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OLSTEN Timmerman Yachts

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A General Description of Motor Yacht OLSTEN

Timmerman Yachts completed the building motor yacht OLSTEN in 2004. Accordingly, she has the distinction of being built country of Russia. OLSTEN is a yacht which had design completed by Moscow Shipyard and Moscow Shipyard. This superyacht OLSTEN is able to accommodate a maximum of 12 passengers all told aboard together with around 6 professional crew. Finished and launched in 2004 the comparatively recent interior design and decor demonstrates the proficiency which are originating from Moscow Shipyard and the owner who commissioned the yacht.

Building & Designing relating to Luxury Yacht OLSTEN

Moscow Shipyard was the naval architect firm involved in the professional vessel composition for OLSTEN. Also the company Moscow Shipyard successfully worked on this undertaking. Interior designer Moscow Shipyard was commissioned for the internal interior styling. Russia is the country that Timmerman Yachts built their new build motor yacht in. After her formal launch in 2004 in Moscow the boat was then handed over to the owner after final finishing. Her hull was constructed with steel. The motor yacht main superstructure is made predominantly from aluminium. With a width of 6.8 m or 22.31 feet OLSTEN has moderate internal space. A fairly shallow draught of 1.7m (5.56ft) affects the number of harbours she can berth in, taking into account their particular depth.

Engineering And The Speed The M/Y OLSTEN Can Reach:

The 3406E engine installed in the motor yacht is produced by CATERPILLAR. Connected to her Caterpillar engine(s) are twin screw propellers. The engine of the yacht creates 600 horse power (or 442 kilowatts). She is fitted with 2 engines. The total thrust for the yacht is accordingly 1200 HP or 884 KW.

On board Superyacht OLSTEN There is Passenger Accommodation Capacity For:

Providing room for a limit of 12 visiting passengers spending the night, the OLSTEN accommodates them in luxury. She also has room for circa 6 expert crew members to operate.

A List of the Specifications of the OLSTEN:

OLSTEN Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht OLSTEN displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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'My little angel': Sister of final yacht victim Hannah Lynch speaks for first time since tragedy

Mike Lynch, 59, was confirmed dead on Thursday after the Bayesian superyacht he was holidaying on sunk in the early hours of Monday. Divers recovered the final missing body from the wreckage on Friday, which is believed to be that of his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

Sunday 25 August 2024 08:54, UK

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The Lynch family have said they are "devastated" and "in shock" but are being "comforted and supported by family and friends" after the Bayesian superyacht tragedy.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, was confirmed dead by local authorities on Thursday after the yacht he was holidaying on sunk in the early hours of Monday.

Family release statement; superyacht sinking latest

Divers recovered the final missing body from the wreckage on Friday , which is believed to be that of his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Her mother and Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares survived the disaster.

'She is my little angel, my star'

Miss Lynch's sister, Esme, said in a statement on Friday: "Hannah often burst into my bedroom and lay down with me.

"Sometimes beaming with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice.

"No matter what, she brought boundless love to me. She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me.

"And on top of all this, she had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals. She is my little angel, my star."

A spokesperson for the family said in a statement on Friday: "The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.

"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief."

Tributes have since poured in for both members of the family.

'Lit up the classroom'

Miss Lynch "lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence", Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of English at Latymer Upper School in west London, said.

"I've never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did," he said on Friday.

He added that when she was awarded her place to study at Oxford she sought out every member of staff to "thank them individually and give them a hug".

Family friend Patrick Jacob said he has "never met anybody like Hannah", describing her as "charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge".

"We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable," he added.

Miss Lynch's school friend Katya Lacie said she had a "beautiful soul".

"Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah," she said.

Andrew Kanter, a close friend and former colleague of her father, described Mr Lynch as "the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known".

"There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people," he said.

Sushovan Hussain, a school friend and former colleague of Mr Lynch, also knew Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloom, his wife Judy, and Mr Lynch's lawyer Chris Morvillo, who also died when the yacht sunk.

He said Mr Lynch's death "leaves an unfillable hole in my life", adding it is "tragic beyond words".

Survivor remembers 'diamond' Hannah

Sasha Murray, the chief stewardess on the Bayesian, who survived the sinking, said in a statement those who knew Hannah knew she was "a diamond in a sea of stars".

After calling her "bright, beautiful and always shining," Ms Murray said: "What most people may not have seen was the extraordinarily strong, deep and loving relationship she shared with her parents, whom she adored more than anything.

"While swimming with them she often said, if anything ever happened she would save them.

"I have no doubt that the Irish, Latina fire that burns in her soul kept that spirited determination alive."

'A heart as big as his brain'

Family friend Albert Read said he "never met anyone like Mike".

Mr Read described him as "a searing intellect, a steel that would transform the world around him, an instinct for family and friends - organising children's treasure hunts, big gatherings of neighbours in Suffolk - and, with Angela, a determination to light up the worlds of art and science for his two beloved daughters.

"Warm, funny, brilliant, loyal and exceptionally brave, with a heart as big as his brain."

'Fantastic neighbour'

Ruth Leigh lived next door to Mr Lynch in Suffolk for 15 years.

On Thursday, she described them as "fantastic neighbours" and said the tech tycoon "never played on his position" and was "very friendly and down-to-earth" despite his fortune.

"Even though they were wealthy and influential people there was never any airs and graces," Ms Leigh told Sky News.

"He always went to the trouble of remembering your name, of asking after your partner or your children. From the very start they were fantastic neighbours - very friendly and down-to-earth.

"He'd come from a very ordinary background and through his own brains and intellect, he'd made a really great company and come up with some incredible ground-breaking tech. He was always very moral. He gave to charity very generously and never played on his position."

She described his death so soon after the end of his legal troubles as "the saddest thing I've ever heard".

"The whole point about this trip to Italy was taking his friends and family to say thank you. That's what makes it even more tragic," she added.

"Losing somebody so kind, compassionate, and full of integrity must leave a hole that cannot be filled."

Read more Who were the people on the yacht? What we know about the sinking so far Doctor reveals how British mother and baby survived Ian King: Why the odds were stacked against Lynch

Mr Lynch was extradited to the US and spent a year under house arrest in San Francisco before he was cleared of 15 charges of fraud earlier this summer by a jury.

Prosecutors claimed he deliberately overstated the value of Autonomy, the company he founded in 1996, when he sold it to Hewlett Packard in 2011. He always denied wrongdoing.

'Brain the size of a planet'

His former colleague told Sky News on Thursday he had a "brain the size of a planet" and was a "lovely man".

David Tabizel co-founded Autonomy with Mr Lynch and the pair remained good friends. He described him as a "remarkable individual" and the "brightest man I've met in my life".

"He had a remarkable set of personality traits that we rarely see in Britain," he said.

"Before him there was no British tech scene. He showed us we can be world-class."

Mr Tabizel told of Mr Lynch's "inner child", that he "loved video games", had a life-size train set in his garden, and how they animated a cartoon dog for their office, for which they both recorded the "barking noises".

Commenting on his legal struggles, Mr Tabizel said he "never heard him lie or exaggerate" and he was "interested in the truth... in cutting through the noise".

"For him to be accused of manipulating his profits. It was an extraordinary thing. It just wasn't Mike. I loved that man and he should be celebrated as a hero."

David Yelland, Mr Lynch's former PR adviser and former editor of The Sun newspaper, paid tribute to him in a post on X.

He said: "All those that knew and loved Mike are thinking of Angela and their surviving daughter Esme as they struggle to come to terms with such unimaginable loss.

"We have lost a man who was failed in life by his country and his peers when he needed them most - as he looked for help in the unjust US demand that he be extradited - and he has then suffered the most unfair and brutal of fates."

Mr Yelland said he had spoken to Mr Lynch just before he set sail on the yacht.

He also described him as a "dreamer of dreams not just for himself but for all those that knew him, worked with him or invested with him".

The entrepreneur had "exciting plans to contribute much more to the country he loved," he added.

Lord Browne, former chief executive of BP and now chairman of BeyondNetZero, said Mr Lynch was "the person who catalysed a breed of deep tech entrepreneurs in the UK".

"His ideas and his personal vision were a powerful contribution to science and technology in both Britain and globally. We have lost a human being of great ability," he wrote.

'Privileged to have known him'

Sky's Ian King said he "feels very privileged to have known and spoken with Mike Lynch over many years".

He described him as a "visionary and original thinker with a passion for building businesses". "There are sadly too few like him in the UK," he added.

The Royal Academy of Engineering, where Mr Lynch was a former council member, donor, and mentor, said it is "deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mike Lynch".

Sending condolences to his family, they added: "Mike became a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and we have fond memories of the active role he played in the past as a mentor, donor, and former council member. He was also one of the inaugural members on the enterprise committee."

A spokesperson for technology industry group TechUK said: "Mike Lynch was a hugely significant and pioneering figure in the UK technology sector.

"Our hearts go out to all of the families and friends who have been impacted by these tragic events," they said.

Mr Lynch's Autonomy software was based on Bayesian statistical inference - where his family's ill-fated yacht got its name.

The software's global success earned him a reputation as the "British Bill Gates" and enabled companies to trawl through huge swathes of data more efficiently.

His Cambridge thesis is thought to be one of the most-read pieces of research in the institution's library.

There was huge outcry from politicians and business leaders when Home Secretary Priti Patel approved a judge's extradition order for him to be sent to the US for trial in 2023.

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Russian stuff blowing up: Moscow yacht club goes up in flames

Big ammo dump bavovna

🔥 Explosion of a russian ammunition depot. Pokrovsk direction. pic.twitter.com/Oc9BaqcsHD — ✙ Albina Fella ✙ 🇺🇦🇬🇧🇫🇷🇩🇪🇵🇱🇺🇸🇨🇦🇦🇺 (@albafella1) June 22, 2024

Smoke on the water, the fire in the sky.

Yachts go up in smoke. Could be sabotage or could be insurance fraud or could be another careless smoker.

“ARSON in a yacht club near Moscow. More than a dozen yachts and boats burned downs.” – Baza 👉 Russian ships are racing to join the Moskva. pic.twitter.com/VeErNGzT6s — Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) June 21, 2024

Sucks when you can’t even get a moped through with a six-pack of water.

The whole road is about 15 km and you can take dozens of similar photos on it. Thanks to the successful operation of drones, Russians are sitting in tree lines and  forests with a minimum of ammunition, food and water. There were cases when we destroyed a moped with which Russians tried to bring a pack of 6 bottles of water to the position.”

Bukhanka graveyard on the Kharkiv front: “The cutting of Russian logistical routes is probably one of the key reasons why Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region got bogged down. In one photo there are 5 burnt Bukhankas. The whole road is about 15 km and you can take dozens of… pic.twitter.com/j1xeg4tOhr — Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 22, 2024

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

🔞 Kadyrovite beats Kadyrovite. Education in the ruzzian army. pic.twitter.com/Z43RJsd2c2 — ✙ Albina Fella ✙ 🇺🇦🇬🇧🇫🇷🇩🇪🇵🇱🇺🇸🇨🇦🇦🇺 (@albafella1) June 22, 2024

Speaking of declining morale.

According to "The Northern Channel", Russian military police have been detached to the northern Kharkiv front to suppress defections and that the highest risk of deserters is in the area of #Hyboke north of #Lyptsi where the AFU is making gains. "The military police arrived… pic.twitter.com/iiP6n69EyJ — OSINT (Uri Kikaski) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) June 18, 2024

Russia continues to round up migrants workers for cannon fodder duty in Ukraine.

Barnaul is in Siberia south of Novosibirsk.

Russia: FSB conducted a massive raid, lining up over 200 people outside night clubs and bars in Barnaul, near Novosibirsk. Some were severely beaten and gunshots were also heard. pic.twitter.com/GnCigcBE8S — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) June 22, 2024

45 migrants were forced at gunpoint to sit under the scorching sun This is how Russian law enforcers conducted another raid on migrants at a construction site in Voronezh. Those who are found to have a Russian passport are often taken to the military recruitment center. pic.twitter.com/vIDBiSWGRH — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 22, 2024

It’s basically an armored taxi.

In this video a Ukrainian soldier breaks down why this T-62 is a pile of shit.

The Ukrainian Army released an extensive video of the infamous Russian turtle tanks. They are far worse than expected. Underneath that garbage is an old T-62M. The gun is not operational, there is no ammunition and the turret is locked in place. The panels are sheet metal… pic.twitter.com/s33mm5zg5w — (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) June 22, 2024

Another 1,110 Russian soldiers.

Russian losses per 22/06/24 reported by the Ukrainian general staff +1110 men +8 tanks +11 APVs +28 artillery pieces +15 UAVs +4 cruise missiles pic.twitter.com/5Ul2ZRCfB0 — NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) June 22, 2024

At least 4 285 Russian officers have been eliminated in Ukraine, +27 since last update. Minimum losses since 24 February 2022. Each name is confirmed by a Russian source via funeral notices, obituaries, graves, news platforms, monuments and memorial plaques. pic.twitter.com/KDBMXg72CZ — KIU ✪ Russian Officers killed in Ukraine 🇨🇿🇺🇦 (@KilledInUkraine) June 22, 2024

It reminds me of the old German V1 rocket

Breaking: Nikolayevsky Vanekreported reported on his TG Channel that the AFU has recovered remnants of an Iranian Atash-1/2 jet-powered OWUAV which was shot down and crash-landed near the town of #Ochakiv , Mykolaiv Oblast. The Atash drones are jet powered and appear to be cruise… pic.twitter.com/pk86jtAGin — OSINT (Uri Kikaski) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) June 22, 2024

Russians continue to shell Kharkiv.

The Russians dropped 4 x FAB UMPC's on the center of Kharkiv earlier today. Currently, there are 2 dead and 23 injured but the debris are still being cleared to search for more victims. #OSINT #UkraineWar #UkraineKrieg #Ukraine #Russia #NAFO REPOST APPRECIATED!!! pic.twitter.com/TjhXf2BNnu — OSINT (Uri Kikaski) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) June 22, 2024

The moment of the guided aerial bomb hit in Kharkiv The number of wounded has increased to 37. https://t.co/CTXKu85FC3 pic.twitter.com/1lduAfIJ3S — Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) June 22, 2024

No, no, no. We weren’t trying to hit the residential building. We were trying to hit the hospital.

Russian propagandists now claim their target in Kharkiv was not a residential building but a police hospital. Their open admission of calls for war crimes is truly outrageous. Watch this and imagine it’s your Saturday afternoon pic.twitter.com/tP2BLSUoT8 — Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) June 22, 2024

Well, what can ya do? You can’t hide in your basement 24/7.

Residents of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv shock with their calmness People continue to relax by the pool while explosions are heard on the horizon. A residential apartment building was damaged as a result of the attack. 18 people were injured, 2 dead. pic.twitter.com/NjgwsCbIGz — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 22, 2024

Russia not only commits war crimes like bombing a school, they posted video about it.

Russian sources are posting a video of what they describe as the "second use" of a FAB-3000 M-54 S UMPC in the #Liptsy area. Geolocation: 50.193348, 36.436196 The structure is the Slobozhanskaya School which is closed as civilians have been evacuated from the entire area. The… pic.twitter.com/2GUgssOi5I — OSINT (Uri Kikaski) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) June 21, 2024

This attack is in Ivano-Frankivsk, which is southeast of Lviv in western Ukraine.

The aftermath of the night attack on Ivano-Frankivsk Oil and Gas University In addition, 14 buildings, a lyceum, a kindergarten were damaged in the city. pic.twitter.com/Iz5WRyGRxZ — Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) June 22, 2024

In  this video  a Russian soldier is wounded by an FPV drone. While he is lying in the road and his comrade walks up to him, he motions to his head. His comrade then finishes him off with a shot to the head.

Life is brutal in the Russian Army.

You can believe that this is the result of climate change if you like, but clearly this is the wrath of God at work. Expect to see locust swarms and frogs next.

🌪️ Russia: Tornadoes in Moscow injured over 40 people. Experts say the frequency and intensity of the phenomenon is increasing due to climate change. pic.twitter.com/KjpDe2Qd8t — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) June 21, 2024

Lukashenko says being president of Belarus is “fiddle-faddle” and that he dreams of milking cows.

Lukashenko told how he milks cows in his dreams. Also, during a visit to a dairy complex, he said the best job is in agriculture, and the presidency is fiddle-faddle. pic.twitter.com/AwpScZES7F — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 22, 2024

This is why Ukraine will eventually win.

A Russian drone was taken out by Ukrainian EW, local people grabbed it and repaired it and sent it to the ukrainian army. Hah. pic.twitter.com/CRN6SgE3Vy — Andrew Perpetua (@AndrewPerpetua) June 22, 2024

Rest in peace.

💔 In Kherson region, our colleague Oleksandr Chekhun was killed in an enemy attack while on duty at a checkpoint As a result of a Russian drone attack, an inspector of the patrol police response sector of the Kherson Police Department No. 1, a senior police lieutenant, was… pic.twitter.com/GTX7nTxG7a — Andrew Perpetua (@AndrewPerpetua) June 22, 2024

No peppers? No green beans?

Because they are #Ukrainians ❗️😜🤣 The Ukrainian military man showed his trenches, where onions, cucumbers, dill , tomatoes are planted evenly and neatly... This nation cannot be defeated❗️☝️ pic.twitter.com/aeLupjZMbu — Olena_Wave🇺🇦 (@OlenaWave) June 22, 2024

Life goes on in Kyiv.

One more video from the festival in Kyiv for you. To tell you the truth, I meant to walk in the botanical garden and enjoy the nature. But it was a festival there 🙈 oops. Perhaps you will ask why the girls put the ribbons on the tree. I don’t know. Maybe it is some tradition… pic.twitter.com/tMaoP68LGa — Yaroslava Antipina (@strategywoman) June 22, 2024

Soledar needs a new home.

Meet Soledar, a cat who lost his home in the bombed city he’snamed after. Now he lives at a military strongpoint, nestled btwn tires, with 80th Brigade soldiers as family. Stressed by constant shelling, he needs evacuation from frontline. This war cat seeks a peaceful home. pic.twitter.com/ddyMNLyIRj — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 22, 2024

Man’s best friend and his backup vocals.

Peaceful night to all good people 😴💤 And let Russia burn. pic.twitter.com/Vy9PCw1QJU — 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐀 | 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇵🇱🇺🇦 (@tweetforAnna) June 21, 2024

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Renowned Biglaw Partner Among The Missing After The Sinking Of Tech Billionaire's Superyacht

The prominent clifford chance partner is missing at sea..

Prominent Clifford Chance partner Christopher J. Morvillo — of the revered Morvillo family of lawyers behind the Morvillo Abramowitz firm — is said to be among the six people missing from the ship. Morvillo, whose white-collar practice is based in New York, was aboard the yacht celebrating a hard-won federal fraud victory with tech billionaire and Autonomy founder Mike Lynch, who was acquitted of all charges. Lynch is now missing at sea, and here’s where things start getting a little eerie: His co-defendant, Steven Chamberlain, died in a car crash on the same day the yacht capsized. The Mirror has additional details on the shipwreck:

The lawyer is among six people believed to be still trapped in the yacht’s hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater. Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search on Monday ended unsuccessfully. Fire rescue crews reported that divers were unable to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by debris that had shifted during the violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday. Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her one-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, officials said.

Calling All Biglaw Pros! Your Dream Job Awaits—Take Our Survey

In a now-haunting LinkedIn post , Morvillo praised his trial team, thanking them for all of their hard work on Lynch’s case, which had finally ended after 13 long years. The Biglaw partner, now feared dead, concluded his piece with the following words: “And they all lived happily ever after….”

Clifford Chance gave the following statement concerning the accident to the American Lawyer :

“We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing. Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident. Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honored during this period.”

We here at Above the Law extend our thoughts to Christopher Morvillo’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.

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Mike Lynch’s Sunken Superyacht Is Largely Intact, Italian Officials Say

I talian investigators searching the wreckage of the Bayesian superyacht said it appeared largely intact, a discovery that contradicts earlier eyewitnesses who said its mast had snapped when it sank in Monday’s storm.

Divers are reporting that the 180-foot-long yacht was lying on its side on the ocean floor, an Italian coast guard official said Wednesday. “The divers are looking for structural damage on the hull,” the official said.

The early reports from Italian officials appeared to be at odds with witnesses who had said the aluminum mast snapped during a violent thunderstorm when the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily with 22 people on board, including owner Mike Lynch, a U.K. tech billionaire.

The towering mast on the Bayesian stretched nearly 240 feet into the sky—making the superyacht the tallest luxury sailboat when it was built.

Maritime experts said a broken mast of that height could cause serious damage to a vessel, but the design isn’t a safety concern as long as the masts are well maintained and held tightly upright on the hull by cables called stays.

“Bigger masts support bigger sails and higher sailing speeds,” said Takis Tsakos, a veteran captain who also oversees for clients the construction of superyachts such as the Bayesian at yards in Europe and the U.S. “The yacht fans love the bigger masts because they look marvelous and give the vessel more volume. They are especially impressive at night when they are lit up.”

The Bayesian’s mast could have fallen on the hull, damaging it, or could have been uprooted from its base by the strong winds if the stays weren’t tight enough. Yacht captains say loose stays can make a boat tilt as much as 15 degrees even with the sails folded.

“That would have made a gaping hole and water could have rushed in. It was also a relaxed evening—doors and windows could have been open with more water coming in as the boat tilted,” said Tsakos, founder of Athens-based Yachtways GP, which rents out luxury yachts in the Mediterranean. “These will be determined when the yacht is pulled out of the water.”

The people missing and presumed dead in the sinking of the Bayesian include Lynch, his daughter, a top executive at Morgan Stanley and one of Lynch’s lawyers. The group was celebrating Lynch’s acquittal on U.S. fraud charges.

Italian authorities are continuing to investigate the accident and divers are trying to access the sunken hull. Rescue teams located five bodies from the wreck on Wednesday. The body of the boat’s chef was retrieved from the sea on Tuesday.

Masts must meet the safety standards of classification societies that give the green light for a ship to sail and monitor its maintenance over the years. Oversize masts on superyachts are turned by computer so they face the wind straight on and not sideways even when the sails are folded.

“For a vessel of this size to go down, there must have been tremendous ingress of water inside its enclosed spaces,” said Fotis Pagoulatos, a naval architect who has participated in a number of shipwreck investigations. “Its design allows it to stay afloat, even with two compartments flooded.” He said he wouldn’t be surprised if the yacht’s hull is found cracked and buckled from the forces exerted by the freak weather and possibly the cracked mast.

The single-masted Bayesian was built by Italian company Perini Navi and delivered in 2008 to its original owner. The boat, which was taller than it was long, was one of a class of supersize luxury yachts that cruise the Mediterranean and other hot spots.

Formerly known as Salute, it was one of several that Perini Navi built that was 56 meters long. But its sister ships had shorter masts—generally extending 59 meters, compared with about 72 meters for the Bayesian. Perini Navi didn’t return requests for comment.

The Bayesian has been eclipsed by newer boats owned by other billionaires. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon.com founder, commissioned the 127-meter-tall Koru, a three-masted vessel that was delivered in 2023.

The Koru was so tall that in 2022 it sparked a protest over plans to dismantle a bridge to let it sail out of the Dutch port where it was built. Instead, the ship was towed to another shipyard to have its masts mounted.

Still, the Bayesian remained one of the largest private sailing yachts. It was ordered by a Dutch businessman but, in 2005, he was paralyzed in a yachting accident and it was sold on completion to another Dutch owner and renamed Salute, according to yacht brokers.

In 2014, it was sold to an entity owned by Angela Bacares, Lynch’s wife, and renamed Bayesian. It has no racing history, but boats of this size compete in events such as the St Barths Bucket Regatta, an annual race in the Caribbean, and in the Perini Navi Cup, a four-day race near Sardinia.

Perini Navi is known for creating some of the world’s most famous and luxurious sailing yachts, including the 88-meter-long Maltese Falcon, one of the world’s most recognizable sailing yachts, with rotating masts and a futuristic design.

The masts of the Maltese Falcon are 57 meters tall.

Write to Costas Paris at [email protected]

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Questions for Investigators Trying to Unravel Mystery of Luxury Yacht’s Sinking

The investigators searching for answers about the shipwreck, leaving seven dead, face questions about extreme weather and possible human error or problems with the yacht itself.

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By Alan Yuhas

More than 180 feet long, with a mast towering about 240 feet and a keel that could be lowered for greater stability, the Bayesian luxury yacht did not, in the eyes of its maker, have the vulnerabilities of a ship that would easily sink.

“It drives me insane,” Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company that made the ship, said after its wreck last week. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch’s friends and a member of the crew. Fifteen people, including the captain, escaped on a lifeboat.

Mr. Lynch had invited family, friends and part of his legal team on a cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate his acquittal in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

The Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation, searching for answers from the survivors, the manufacturer and the wreck itself. They face a range of questions and possible factors.

An ‘earthquake’ in the sky?

When the Bayesian sank around 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, the waters in its area, about half a mile off the Sicilian port of Porticello, were transformed by an extremely sudden and violent storm, according to fishermen, a captain in the area and meteorologists.

But what kind of storm is still a mystery, compounded by the fact that a sailing schooner anchored nearby did not have its own disaster. Also unclear is whether the crew was aware that the Italian authorities had issued general warnings about bad weather the night before.

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby passenger ship, said he’d had to steady his ship during “really violent” winds . During the storm, he said, the Bayesian seemed to disappear behind his ship.

Severe lightning and strong gusts were registered by the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, according to Attilio Di Diodato, its director. “It was very intense and brief in duration,” he said.

The yacht, he said, had most likely been hit by a fierce downburst — a blast of powerful wind surging down during a thunderstorm. His agency put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about possible storms.

Locals have said the winds “felt like an earthquake.” A fisherman in Porticello said that he had seen a flare go off in the early-morning hours. His brother ventured to the site once the weather had calmed about 20 minutes later, he said, finding only floating cushions.

The Italian authorities have so far declined to say whether investigators had seen any structural damage to the hull or other parts of the ship.

Open hatches or doors?

The boat executive, Mr. Costantino, has argued that the Bayesian was an extremely safe vessel that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing. His company, the Italian Sea Group, in 2022 bought the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, which launched the ship in 2008.

Mr. Costantino said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, would be to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

At a news conference on Saturday, almost a week after the sinking, investigators said the yacht had sunk at an angle , with its stern — where the heavy engine was — having gone down first. The wreck was found lying on its right side at the bottom of a bay, about 165 feet deep.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

Water pouring into open hatches or doors could have contributed to the sinking, experts say, but that on its own may not account for the speed at which such a large boat vanished underwater.

Asked about the hatches at the news conference, the authorities declined to comment on whether they had been found open at the wreck.

The authorities have also not specified whether the boat had been anchored, whether it was under power at the time or whether its sails had been unfurled.

A retracted keel?

The Bayesian had a keel — the fin-like structure beneath a boat that can help stabilize it — that could be retracted or extended, according to its manufacturer. On some yachts, keels can be raised to let the large vessel dock in shallower water, and extended downward to help keep a boat level.

But like the hatches, the status of the keel alone may not explain why a large ship sank with such precipitous speed. Investigators have not disclosed what divers may have seen at the wreck, aside from saying divers had faced obstacles like furnishings and electrical wiring in tight quarters. Officials want to raise the wreck to better examine it, a process that may take weeks.

Human error?

Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at the news conference that it was “plausible” crimes had been committed, but that investigators had not zeroed in on any potential suspects.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

It remains unclear what kind of emergency training or preparation took place before the disaster, or what kind of coordination there was during it. So far, none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened the night the ship sank.

Prosecutors said they want to ask more questions of the captain and crew, who have been in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors. They said that neither alcohol nor drug tests had been performed on crew members, and that they have been allowed to leave Italy.

Prosecutors also said they were also investigating why the captain, an experienced sailor, left the sinking boat while some passengers were still on board.

Besides possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck.

The bodies of five passengers were found in one cabin, on the left side of the yacht, the authorities said. The five were most likely trying to flee to the higher side of the boat and were probably sleeping when the boat started to sink, they said.