Latest: No One Remembers the Mast Snapping Before 56m Superyacht Bayesian Sunk, Says Crew

By Katia Damborsky

No one recalls seeing the mast snap on board the 56-meter Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian which sunk yesterday (19 August) off the Italian island of Sicily. The eyewitness account of a crewmember on board the vessel, which was obtained by BOAT International, said that the boat was struck by a freak weather event which led to the yacht heeling at around 20 degrees to starboard. As crewmembers were securing items, the heeling angle began to increase rapidly until the yacht started sinking.

The crewmembers who were up on deck were able to evacuate the yacht with minor injuries. The yacht is understood to have sunk in just twelve minutes, and it is believed that a "major ingress" of water from the top down would have caused the sinking, according to a captain who wishes to remain anonymous. This is based on the fact that no breaches have been reported in the yacht's hull, and the fact that the yacht should have been able to remain afloat with two flooded compartments.

"Very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" says captain of sistership.

The captain of the sistership to the sunken 56-meter Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian has said it is "very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" and called the 56-meter Perini Navi series "bulletproof".

David Hutchinson, captain of Rosehearty, said he had taken the yacht around the world multiple times and he had "total faith in the boat".  "We've been to Antarctica and Chile, and we've had her in 70 knots of wind," he says, and the vessel had never put them in a situation that felt unmanageable.

However, Hutchinson noted there were differences between Bayesian and Rosehearty; notably, Bayesian's  74-meter mast, which would have been heavier and added increased windage. The yacht's layout was also different, with guest accommodation on Bayesian located further forward.

Who's currently missing in the Bayesian disaster?

The yacht's sinking in Italy has resulted in one confirmed death, which is understood to be the chef, and six additional people missing.

The six missing individuals are:

• British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, once dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates'
• Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah
• Morgan Stanley's chairman, Jonathan Bloomer
• Judy Bloomer, wife of Morgan Stanley chairman
• Chris Morvillo, a lawyer working for London-based law firm Clifford Chance
• Neda Morvillo, an American jewellery designer and Chris' wife

It is understood that the yacht was being used to celebrate Lynch's recent victory in a 13-year £8 billion fraud acquittal.

Live updates

• A search and rescue is currently underway for six people missing in the waters off Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily.
• Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur who co-founded Autonomy Corporation and founded Invoke Capital, is among the missing.
• Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old are among the fifteen people rescued along with Bayesian's captain, James Catfield.
• The BBC has reported that the Palermo Coastguard has confirmed the body that has been recovered is that of the yacht's chef.
• Another sailing vessel in the area, the 42-meter Sir Robert Baden Powell, is understood to have stepped in to offer assistance in the initial rescue.
• Divers have been able to reach Bayesian's sunken hull, which lies at 45 meters of depth about half a mile from the coast. The yacht had the largest aluminium masts of any sailing yacht on the water.
• Eyewitnesses in the area reported "hurricane" conditions off the coast but local weather websites did not indicate any severe squall, which suggests that the weather event was not forecast.
• At around 5am local time on 19 August, Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk.  The sailing yacht was anchored or idle at the time of the incident.

Built in Italy by renowned builder Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, the yacht's naval architecture was developed by Ron Holland Design while the interior design is by Rémi Tessier. She was formerly known as Salute and was last refitted in 2016. She was listed for sale earlier this year, according to BOATPro. The yacht had accommodation for nine guests and 12 crew.