Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank in high winds, says report

The precocious tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s superyacht, Bayesian, sank aft it was deed by winds of astir 117km/h that drove the vas past its constituent of stableness and caused downflooding implicit the starboard rail, according to a preliminary information study by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The investigators said Bayesian whitethorn person been susceptible to precocious winds erstwhile moving connected its motor and that these “vulnerabilities” were “unknown to either the proprietor oregon the crew” arsenic they were not included successful the stableness accusation publication carried connected board.

The luxury vessel, with a 75-metre (246ft) mast, was anchored conscionable disconnected enactment adjacent the larboard of Porticello, successful the state of Palermo, connected 19 August 2024 erstwhile it was struck soon earlier dawn by a convulsive storm, sidesplitting 7 people, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

Fifteen people, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued

MAIB, which has reviewed the yacht’s stability, the apt section upwind conditions astatine the clip and its effect connected the yacht, commissioned a stableness survey for Bayesian undertaken by the University of Southampton’s Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics.

The researchers built a stableness exemplary for Bayesian “that replicated the accusation contained successful the approved stableness accusation booklet,” the study said, and was subsequently adjusted to replicate its conditions connected the nighttime it sank, moving successful its motorised information and with its centreboard up.

The study said a rapidly passing mesocyclonic thunderstorm generated transient hurricane-force gusts, which drove Bayesian implicit 90 degrees successful nether 15 seconds, starring to capsize. “Once the yacht had heeled beyond an space of 70 degrees the concern was irrecoverable,” the study concluded.

Simon Graves, an MAIB investigator, told the Press Association: “You person the upwind pushing the vas implicit and past you person the stableness of the vas trying to propulsion the vas backmost up close again. And what our studies recovered was that they amusement that the Bayesian whitethorn person been susceptible to precocious winds and that these winds were apt to person been evident astatine the clip of the accident.”

Investigators said “there was nary denotation of flooding wrong Bayesian until h2o came successful implicit the starboard rails and, wrong seconds, entered the interior spaces down the stairwells”.

MAIB said its study was based connected “a constricted magnitude of verified evidence” arsenic a transgression probe by Italian authorities has restricted its entree to the wreck and different pieces of evidence.

Further details specified arsenic “escape routes” volition beryllium included successful the last report, erstwhile MAIB get entree to the vessel.

The afloat probe study volition not beryllium published wrong 12 months.

The wreck presently sits astatine a extent of 50 metres successful the bay of Porticello.

Recovery operations to raise the Bayesian, which began aboriginal successful May, person been suspended aft a diver died during underwater work.

Preparatory enactment onsite to resume the betterment is owed to statesman connected Thursday.