Storm, tragedy and unanswered questions
Nearly nine months after the tragic sinking of Bayesian—a 56-metre Perini Navi sailing superyacht belonging to British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch—a major salvage operation is finally underway off the northern coast of Sicily. The vessel, once thought nearly unsinkable, capsized and sank stern-first in just 16 minutes on 19 August 2024, killing seven people, including Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah.
Moored off the small fishing port of Porticello at the time, Bayesian was believed to have been struck by a violent “downburst” wind event in the early hours of the morning. The weather system, known for producing severe downward gusts, may have overwhelmed the yacht’s stability—though what caused it to sink so rapidly remains a mystery under intense investigation.
Now lying on its starboard side at a depth of 49 metres, the wreck is to be recovered as part of a 20–30 day operation led by TMC Marine, with Dutch partners HEBO Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage overseeing the complex lift. Salvage crews have already begun offshore work from a large floating platform, with initial steps involving the removal of the yacht’s massive 72-metre mast.
A high-stakes recovery
Built in 2008 by Perini Navi—now part of the Italian Sea Group—Bayesian was a 534-tonne luxury cruiser combining classic lines with modern performance. It was considered by many in the yachting world to be among the finest in its class. That reputation has only deepened the shock that surrounds its sudden sinking.
CEO of the Italian Sea Group, Giovanni Costantino, has publicly ruled out design or construction failures, instead citing “indescribable, unreasonable errors” by the crew. “The impossible happened on that boat,” he told Reuters. “But it went down because it took on water. From where the investigators will tell.”
To answer that question definitively, prosecutors have ordered the yacht to be raised and examined thoroughly. Fuel tanks containing some 18,000 litres of diesel add urgency to the operation—not only for forensic inspection but also to prevent further environmental impact.
The superyacht will be lifted using HEBO Lift 10, one of Europe’s most powerful floating cranes, and transported 40 kilometres east to the port of Termini Imerese for inspection.
Legal proceedings underway
The incident has resulted in ongoing manslaughter investigations involving the yacht’s captain and two crew members. According to documents and reported on by Reuters, investigators suspect a cascade of human errors may have contributed to the sinking.
Matthew Griffiths, the night watch crewman, is alleged to have failed to monitor rapidly deteriorating conditions. Another sailor, Timothy Parker Eaton, reportedly noticed flooding too late to respond effectively. Both are also accused of failing to promptly alert the vessel’s captain, James Cutfield – a Kiwi, who in turn is under scrutiny for allegedly not taking sufficient emergency measures or warning guests in time.
None of the accused parties have made public statements.
Among those who perished was onboard cook Recaldo Thomas. His family’s lawyer, Mario Bellavista, has stated the salvage is a necessary step—though not necessarily a decisive one—in helping families understand what went wrong.
“It’s certainly important,” he said, noting that raw data from onboard surveillance and navigation systems had already been recovered and would be shared with legal parties by June.
Watched by the world
The loss of Bayesian has reverberated far beyond the yachting community, owing to the global prominence of its owner. Mike Lynch was often referred to as “The Bill Gates of Britain,” a pioneer in artificial intelligence whose career was followed closely by the tech world and British media alike. His death—and that of his daughter—triggered an outpouring of grief and headlines from London to New York.
At the time of the incident, Bayesian was anchored alongside another yacht which survived the night unscathed. Its captain, Karsten Borner, reported witnessing the vessel heel and disappear beneath the surface in a matter of minutes. That first-hand account confirmed early concerns that something about the event defied typical superyacht performance expectations.
What comes next
With the lifting process now imminent, many in the marine industry will be watching closely. Was this a tragic confluence of human misjudgement and extreme weather—or did the incident expose deeper issues in vessel monitoring or emergency preparedness?
As salvors prepare to raise Bayesian, investigators, insurers, designers and captains worldwide will be hoping the wreck still holds the answers.
