The story of the shipwreck of magnate Mike Lynch’s superyacht has reminded us once again of how dangerous the sea can be. More than a year ago, the world was shocked by the news of the submersible ‘Titan’, from the company OceanGate, which imploded during an excursion to the Titanic at the bottom of the sea, claiming five lives. Now, the Bayesian is the protagonist of the most recent tragedy of a ship at sea.
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The Sicilian town of Porticello (Italy) witnessed the catastrophe when, in front of its coasts, the sailboat sank to a depth of over 50 meters.
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The vessel, named the Bayesian, claimed the lives of seven people with its sinking, including the billionaire and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, while fifteen passengers have survived.
So far, six bodies have been recovered, including Mike Lynch's. His daughter Hannah is still missing.
What are the theories about the sinking of the luxurious yacht?
According to a report by the BBC, the Bayesian would have been hit by a waterspout, which is a tornado over water, and this would be the main cause of its sinking.
Like tornadoes, most waterspouts have a short duration. Additionally, they are usually very narrow columns of air that are not picked up by radars, which makes it rare for their presence to be reported to boat pilots.
Other boats around it, which are also smaller than this 56-meter-long superyacht, were able to survive the onslaught.
But other factors would have also come into play. Sam Jefferson, editor of the navigation magazine Sailing Today, theorizes that the yacht crew likely left the doors and hatches open to allow air circulation while they rested. The day before, temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius (91° Fahrenheit) were recorded.
"I imagine that all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough open spaces that allowed the boat to fill up with water very quickly," Jefferson told the BBC.
This would have caused the yacht to tip over to one side, and the 76-meter mast, the tallest in the world built in aluminum, is also being investigated as a factor.
What was the luxurious yacht of magnate Mike Lynch like that sank off the coast of Italy?
The Bayesian was a luxurious yacht that even had several design awards, in addition to its tall mast. It had a capacity for twelve passengers and ten crew members, adding up to a total of 22 people who were part of this tragic journey.
The ship was built in Tuscany, Italy, by Perini Navi and was valued at around 18 million euros, as reported by media with sources from various brokers specialized in large yachts.
According to information from CNN, its luxurious interior was designed in a Japanese style by Rémi Tessier, and the materials for the structure and interior designs were ebony, leather, teak, sycamore, and fir. It was completed and delivered to its owner in 2008, and then refurbished again in 2020. It had six suites and was equipped with MTU diesel engines.