less than 15 seconds. Water came in over the starboard rails and within seconds entered the vessel down the stairwells, it said. Around 18 minutes later the yacht sunk in the 50 metre-deep sea. The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres (236 feet). Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said in August the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable. The company did not provide an immediate comment on the UK report.
