Why did Mike Lynch’s Bayesian yacht sink?
On Thursday, Italian authorities recovered a fifth body from the Bayesian Superyacht that sank in a storm earlier this week, killing British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
The 184-foot British-flagged vessel sank early Monday, and the five bodies identified so far from the incident include Mike Lynch, founder of Autonomy and investor in Darktrace; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International, and his wife Judy; Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda, who have also been found. Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah is still missing.
There are several theories as to why the massive $39 million boat sank in just about 60 seconds, and the ship’s builder says the crew had time to rescue the passengers.
Theory one: The mast was knocked over by the wind
The first theory is that the mast of the huge vessel was so high that it caused the boat to tip over when a waterspout – essentially a water tornado – hit the boat. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of Italy’s Sea Group, which owns several boat brands including yacht builder Perini Navi, told the Financial Times The boat was “designed for absolute stability” as it had the “second highest mast in the world.” But Karsten Borner, the skipper of a nearby boat, suspects that the sinking may actually have been caused by strong winds hitting the 236-foot-high mast. Even with the sails down, the mast and its rigging would have offered a huge surface area for wind resistance.
The Bayesian “lay flat (with the mast) on the water and then sank,” Borner told Reuters. For comparison, the highest mast on a sailboat ever recorded was the Mirabella V According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is almost 247 feet long.
Theory two: The retractable keel was in the wrong position
The second theory about the cause of the Bayesian Sinking is when the keel has been retracted when it should have been lowered, making the boat less stable. The keel is a structural beam that runs under the center of the boat from bow to stern and gives the boat better stability, a lower center of gravity in the water and more control when moving forward. “Without the keel, a boat could slip or drag on the water,” according to boat manufacturer Sea Born.
The Bayesian had a keel that could be retracted, according to the yacht’s builder, Perini Navi. It could be raised to reduce the boat’s draft and thus make it easier to enter shallow harbors. It is possible that if the keel had been raised rather than extended, the boat’s stability would have been compromised in high winds and it would have caused it to sink.
Theory three: A large hatch was exposed to the waves
Perhaps the strongest theory so far is that someone on board may have left a large hatch or door open, causing the boat to quickly fill with water. In fact, Costantino believes this theory is the strongest after viewing footage of the sinking; the stern of the boat appears to have a trapdoor that folds down to a deck at sea level.
Since it was obvious, Bayesian When water came in, there should have been time to get everyone from the boat into the rafts, Costantino told the FT.
“For God’s sake! The hull is intact. The water entered through the hatches that were left open,” he said. “There is no other possible explanation. If the boat had been maneuvered correctly, it would have survived the weather without any problem – without any problem,” he said.
