200 million superyacht

$200 Million Superyacht Owned by Nicholas Latifi’s Father Takes the Spotlight Boarding Lance and Lawrence Stroll

Mahim Suhalka | Published May 25, 2024

Credits: IMAGO / Beautiful Sports and IMAGO / Pixsell

Since its inception, the Monaco GP has lured the creme de la creme to the coast of Monte Carlo. The race in the Principality of Monaco is one of the most prestigious and glamorous races on the calendar. The 2024 edition is no different. However, on this occasion not a celebrity but a former F1 driver Nicholas Latifi made the most heads turn. The Canadian and his father reportedly arrived at the Monaco harbor with their fellow countrymen in a whopping $200 million super yacht.

This biggest privately owned yacht on the weekend is Lawrence Stroll ‘s former ultra-luxury yacht called Faith. The Canadian billionaire was aboard it along with his son and Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll. The 318-foot-long vessel exchanged hands between Canadian billionaires Lawrence and Michael Latifi, father of the former Williams driver, in the recent past.

According to @JoePompliano on X, the super yacht has 2 helipads, 2 jet skis, a gym, a theatre, a pool, and a sauna. The fully loaded boat also rents for $1.5 million a week. According to some photographs, one of the front helipads also doubles down as a basketball court when not in use.

The $200 million superyacht Faith has arrived in Monaco for the F1 race. • Helipad & 2 Jet Skis • Gym, Theater, Pool & Sauna The boat rents for $1.5M weekly and was owned by Lawrence Stoll (until he sold it to Michael Latifi, the father of former F1 driver Nicholas Latifi). pic.twitter.com/QQpuQR5JDB — Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) May 24, 2024

Kym Illman did a little research and revealed a boat much smaller than Faith costs about $120,000 to $150,000 to park in Monaco for 5 days. That’s the basic operating cost. According to various sources, Faith’s yearly operating cost is around $15 to $20 million.

The massive superyacht can accommodate 18 guests comfortably and a crew of 34. However, the Latifi-owned yacht wasn’t the only extraordinary boat on the harbor on the weekend.

F1 photographer reveals the details of the second-largest yacht at the Monaco GP

The second biggest and second most expensive yacht of the weekend is Lionheart. Owned by British businessman Philip Green, the super yacht is worth a whopping $150 million. The Monaco resident’s vessel is a 2016 model and Italian made by Benetti. The Lionheart is sturdy as well with steel construction paired with an aluminum superstructure, according to SuperYachtFan.com .

The mega boat has a cruising speed of 15 knots and has a diesel-electric propulsion system which is powered by Caterpillar engines. Apart from that it can house 12 guests and a crew of 30. According to Illman, the running cost of Lionheart is $15 million a year.

The British billionaire’s yacht is not as long as Faith, falling 18 feet shy and measuring 300 feet. The weekly rental costs are not clear, however, a few popular names have boarded the Lionheart. In the past, soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo has been spotted riding the mega yacht.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar

• Lance Stroll
• Lawrence Stroll
• Nicholas Latifi

About the author

Mahim Suhalka

Mahim Suhalka is an F1 journalist at the SportsRush. With an ever-growing love for the sport since 2019, he became a part of the industry two years ago and since then has written over 2200 pieces. A Lewis Hamilton fan through and through and with Hamilton's loyalties shifting to Ferrari, so will his. Apart from F1, he is a Football fanatic having played the sport and represented his state in various tournaments as he still stays in touch with the sport. Always a sports enthusiast Mahim is now translating his passion into words.

Share this article

Don’t miss these

Anirban Aly Mandal • Jul 15, 2024

Former F1 Engineer Says Lance Stroll Is No Slouch Despite Aston Martin’s 2024 Struggles

Pranay Bhagi • Jun 22, 2024

Adrian Newey Adds 4 Teams to His Laundry List of Red Bull Replacements

Nischay Rathore • Jun 21, 2024

Lance Stroll Faces Stewards After Violating a Very Special Rule

Nischay Rathore • Jul 12, 2024

Fernando Alonso Reveals ‘All the Best Engineers’ Are Joining Aston Martin as Adrian Newey Rumors Gain Pace

Anirban Aly Mandal • Jul 04, 2024

‘Ego’ at Aston Martin Risks Drowning Lawrence Stroll’s Vision After ‘Galactico’ Signing

Anirban Aly Mandal • Jun 19, 2024

Lawrence Stroll Makes Big Move to Hijack Ferrari’s Adrian Newey Deal

The world's most expensive superyachts come with helipads, movie theaters, and swimming pools — take a look

• Many superyachts cost upwards of $200 million dollars and are owned by the wealthiest billionaires in the world.
• The most expensive yacht ever built is made from solid gold, and costs a whopping $4.8 billion.
• The yachts have features like movie theaters, concert halls, and multiple swimming pools. 

Some of the world's wealthiest individuals own the most outlandish yachts. 

With features like helipads, swimming pools, saunas, hot tubs, and more, the most expensive yachts in the world are the definition of luxury. Russian tycoons, oil  Sheikhs, and entertainment moguls are vacationing on yachts spanning over 200 feet that often cost over half a billion dollars, not to mention the  maintenance costs  of owning a superyacht.

Check out some of the most expensive yachts in the world below: 

$200 million: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen owns this 414-foot yacht called the Octopus. It has 41 suites, a pool, two helicopters, a basketball court, and a recording studio.

Source: Forbes

$200 million: The Seven Seas yacht has a movie theater, infinity pool, gym and helipad. Reportedly, it once belonged to Stephen Spielberg.

$210 million: Billionaire Nassar Al-Rashid owns this yacht embellished with 24-karat gold lettering.

$250 million: Qatar's former Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, owns the $250 million Al Mirqab. It has a movie theater, outdoor bar, indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, and helipad.

Source: Daily Mail

$256 million: The Dilbar is owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. With more than 3,800 square meters of living space, the Dilbar makes for a comfortable way to travel. It also has two helipads and an indoor swimming pool.

Source: Yacht Harbour 

$300 million: The Sultan of Oman owns the 509-foot long Al Said yacht. It has room for more than 60 guests and a concert hall that can house a 50-piece orchestra.

$350 million: Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko owns Motor Yacht A, which resembles a military-style submarine and has a helipad.

Source: The Sun 

$400 million: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, owns the massive Dubai yacht, which costs an estimated $400 million. It has a mosaic swimming pool, circular staircase, and helipad.

$500 million: Andrey Melnichenko also owns Sailing Yacht A, which has an underwater viewing pod.

Source: CNN Money 

Source: Boat International 

$560 million: Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia, owns this 440-foot yacht dubbed the Serene. At $560 million, it has 15 rooms, a club, multiple swimming pools, a spa, a gym, and two hot tubs.

Source: New York Times

Source: The Observer

$590 million: Entertainment mogul David Geffen owns this 454-foot superyacht know as the Rising Sun, complete with a basketball court and space for 18 overnight guests. In April 2017, Geffen hosted the Obama family on his yacht.

Source: Business Insider

$600 million: The Azzam yacht is the world's biggest private superyacht, and is rumored to have a submarine with a missile defense system. It is speculated to be owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

Source: CNN

$600 million: Russian billionaire Roman Abramovitch's yacht, dubbed the "Eclipse" is estimated to be anywhere from $600 million to $1.5 billion. The superyacht features several helipads, more than 20 guest cabins, two swimming pools, a sauna, and several hot tubs.

$4.8 billion: The History Supreme is made from solid gold and is the most expensive yacht in the world. It reportedly sold to a Malaysian businessman in 2011.

• Main content

• Your Profile
• Your Subscriptions
• Your Business
• Support Local News
• Payment History
• Sign up for Daily Headlines
• Sign up for Notifications

Humongous $200M superyacht arrives in Vancouver

• Share by Email
• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share via Text Message

A 95-metre superyacht priced at $200 million was spotted cruising through False Creek before docking in North Vancouver. 

Attessa V Yacht was built in 2010 by Blohm and Voss, a German shipbuilding and engineering company. It arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday and moved over to a dock in North Vancouver on Wednesday morning.

AV can entertain 24 guests in 12 rooms and has a crew of 33 people. It features a large swimming pool on the deck, a private movie theatre and a jet pool jacuzzi. 

The superyacht was designed by Michael Leach Design and soars in ’speed and style.’

It costs $10 to $20 million per year to run the yacht.

Website SuperYacht.com lists the owner of the AV as Dennis Washington, an 88-year-old American billionaire whose net worth is listed at US$6.4 billion and is ranked number 397 in Forbes' richest people in the world . 

Washington, from Montana, claims to be ‘self-made’ and owns a copper mining, marine transportation and heavy equipment business, according to Forbes. He is married with two children. In an interview with Forbes.com, Washington said his passion is boats. 

Washington’s network of companies includes Washington Marine Group and Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver, where Kyle Washington, Dennis Washington’s son, is executive chairman.

The AV Yacht was previously known as Palladium and is listed as an award-winning superyacht.  It was previously owned by Mikhail Prokhorov, a Russian oligarch and previous owner of the Brooklyn Nets. The yacht drew attention when The Late Show host Stephen Colbert visited Prokhorov on the yacht. 

Superyachts flocking to Vancouver Island

Superyachts flock to B.C. every year. One recently drew attention in B.C.’s capital when a Brazilian billionaire docked in Victoria. 

The 62-metre-long vessel called the Anawa was docked at Ship Point on May 30, clad with its own helicopter on deck. 

Billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann owns the yacht, according to Superfanyacht.com. Forbes.com says the investor-philanthropist lives in Switzerland and is worth $14.8 billion.

Anawa was custom-designed and built in 2020 by Damen Yachting. It’s one of the company’s SeaXplorer class of vessels, billed as “long-range, luxury expedition” yachts.

It can carry 12 guests and 15 crew plus a captain, Damen said.

Back in 2020, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones's yacht was spotted in the  waters off Vancouver Island . The "Bravo Eugenia" is worth an estimated quarter-billion dollars.

The superyacht is designed to use 30 per cent less fuel than other vessels of its size and class but it doesn't skimp on amenities. The "Bravo Eugenia" can accommodate 14 guests and 30 crew members and features six guest suites, a beach lounge, spa and gym.

On Tuesday, the AV Yacht wasn’t the only yacht drawing attention. A 32-metre vessel called the Snowbored was passing through False Creek  with the final destination of Galiano Island. 

The Snowbored, built by Westport in 2003, is a 32-metre vessel with a satin cherry wood interior, and a sundeck sporting a hot tub, wet bar, and lounge pads. It also has a fighting chair and rocket launcher for sport fishing, and can launch a Novurania tender and Yamaha waverunners.

In a statement to Glacier Media, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says anyone wishing to view the Attessa V in Vancouver's inner harbour area by boat "is urged to ensure they do so from a safe distance." "We love seeing boaters and paddlers out enjoying the waters that make up the Port of Vancouver," says Jason Krott, manager of marine operations and fleet. "Our focus is working with all users to build the awareness and understanding needed to support a safe shared space for recreational and commercial traffic."

To see the inside of the AV superyacht, visit the designer's website .  

• Oldest Newest

This has been shared 0 times

Featured Flyer

672 Wine Club

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Benchmark Wines
• Brian Fox Art
• Chase United
• Disneyland Resort
• Gateway Bronco
• Royal Salute
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

This $200 Million Russian Superyacht Could Be Auctioned Off to Aid Ukraine

The 303-foot vessel, known as "royal romance," was delivered by feadship in 2015., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

Rachel Cormack's Most Recent Stories

• Chanel Now Owns a 25% Stake in Swiss Watchmaker MB&F

This Revamped 161-Foot Trinity Superyacht Could Be Yours for $16 Million

• This Blinged-Out Patek Philippe Nautilus Was Seized by U.K. Police. Now It’s up for Auction.
• Share This Article

One Russian oligarch’s loss could be Ukraine ‘s gain.

Related Stories

• Acura Is Working on an All-Electric Sports Car to Replace the NSX
• BMW Just Sold More EVs In Europe Than Tesla for the First Time
• ‘They Should Feel Like They’ve Risked Death’: The Hypercar Startup That Wants to Deliver Old-School Fear on the Road

The 303-footer, known as Royal Romance , was seized in Croatia earlier this year as part of the widespread Western sanctions imposed against Russian individuals and businesses following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Delivered by Dutch yard Feadship in 2015, the custom superyacht features a sleek steel hull and a lightweight aluminum superstructure. Onboard, she has seven staterooms for up to 14 guests and cabins for 21 crew, plus a 39-foot swimming pool with a waterfall that flows over the stern.

ARMA said its representatives had flown to Croatia and “inspected the arrested yacht belonging to the family members of a people’s deputy and one of the leaders of a political force banned in Ukraine.”

Medvedchuk, who is often referred to as the “dark prince” of Ukrainian politics, has led a pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine for years. He has also been a loyal ally of Putin for the past two decades. The Russian president is even godfather to his daughter Daria, as reported by The Guardian . Medvedchuk has been sanctioned by the US, the UK and Ukraine. He was arrested in Ukraine in April, then handed over to Russia in a prisoner exchange in September.

The auction of Royal Romance would mark the first such sale on behalf of the people of Ukraine. Back in September, a $75 million superyacht that was seized from Russian steel magnate Dmitry Pumpyansky was auctioned off Gibraltar. However, the proceeds went to JP Morgan after a legal claim from the US investment bank said Pumpyansky’s holding company Pyrene Investments owed it more than $20 million. Let’s hope Ukraine sees the funds this time around.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

Read More On:

More marine.

Rescuers Find Remaining Missing Aboard the Sunken ‘Bayesian’ Superyacht 

Tech Mogul Mike Lynch and 5 Others Are Missing After a Yacht Sinks in Italy

A Fleet of Candela’s Electric Foiling Yachts Is Rolling Out to the Red Sea in 2025

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

‘La Dea II’ Superyacht in Photos

12 Must-See Yacht Debuts at This Year’s Cannes Fest

More from our brands, betty halbreich, bergdorf’s legendary personal shopper, dead at 96, most valuable nfl teams 2024: cowboys first to top $10 billion, ‘ted lasso’ eyes season 4 greenlight with main cast members returning, christie’s first sale at new asia headquarters led by $35 m. monet, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

• Newsletters
• Reader Rewards
• Graduations

• Digital Edition

Featured newsletters

Business hq, our writers, announcements, $200m superyacht owned by us billionaire moors off largs.

One of the largest private sailing yachts in the world has dropped anchor in the Firth of Clyde near Largs.

Eos is reportedly owned by New York power couple Fox TV mogul Barry Diller and his fashion designer wife Diane Von Furstenberg.

The $200 million, three-masted Bermuda rigged schooner accommodates 14 people in seven cabins and is serviced by a crew of 21.

READ MORE:  Cruise ship breaks record of largest to ever visit Lerwick Harbour

Delivered in 2006, the 305-feet Eos has since travelled over 200,000 nautical miles and has hosted guests such as former president and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos.

Until 2017 she remained the world’s largest luxury sailing yacht at a length of 93 metres.

Earlier this month, the yacht was spotted in Loch Broom off Ullapool, having arrived from Hamburg. 

The 200-million-dollar Eos yacht (Image: Michael McGurk)

Ullapool Bookshop shared photos of the yacht on social media, writing: “This beautiful yacht arrived in Loch Broom and what a sight she is. 

“It's the EOS, the 3rd largest privately owned yacht in the world & I think she looks majestic, moored in the loch.”

Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?

It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. 

heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.

We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.

We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. 

That is invaluable. 

We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.

In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com

Comments & Moderation

Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.

Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.

Last Updated:

Report this comment Cancel

Edit comment Cancel

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?

Get involved with the news

Modal headline.

Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event .

As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services .

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community .

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.

A Closer Look at the $200 Million Rising Sun Superyacht

There are a few different categories of yachts in the world. As a yacht enthusiast you might hear a few different terms being thrown around in the descriptions, such as Super yacht up to 100 feet in length or Mega yacht up to 300 feet. These are the larger water craft and there is even a giga yacht which are those that are over 300 feet in length. With this in mind, the Rising Sun, which is often referred to as a Super yacht far exceeds the parameters set for the classification, so if we’re going to be particular about the classification, we’d call it a Giga yacht. However it’s categorized, the Rising Sun is one of the most amazing private yachts afloat and we’re going to take a closer look at the features which make this multi-million dollar ship so special.

Rising Sun Yacht built by Lurssen: A Celebrity Choice

This yacht has hosted some of the most celebrated personalities in the film and record industry as well as the political arena. Barack and Michelle Obama were seen vacationing on the Rising Sun in 2017, and it’s also hosted Hollywood stars including Oprah Winfrey , Julia Roberts , Leonardo DeCaprio, Tom Hanks and others. The co-founder of Dreamworks, film producer and record executive David Geffen is the owner of the Rising Sun, which ranks as the 9th largest yacht in the world, currently. Depending on which source you consult, the cost to build this giant is estimated to be $200 million and some have it as high as $400 million but we believe that the base cost was the latter and the extra figures come from upgrades .

The history of the Rising Sun

The Rising Sun is the commissioned craft of its first owner Larry Ellison, who partnered with David Geffen and is the current CEO of the Oracle Corporation. He ordered the building of the ship from the German shipbuilding company Lürssen . The Rising Sun is the design of Jon Bannenberg, who has since passed away. The ship was delivered to Mr. Ellison in 2004, who shared ownership with David Geffen until 2010, when he decided that it was too large, so he sold his share to Geffen, who is now the sole owner of the yacht and Ellison bought a smaller yacht.

Specifications and details

The Rising Sun yacht is constructed of a strong aluminum superstructure with a displacement steel hull and teak decks, in accordance with Germanischer Lloyd classification society rules. The ship requires 4 MTU 12,061 horsepower diesel engines to propel it though the water. The average cruising speed is 26 knots and the top speed of the ship is 30 knots. To make the yacht more comfortable and safe in rough waters, it is fitted with zero speed stabilizers for times when she is at anchor. The Rising Sun measures 453.97 ft in length with a 62.34 ft beam, a draft of 16.08 ft and gross tonnage of 7841 tons. The exterior was designed by Bannenberg & Rowel and the interior by Seccombe Design. It was built by Lurssen and refit in 2004 and 2011. At the time of the sale it was the 6th largest yacht in the world, but other new superyachts have displaced it to the 9th position.

Luxury amenities

It takes a crew of 45 to maintain and operate this massive vessel and they are housed in 30 cabins. The guests are housed in 8 cabins which can accommodate between 16 and 18 guests comfortably. The yacht has been designed with more than 8,000m² of living space, allowing for larger gathering areas as well as plenty of places to find privacy from the crowd of guests. There are a total of five decks with 82 rooms aboard the yacht. Some of the luxury amenities include a spa and gym so guests don’t need to miss out on their daily workout routines. The Rising Sun is also quipped with a lift/elevator to take guests between the five decks. For practicality so guests/owners can come and go from any location, there is also a helipad on board. For fun in the sun there is a swimming pool as well as underwater lights for excellent illumination, and a sauna for relaxation. The ship also features air conditioning throughout the 82 rooms so guests can achieve the optimal room temperatures, even on hot days at sea, and there is also a Tender Garage, as well as a Cinema large enough to accommodate all guests for entertainment.

Final thoughts

The Rising Sun has only had two owners since it was built in 2004. Co-owners Larry Ellison and David Geffen shared it for a period of time, then Ellison sold his share to Geffen who is now the sole owner. The yacht was once the sixth largest yacht in the world, but is still considered a wonder coming in at ninth place. It’s packed to the hilt with luxury amenities and there is plenty of space aboard with five decks and 82 rooms. The ship which cost $200 million to build is now valued somewhere between $3 and $4 million, and it has only increased in value with the passage of time and no doubt numerous upgrades to suit the preferences of the owner. It’s served as the vessel that provides a source of recreation for some of the most famous people in the world including some of our most beloved Hollywood stars and even a former president and first lady. The Rising Sun is truly one of the most magnificent yachts that has ever been created, and those who are fortunate enough to be invited on board are in for a top notch luxury experience.

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Similar Posts

The History of the Monaco Yacht Show

The Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) is quickly approaching. This year it runs from Wednesday, September 22nd to Saturday, September 25th. Yachting enthusiasts, yacht builders, the wealthy, and the superwealthy will gather to show off their…

A Closer Look at the $4.8 Billion History Supreme

Most of us do not wish for much money; a million dollars is enough to make us turn our lives around, but there are always people who are looking for more. While you are praying…

The 10 Finest Benetti Yachts of All-Time

There are several things that are bound to spark discrepancies among experts, but one thing’s for sure: Italians do know their way around luxury yacht making. As they say, everything good comes from Italy. The…

Alen Yacht: Making a Name For Themselves

Alen Yacht is a Turkish company known for the quality and innovative design of its yachts, with 20 years of experience in yacht design and construction. Today, they combine traditional craftsmanship with new technology to…

A Closer Look at Eric Clapton’s Yacht Va Bene

Think of what you and your friends do during your free time and then change that picture to what you would do if you had money. Money limits us in everything; for instance even if…

A Closer Look at the 262-Foot Superyacht “Artefact”

While the rest of the world panicked after the COVID-19 lockdown order, one family had the time of its life aboard its yacht. Mike Lazaridis, owner of Artefact, planned on spending three months on the…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk’s $200 million superyacht has a mammoth 40-feet long swimming pool and a backlit waterfall.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Luxury Lifestyle Magazine (@the_luxury_lifestylemagazine)

Feadship’s in-house team was responsible for the yacht’s exterior styling and naval architecture. She is powered by twin MTU 3,004 hp diesel engines lending a combined power of 6,008 hp (4,480 kW). Royal Romance can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots. It is believed the $200 million megayacht is firmly anchored in the port town of Rijeka, Croatia. As per reports, the megayacht is extremely expensive to maintain — perhaps up to $1 million a month.

You may also like

Jeff Bezos has named his $500 million yacht Koru. The 471 feet vessel will now undergo sea trials after which it will be delivered to the centibillionaire.

Seized by a Swiss bank from a Saudi prince, the contents from the lavish 269 feet long Sarafsa superyacht have been auctioned in a fire sale. Everything from antique clocks to a grand piano to plush bathrobes was been sold at throwaway prices.

Is Mark Zuckerberg planning to buy a sanctioned oligarch’s abandoned $382 million superyacht? Longer than a football field, the brand new vessel has a helipad with a hangar, swimming pool, a sky lounge & a massive deck for the Facebook CEO to do martial arts on.

Told U So superyacht blends style and technology over the blue waters

Ferretti unveils the Navetta 33 Crescendo superyacht

Bids flowed in at the last hour for the Russian oligarch’s seized Axioma superyacht. The 236-feet long luxury vessel may fetch $41 million, leaving the Gibraltor authorities with a surprise surplus of $12 million after clearing the loan dues with JP Morgan bank.

Complete with a gym, spa, infinity pool and more – This James Bond-styled luxury superyacht transforms into a submarine

Take a look at the 367-foot superyacht ‘Renaissance’ owned by Gary Klesch. Once earning less than $10,000 a year, he now owns this $200 million vessel. It features an entire deck dedicated to wellness, a cinema, a massive swimming pool, and even a sushi bar.

The day his $580 million yacht was seized, sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko switched off the tracking transponders of his $300 million superyacht. Untraceable for more than 2 months now the vessel has a rotating bed, $40,000 bath knobs, and Baccarat-crystal tables.

'Intense' moment TV star's boat gets too close to $200 million superyacht

A nail-biting moment plays out during Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 this summer. As the crew spends time in Greece, Captain Sandy Yawn’s skills are tested as she has to navigate her way around a $200 million super yacht.

The “crazy” Below Deck Mediterranean moment sees all hands on deck as the 180-foot Mustique gets so close to another yacht “you could touch it.” There was no margin for error – if Captain Sandy couldn’t get her boat undocked, the season would’ve been over. She said to herself: “I’m going to get the mo-fo off the dock.”

Captain Sandy’s close shave

Season 9 episode 8 of Bravo ‘s Below Deck sees Captain Sandy saying: “…that was intense.”

Explaining the situation on the Aftershow, the Mustique captain says: “We have a boat on our port side, another boat on that just pulled in front of me. There is six inches between the ground line, the dock, and the other boat. If I make one wrong maneuver, this season is over.”

She explains how there weren’t any boats docked when they arrived: “Next thing you know, that night I heard a horn blowing where they almost hit our boat because the wind was blowing like insane. Then I wake up and there’s a superyacht on our bow that you could touch if you reached out your hand, it’s so close.”

・ MIRACLE: Below Deck star details sister’s near-death accident

The captain asks viewers to imagine having a cement wall on one side of them, a boat that almost hit them on another, and a massive super yacht, “like twice the size of our boat on our bow.”

Despite being just inches away from the $200 million super yacht owned by Arthur Blank, Captain Sandy managed to keep her cool and undock the Mustique.

Below Deck crew had faith

Speaking of the captain’s successful undocking, her crew members said: “That maneuver was something special.”

Some Below Deck crew members were “nervous” but they had faith in their captain’s abilities.

Sandy also said of her crew: “I trust them, you have to have that full trust. It can make or break you as a captain.”

More added: “There was no part of me that was like she’s not going to be able to do it, I was not waiting for her to f*** up.”

Aesha Jean also pitched in: “Never doubt Captain Sandy.”

When it comes to maintaining composure in challenging situations, the ship’s captain said: “I don’t think about anything other than what I’m doing, so there’s no stress involved, it’s just complete focus.”

・ BRAVO: Jaw-dropping cost behind retrieving and attaching anchor to yacht

WATCH BELOW DECK MED MONDAYS AT 8/7C ON BRAVO

The post 'Intense' moment TV star's boat gets too close to $200 million superyacht appeared first on Reality Tidbit .

The Best Yacht Concepts From Around The World

The Stunning Ritz Carlton EVRIMA Yacht

Gliding Across Tokyo’s Sumida River: The Mesmerizing Zipper Boat

CROCUS Yacht: An 48 Meter Beauty by Admiral

• Zuretti Interior Design
• Zuretti Interior
• Zuccon International Project
• Ziyad al Manaseer
• Zaniz Interiors. Kutayba Alghanim
• Yuriy Kosiuk
• Yuri Milner
• Yersin Yacht

• Superyachts

AQUARIUS Yacht – Awesome $200M Superyacht

AQUARIUS yacht was built in 2016 by Feadship shipyard in Aalsmeer, Netherlands.

With her length of 92 m (302 ft), AQUARIUS is ranked in 73rd place on the list of longest motor yachts in the world. Currently, she sails under the flag of the Cayman Islands .

AQUARIUS yacht interior

The interior of AQUARIUS was designed by Dutch design firm Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design based in Amsterdam.

The yacht offers a spacious living area, a cinema, a beautiful spa, a gym with incredible sea views, and a sizeable beach club.

The elevator allows guests to move more seamlessly from deck to deck. The master suite features a spacious dressing room as well as a his-and-hers bathroom.

The other six luxuriously designed VIP cabins can accommodate an additional twelve guests.

A crew of up to 30 members takes care of the guests’ well-being while they are on board the luxury yacht.

Specifications

With a beam of 13.50 meters (44.3 ft), a length of 92 meters (302 ft), and a draft of 4 meters (13.1 ft), AQUARIUS has a weight of almost 2,900 gross tons.

Her immense superstructure is made of aluminum, and her decks are constructed in classic teak.

The two MTU M63L diesel engines each produce 3,000 hp and allow her to reach top speeds of 17 knots.

Her fuel tank holds 275,800 liters of diesel and, at a cruising speed of 12 knots, her total reach lies close to 5,500 nautical miles. 

Like her interior, the exterior of the AQUARIUS yacht was also designed by the Dutch design firm Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design.

She has a helipad on the foredeck, a hot tub on the upper sundeck, and a large pool on the aft deck.

She also carries two tenders and plenty of water toys for guests to enjoy. In addition to a large swim platform, the crew can also set up various water slides if required.

Of course, the luxury yacht has a variety of jet skis, kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and water skis on board. 

The purchase price of the AQUARIUS yacht was US $200 million, and she is currently also available for charter for US $1.5 million per week.

In winter, she is mostly underway in the Caribbean, and in the summer months in the Mediterranean. 

Aquarius Yacht in Gibraltar

Do you have anything to add to this listing?

• Sinot Yacht Design

Love Yachts? Join us.

Related posts.

LADY A Yacht – Exquisite $15M Superyacht

DREAMBOAT Yacht – Impeccable $180 Million Superyacht

Meamina Yacht – Elegant $35 M Superyacht

SAMBA Yacht – Inside The Luxurious $16 Million Superyacht

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

‘Only comfort is they are still together’, says family of superyacht couple

The family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer have said they are comforted by the fact that the couple are “still together now”.

Mr Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley and insurance company Hiscox, and his wife, Judy, a psychotherapist, died when Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda, also died in Monday’s sinking.

On Thursday, specialist cave divers continued their search for Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who is the last person unaccounted for.

Rescue teams suspect she could be still inside the ship which lies 165ft underwater, or could have been thrown into the sea when it sank.

The group were celebrating Mr Lynch’s court victory, after he was acquitted of fraud in San Francisco.

The Bloomer family said in a statement: “We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services and everyone who helped tirelessly in this rescue operation.

“Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.

“Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now.

“This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family’s privacy is respected at this time.”

The Morvillo family also released a statement on Thursday. It read: “We are completely devastated by the passing of Chris and Neda, and our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy.

“Chris and Neda were each widely respected for their professional successes, Chris as a distinguished attorney and Neda as a skilled jewellery designer, but their true talents were that of mother and father, son and daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and dear friends to so many.

“Neda and Chris lived their lives as devoted, loving parents who always put their daughters and families first. Their passing is a tremendous loss for our family and for the countless people who knew and loved them both.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Italian rescue services for their unwavering dedication and to Clifford Chance for all the support they have provided.

“As we grieve this enormous loss, our primary focus remains on Chris and Neda’s daughters and other loved ones, and we respectfully request privacy.”

07:24 PM BST

This blog is now closed. here are the key points from today:.

The search for the last remaining passenger entered its fourth day

Hannah Lynch is still missing, according to reports from the Italian coastguard

Divers in Sicily recovered the fifth body from the wreckage, bringing the number of confirmed dead to six

The Bayesian’s shipbuilder claimed the superyacht was “virtually unsinkable”

David Davis vowed to scrap the US-UK extradition treaty in memory of Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch considered selling Bayesian before the trip, The Telegraph revealed

The family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer said their “only comfort is they are still together”

Tributes poured in for the victims

The family of Chris and Neda Morvillo said the couple “lived their lives as devoted, loving parents to their daughters”

07:11 PM BST

Pictured: carlo dall’oppio, head of italy’s firefighters, with his crew at the port in porticello.

07:08 PM BST

British crew member ‘okay’, says brother.

The British engineer who survived the superyacht disaster is “okay”, his brother has confirmed.

Engineer Tim Parker-Eaton, from Clophill, Bedfordshire, is one of the 15 people who survived the capsizing of the Bayesian.

Speaking from his home in Chicago, Illinois, Stephen Parker-Eaton told The Telegraph that his brother Tim “is okay”, but said he had been advised against commenting further.

Stephen said: “I’ve just been advised that he’s in a situation, and they’re dealing with it, and I should not make any comment until that has been resolved with the right authorities.

“I am not aware of the situation - as to what is going on there - I am just aware that he has survived,” he said.

Tim Parker-Eaton has been associated with the Bayesian for over a decade. In 2013 he served as the yacht’s chief engineer.

07:03 PM BST

Sinking’s ‘torture lasted 16 minutes’.

The torture of the Bayesian sinking lasted 16 minutes, according to the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which owns several boat brands including the superyacht’s builder, Perini Navi.

Giovanni Costantino told the Financial Times: “The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said. It went down in 16 minutes.

“You can see it from the charts, from the AIS [Automatic Identification System] tracking chart.”

06:43 PM BST

Jonathan bloomer, respected city executive who spoke up in a us court for mike lynch – obituary.

Jonathan Bloomer, who has died aged 70, was chairman of Morgan Stanley International, former chief executive of the Prudential insurance group – and a defence witness in the US trial in which the tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was acquitted of fraud.

A well-respected City professional, Bloomer had a reputation for straightforwardness, decency and attention to detail. Colleagues described a gentle, understated man, perhaps more suited to chair and committee roles than to the limelight he attracted during a rollercoaster tenure at Prudential, where he was finance director from 1995 and chief executive from 2000 to 2005.

Read the full obituary here

06:30 PM BST

Chris and neda morvillo died in bayesian disaster, says family.

The family of Chris and Neda Morvillo has released a statement, confirming the couple died after the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

The statement reads: “We are completely devastated by the passing of Chris and Neda, and our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy.

05:54 PM BST

Hiscox and hargreaves lansdown mourn ‘giant of financial services’.

The chief executive of insurance group Hiscox has said Jonathan Bloomer “will be dearly missed”.

Aki Hussain said: “It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.

“His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with.”

Hargreaves Lansdown described Mr Bloomer as a “giant in financial services”.

Mr Bloomer served on the investment platform’s board from 2006 to 2013 as a senior independent director.

The group said: “We in the Hargreaves Lansdown family will miss him and our thoughts go out to his loved ones, as well as those of the others lost in this awful disaster.”

05:39 PM BST

Charity pays tribute to ‘champion’ judy bloomer.

Judy Bloomer was a trustee and long-time supporter of gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal.

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, called her “our very dear friend”.

The appeal added that she was a “champion for women’s health, medical research and all that the Eve Appeal stands for”.

Sally Bailey, a former chairwoman of charity Pilot Light, wrote that Ms Bloomer was a “wonderful friend” to the Eve Appeal, and “a kind and caring person”.

Ms Bloomer studied English at Homerton College, Cambridge, before working as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.

05:13 PM BST

Divers continue search for mike lynch’s missing daughter.

Divers are hunting for Mike Lynch’s missing daughter after it was suggested she may not be inside the sunken superyacht.

Specialist cave divers are continuing their search for 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, who remains the last person unaccounted for after the Bayesian sank on Monday.

Massimo Mariani, an interior ministry official, said that Hannah may still be inside the ship, which lies 165ft underwater on the seabed, or could have been tossed into the sea when the superyacht sank.

Read the full story here.

04:48 PM BST

Jonathan bloomer embodied ‘spirit of kindness’, says morgan stanley chief executive.

The chief executive of Morgan Stanley has paid tribute to Jonathan Bloomer, the bank’s international chairman, following his death in the sinking of the Bayesian.

Ted Pick said: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic news.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the Bloomer family and all those affected by this tragedy.

“Jonathan’s leadership and experience helped the firm manage a period of complex change for our international businesses.

“He has been a friend and mentor to many and we will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness.”

04:32 PM BST

Pictured: italian firefighter divers continue search of shipwreck.

03:58 PM BST

Mike lynch was ‘invaluable’ board member, says british library chief executive.

The chief executive of the British Library, Sir Roly Keating, said: “Mike’s extraordinary understanding of technology, combined with his passion for the British Library’s mission to share knowledge, made him an invaluable member of our board.

“He was thoughtful, perceptive and supportive, and will be deeply missed by all of us who worked with him in his time here.”

Mr Lynch also served on the board of the BBC and was a trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

03:34 PM BST

Mike lynch considered selling superyacht before trip.

Mike Lynch considered selling his doomed superyacht before his trip to the Mediterranean but changed his mind after his acquittal, The Telegraph can reveal.

The British tech tycoon, 59, had put his £30 million Perini Navi yacht up for sale in March this year but withdrew it from the market in July, shortly after he was  acquitted of fraud in San Francisco .

He planned to spend the summer on board the 56-metre vessel and then review the decision to sell in the autumn, industry sources told The Telegraph.

03:25 PM BST

Bbc director-general pays tribute to mike lynch.

Tim Davie, BBC director-general, has paid tribute to Mike Lynch.

He said: “We are deeply saddened by the awful news about the deaths of those aboard the Bayesian yacht.

“Mike Lynch was an outstanding BBC director who made a major contribution during his time on the board, from 2007 to 2012.

“Wise, generous and insightful, he played a particularly key role in accelerating our transformation as a digital organisation.

“Our thoughts are with his family and all others involved.”

03:00 PM BST

Superyacht retrieval would help investigation, says salvage chief.

Nick Barke, head of salvage operations at Boats.co.uk, has said the “only real way of knowing” why the yacht sank will be to lift it to the surface.

Mr Barke warned that such a process would be “expensive and complicated” as “they have to do it in such a way that they don’t damage anything too badly.”

He said divers would attach straps to the boat before it is lifted upright and hauled out of the water by a crane barge.

02:29 PM BST

Chief executive of cancer research uk pays tribute to mike lynch.

The chief executive of Cancer Research UK has added to the tributes paid to Mike Lynch after confirmation of his death on Thursday.

Michelle Mitchell said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mike Lynch and all those who have been affected by this tragedy.

“Together with his wife, Angela, Mike was a valued donor to Cancer Research UK and a member of the board for our Create the Change campaign, which funded the building of the Francis Crick Institute.

“His support has helped to bring leading scientists together under one roof to tackle the biggest health challenges faced by humankind, including cancer.

“Our sincerest condolences go out to all the families affected.”

02:00 PM BST

Timing of mike lynch death like ‘shakespearean tragedy’.

The timing of Mike Lynch’s death has been likened to a Shakespearean tragedy by a friend of the technology entrepreneur.

Brent Hoberman, the lastminute.com founder and friend of Mr Lynch, told BBC:  “It’s very tragic and the timing is of a Shakespearean era tragedy.”

Mr Hoberman added: “He had just worked hard to clear his name for the last 12 years and was on a celebratory cruise with the people who supported him so much through that really tough time.”

01:48 PM BST

Admiralty nautical chart shows shipwreck area.

An extract from Admiralty Chart 963 covering ports on the north coast of Sicilia shows the area in which Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank on Monday.

Although the precise spot where Bayesian sank has not been disclosed by the authorities, it is known to be about half a mile south-east of Porticello.

01:33 PM BST

Pictured: rescue workers at the scene of bayesian sinking in porticello.

01:11 PM BST

Bayesian superyacht was ‘virtually unsinkable’, says shipbuilder.

The Bayesian superyacht was “virtually unsinkable”, the chief executive of the firm that built it has claimed.

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the disaster and will seek to establish what caused the boat to sink and whether any of the crew are criminally liable.

They are expected to investigate the keel on Mike Lynch ’s superyacht after it was found “partially elevated” – and also whether the yacht’s crew had failed to close access hatches into the vessel before the tornado struck.

Read full story here.

12:45 PM BST

Mike lynch’s co-founder pays tribute to ‘genius’.

David Tabizel, Mike Lynch’s co-founder at software giant Autonomy, has paid tribute to the businessman.

He said: “It looks like we’ve lost our dear Dr Mike Lynch. RIP. The world has lost a genius. His family have lost a giant of a man.

“A glorious professional companion and true friend. Britain’s Bill Gates? Not really. Britain’s Steve Jobs. The father of modern AI.”

12:21 PM BST

Emergency workers would need ‘crystal ball’ to know if and when sixth body recovered.

Emergency workers “would need a crystal ball” to know if and when another body will be found, an Italian fire service spokesman said.

Divers brought a fifth body to shore today, with one person still unaccounted for.

The coastguard said the missing person is a woman. Four other bodies were recovered yesterday.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire rescue service, told Sky News: “We would need a crystal ball to know when we’ll be able to find the next body.

“It’s very difficult to move inside the wreckage. Moving just one metre can take up to 24 hours.”

11:52 AM BST

Inside the £30m bayesian superyacht.

The superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily had won multiple awards for its stylish interiors and design.

Mike Lynch , 59, and his teenage daughter, Hannah, are among the seven passengers and crew feared dead when his yacht, the Bayesian, sank off Porticello near the Sicilian city of Palermo.

Divers are searching the wreckage of the 184ft British-flagged vessel, which rests on the sea bed 160ft below the surface and 1,600ft from shore.

The Bayesian, previously called Salute, was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian shipyard, alongside yacht designer Ron Holland Design.

11:43 AM BST

Plans to raise sunken bayesian not yet been discussed.

Plans to raise the sunken Bayesian from the ocean floor have not yet been discussed by the Italian coast guard.

The luxury yacht is lying intact on its starboard side, 165ft underwater, off the coast of Porticello in Sicily.

Asked if plans had been made to salvage the boat, Vincenzo Zagarola, a spokesman for the coast guard, said: “No, this is not a topic on the agenda. It will be, but not now.”

The Costa Concordia cruise liner, which sank off the Italian island of Giglio in 2012, claiming 32 lives, was not salvaged for more than two years.

11:35 AM BST

Mike lynch ‘human being of great ability’, says francis crick institute chairman.

The chairman of the Francis Crick Institute has described Mike Lynch as a “human being of great ability”, following confirmation on Thursday of the technology mogul’s death.

Mr Lynch was a member of the Create The Change fundraising board, set up by Cancer Research UK and which helped fund the building of the institute.

Lord John Browne said: “Mike Lynch should be remembered as 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.

“I send my condolences to those close to him. We have lost a human being of great ability.”

11:27 AM BST

Firefighters share details about operation.

The Italian fire service has shared an update on social media after the fifth body was recovered from the Bayesian.

Vigili del Fuoco posted a picture of their equipment on X, alongside the caption: “The dives in the sea began in the early hours of the morning and continue for the search and recovery of the last missing person.”

“The body of the fifth victim was recovered and brought ashore by the divers,” they added.

10:54 AM BST

Pictured: ambulance carries body of person found in bayesian.

10:50 AM BST

Royal academy of engineering pays tribute to mike lynch.

The Royal Academy of Engineering has paid tribute to its “mentor, donor and former council member” Mike Lynch following his reported death in Sicily.

In a statement, the academy said: “The trustee board, fellows and staff of the Royal Academy of Engineering are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mike Lynch, and send our profound condolences to his family.

“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.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”

10:47 AM BST

Witness testimonies ‘while memories are fresh’ key to investigation, says expert.

Obtaining testimonies from witnesses “while memories are fresh” will be essential for authorities investigating the Bayesian sinking, a maritime investigator has said.

James Wilkes said authorities will want to speak to those who survived or witnessed the sinking “while the memories are fresh in their mind”.

Mr Wilkes told Sky News: “A lot of the other information can be collected a bit more slowly.”

He said those investigating the sinking will likely want to know what the crew knew about the incoming storm and what preparations had been made.

He added: “Fortunately, 15 people survived. I’d like to explore the circumstances in which they were able to survive the storm and the sinking, to look at the anomalies and work out the difference between those and the people that sadly didn’t survive and combine it all with technical data and simulation.”

10:24 AM BST

Jonathan bloomer ‘a very kind individual’, says nspcc chairman.

The chairman of children’s charity the NSPCC has described Jonathan Bloomer, the former honorary treasurer of the organisation, as “a very kind individual”, after the sinking of the Bayesian.

Speaking about the Morgan Stanley International bank chairman and his wife Judy, who reportedly died after the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily, Neil Berkett said: “We are deeply saddened that the deaths of Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy have been confirmed after the yacht they were on tragically sank off the coast of Sicily.

“Jonathan and Judy were great supporters of the NSPCC over many years, with Jonathan joining our board of trustees in 2008 and serving as the honorary treasurer from 2009 to 2016.

“We remember Jonathan from his time with us as a very kind individual with a great sense of humour and Judy as formidable and passionate.

“We are so grateful for everything they did for children and the NSPCC and our thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues at this desperately sad time.”

10:15 AM BST

David davis vows to scrap us-uk extradition treaty in memory of mike lynch.

Sir David Davis has vowed to campaign “in memory” of Mike Lynch to scrap the extradition treaty between the US and the UK.

Mr Lynch was charged with fraud in the United States in 2018 and fought being sent there for trial for years until he was extradited in 2023.

He was cleared of fraud by a San Francisco jury in June this year over the multibillion-dollar sale of Autonomy, his software company. Mr Lynch always denied fraud.

The UK-US extradition treaty was implemented in 2003 but Sir David said it was lopsided in favour of the Americans and does not provide adequate protections for British citizens.

09:55 AM BST

Hannah lynch still missing, says italian coast guard.

Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of British technology tycoon, Mike Lynch, remains missing after the body of her father and four others were recovered from the Bayesian, according to reports.

The Italian coast guard confirmed to the PA news agency that the sixth and final person yet to be found was a woman.

Mr Lynch; his daughter; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo, were lost when the Bayesian sank at around 5am on Monday.

09:52 AM BST

Bayesian was stable and only massive entry of water could have caused sinking.

The Bayesian was stable and only a massive entry of water could have caused the sinking, according to the company that built the yacht.

The Italian Sea Group which owns Perini Navi, said in a statement: “The yacht was built in 2008 by the Perini shipyards of Viareggio and the last refit was in 2020.

“The controversies about the mast are sterile controversies because the mast, according to those who have seen it, is intact.

“The retractable keel stabilises the ship, but even without the keel completely out the ship is stable and only a massive entry of water could have caused the sinking which did not happen in a minute as someone wrote.”

09:40 AM BST

Bayesian company executive defends construction.

The chief executive of the company that built the Bayesian has defended the boat’s construction and blamed human error for the sinking of the vessel.

Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the Perini Navi that built the Bayesian, told Corriere della Sera.“The passengers reported something absurd, that the storm came unexpectedly, suddenly. That is not true.  Everything was predictable.”

Mr Costantino said the Bayesian was “one of the safest boats in the world” and was virtually “unsinkable”.

He added: “Ask yourself – why were none of the Porticello fishermen out that night? A fisher checks the conditions and a ship doesn’t? The disturbance was completely readable on all the weather maps. It was impossible not to know.”

Mr Costantino said the strong winds had pushed the boat for four minutes in what he called “drifting”.  He claimed the boat then rotated and had begun taking on water before it sank.

09:31 AM BST

Divers in sicily recover fifth passenger.

Divers in Sicily have recovered the fifth passenger from the sunken superyacht Bayesian after five were discovered in the wreckage yesterday.

On Wednesday Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, said that of the  five bodies found , only four had been recovered. However on Thursday morning the fifth body was retrieved.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returned with a blue body bag to Porticello at just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Italian authorities are yet to confirm the identities of those pulled from the water.

The  British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter, Hannah, are believed to be among the dead after the £30 million vessel sank on Monday after being hit by a tornado.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew on board, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued by emergency crews after the yacht suffered catastrophic damage owing to the waterspout.

British authorities are now  investigating the exact cause of the sinking .

08:46 AM BST

Recap: what happened yesterday.

Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are believed to be among five bodies found in the search of the  luxury superyacht Bayesian on Wednesday.

Four bodies were brought ashore. Salvo Cocina, the director of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told The Telegraph that he believed Mr Lynch and his daughter had been found.

Here is a recap of what happened yesterday:

Four bodies were recovered from the sunken superyacht

Divers found a fifth body, which they were working to recover

One person remains missing

Remotely controlled underwater vehicles were used with naval units and cave divers to assist with the search

Divers entered the superyacht’s hull by breaking a window

The captain of the Bayesian was described as a “very good sailor” by his brother

British inspectors arrived in Sicily to investigate the yacht sinking

08:34 AM BST

Fifth body brought ashore by rescue divers.

A fifth body has been recovered and brought ashore from the sunken superyacht Bayesian, Italian authorities confirmed.

Salvo Cocina, the director-general of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told The Telegraph that the body had been recovered from the wreckage, but he did not give any indication of the identity or sex of the individual.

Divers recovered four bodies on Wednesday, with one other passenger still missing.

08:22 AM BST

Diver search and rescue operation.

Specialist cave divers have been searching for missing passengers in the wreckage of the sunken Bayesian.

They gained access to the £30 million vessel after breaking through a 3cm-thick pane of glass.

The teams have scoured wreckage with the assistance of remotely controlled underwater vehicles.

The yacht is lying intact on its starboard side, 165ft underwater.

Click here to view this content.

08:11 AM BST

Pictured: dive teams head to wreckage.

A boat carrying a dive team heads to the site of the sunken superyacht Bayesian.

A fifth body has now been recovered from the wreckage as the search operations enters its fourth day.

07:45 AM BST

British investigators likely to contact designer of mike lynch’s superyacht.

The designer of  Mike Lynch’s superyacht Bayesian is likely to be contacted by British investigators.

The vessel was designed by Ron Holland, a naval architect, who now lives in Vancouver.

Gavin Pritchard, a retired Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) inspector, told The Telegraph that Mr Holland would, in the normal way, be contacted by the MAIB as its  investigation into the sinking gathers pace.

07:21 AM BST

Prosecutors to investigate mike lynch superyacht’s keel.

Prosecutors will investigate the keel on Mike Lynch’s superyacht after it was found “partially elevated”.

On Wednesday, specialist divers continued to recover the remains of the missing passengers, and the tech entrepreneur and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are believed to be among those pulled out of the water.

While exploring the Bayesian 165ft underwater on the seabed, it was reported that the vessel’s retractable keel was partially raised, raising questions about the boat’s stability at the time of the sinking.

07:19 AM BST

Search enters fourth day.

The search will resume today for the last remaining passenger of the sunken superyacht Bayesian after the vessel was hit by a tornado on Monday morning.

It comes after five bodies were discovered inside the wreckage yesterday.

Six people, including technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, were unaccounted for after the vessel was hit by a waterspout at around 5am on Monday causing it to sink.

Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that of the five bodies found on Wednesday, just four had been recovered. He said the whereabouts of the missing sixth person is not yet known.

Authorities are yet to confirm the identities of those recovered from the wreckage.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Advertisement

Supported by

Lynch Yacht Sinking Off Sicily Proves as Baffling as It Is Tragic

As bodies were recovered, the authorities and experts wondered how a $40 million, stable and secure vessel could have sunk so quickly.

• Share full article

By Emma Bubola and Michael J. de la Merced

Emma Bubola reported from Porticello, Italy, and Michael J. de la Merced from London.

Two months after being cleared in a bruising legal battle over fraud charges, the British tech mogul Mike Lynch celebrated his freedom with a cruise. He invited his family, friends and part of his legal team on board his luxury sailing yacht, a majestic 180-foot vessel named Bayesian after the mathematical theorem around which he had built his empire.

On Sunday night, after a tour of the Gulf of Naples, including Capri, and volcanic islands in the Eolian archipelago, the boat anchored half a mile off the Sicilian coast in Porticello, Italy. It chose a stretch of water favored by the Phoenicians thousands of years ago for its protection from the mistral wind and, in more recent times, by the yachts of tech billionaires. The boat was lit “like a Christmas tree,” local residents said, standing out against the full moon.

But about 4 a.m., calamity unfolded. A violent and fast storm hit the area with some of the strongest winds locals said they had ever felt. Fabio Cefalù, a fisherman, said he saw a flare pierce the darkness shortly after 4.

Minutes later, the yacht was underwater. Only dozens of cushions from the boat’s deck and a gigantic radar from its mast floated on the surface of the sea, fishermen said.

In all, 22 people were on board, 15 of whom were rescued. Six bodies — five passengers and the ship’s cook — had been recovered by Thursday afternoon, including that of Mr. Lynch, an Italian government official said, adding that the search was continuing for his daughter.

It was a tragic and mystifying turn of events for Mr. Lynch, 59, who had spent years seeking to clear his name and was finally inaugurating a new chapter in his life. Experts wondered how a $40 million yacht, so robust and stable could have been sunk by a storm near a port within minutes.

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

The aura of misfortune only deepened when it emerged that Stephen Chamberlain, 52, a former vice president of finance for Mr. Lynch’s former company and a co-defendant in the fraud case, was killed two days earlier, when he was hit by a car while jogging near his house in England.

Since June, the two men had been in a jubilant mood. A jury in San Francisco had acquitted both on fraud charges that could have sent them to prison for two decades. There were hugs and tears, and they and their legal teams went for a celebratory dinner party at a restaurant in the city, said Gary S. Lincenberg, a lawyer for Mr. Chamberlain.

The sea excursion was meant as a thank-you by Mr. Lynch to those who had helped him in his legal travails. Among the guests was Christopher J. Morvillo, 59, a scion of a prominent New York family of lawyers who had represented Mr. Lynch for 12 years. He and his wife, Neda, 57, were among the missing.

So, too, was Jonathan Bloomer, 70, a veteran British insurance executive who chaired Morgan Stanley International and the insurer Hiscox.

The body of the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered. All the other crew members survived. Among them was Leo Eppel, 19, of South Africa, who was on his first yacht voyage working as a deck steward, said a friend, who asked not to be identified.

Since the sinking, the recovery effort and investigation have turned the tiny port town of Porticello, a quiet enclave where older men sit bare-chested on balconies, into what feels like the set of a movie.

Helicopters have flown overhead. Ambulances have sped by with the sirens blaring. The Coast Guard has patrolled the waters off shore, within sight of a cordoned-off dock that had been turned into an emergency headquarters.

On Wednesday afternoon, a church bell tolled after the first body bag was loaded into an ambulance, a crowd watching in silence.

The survivors were sheltering in a sprawling resort near Porticello, with a view of the shipwreck spot, and had so far declined to comment.

Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said that the yacht had most likely been hit by a fierce “down burst” — when air generated within a thunderstorm descends rapidly — or by a waterspout , similar to a tornado over water.

He added that his agency had put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about storms and strong winds. Locals said the winds “felt like an earthquake.”

Mr. Costantino, the boat executive, said the yacht had been specifically designed for having a tall mast — the second-tallest aluminum mast in the world. He said the Bayesian was an extremely safe and secure boat that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing.

But he 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, is 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.

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

The New York Times attempted to reach the captain, James Cutfield, who had survived, for comment through social media, his brother and the management company of the yacht (which did not hire the crew), but did not make contact.

So far none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened that night.

Fabio Genco, the director of Palermo’s emergency services, who treated some of the survivors, said that the victims had recounted feeling as if the boat was being lifted, then suddenly dropped, with objects from the cabins falling on them.

The Italian Coast Guard said it had deployed a remotely operated vehicle that can prowl underwater for up to seven hours at a depth of more than 980 feet and record videos and images that they hoped would help them reconstruct the dynamics of the sinking. Such devices were used during the search and rescue operations of the Titan vessel that is believed to have imploded last summer near the wreckage of the Titanic.

After rescuers broke inside the yacht, they struggled to navigate the ropes and many pieces of furniture cluttering the vessel, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italy’s national firefighter corps.

Finally, as of Thursday morning, they had managed to retrieve all but one of the missing bodies, and hopes of finding the missing person alive were thin. “Can a human being be underwater for two days?” Mr. Cari asked.

What was certain was that Mr. Lynch’s death was yet another cruel twist of fate for a man who had spent years seeking to clear his name.

He earned a fortune in technology and was nicknamed Britain’s Bill Gates. But for more than a decade, he had been treated as anything but a respected tech leader.

He was accused by Hewlett-Packard, the American technological pioneer that had bought his software company, Autonomy, for $11 billion, of misleading it about his company’s worth. (Hewlett-Packard wrote down the value of the transaction by about $8.8 billion, and critics called it one of the worst deals of all time .) He had been increasingly shunned by the British establishment that he sought to break into after growing up working-class outside London.

He was extradited to San Francisco to face criminal charges, and confined to house arrest and 24-hour surveillance on his dime. In a townhouse in the Pacific Heights neighborhood — with security people he jokingly told associates were his “roommates” — he spent his mornings talking with researchers whom he funded personally on new applications for artificial intelligence. Afterward, he devoted hours to discussing legal strategy with his team.

Despite his persistent claims of innocence, even those close to Mr. Lynch had believed his odds of victory were slim. Autonomy’s chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was convicted in 2018 of similar fraud charges and spent five years in prison.

During Mr. Lynch’s house arrest, his brother and mother died. His wife, Angela Bacares, frequently flew over from England, and she became a constant presence in the San Francisco courtroom during the trial.

After he was finally acquitted, Mr. Lynch had his eye on the future. “I am looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field,” he said.

Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Pallanza, Italy.

Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome. More about Emma Bubola

Michael J. de la Merced has covered global business and finance news for The Times since 2006. More about Michael J. de la Merced

Superyacht sinks latest: Investigators reveal where bodies were found as probe looks at 'crew's responsibility'

Italian officials revealed at a news conference there could be "a question of manslaughter" as they opened a shipwreck investigation and said the probe is also looking at the "crew's responsibility".

Saturday 24 August 2024 18:33, UK

• Superyacht sinking

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Prosecutor: There 'could be a question of manslaughter'
• Probe 'concentrating' on crew's responsibility
• Seven bodies recovered after five-day search of superyacht wreckage off Sicily
• Saturday's papers pay tribute to youngest victim Hannah Lynch
• Hannah's sister pays tribute to 'my little angel'
• Explained: Inside the superyacht | What challenges have faced divers?
• Eyewitness: Sombre scenes greet rescue teams as final body is brought ashore
• Live reporting by Niamh Lynch

We're ending our live coverage for this evening but here is a recap of what we know:

• Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian sinking;
• Officials have revealed more details on their investigation and the difficult five-day rescue mission;
• The six bodies found during the search in recent days were all in cabins on the left-hand - and highest - side of the ship. Five were found in the first cabin and the sixth was found in the third;
• Prosecutors said the six passengers were most likely asleep when the boat sank;
• The probe is now focusing on the crew and their responsibilities, with the captain set to undergo more questioning.

Monday 19 August

The Bayesian yacht, flying a British flag, sinks at around 5am local time when the area was hit by a tornado.

Fifteen people are rescued from the 56 metre vessel - including a mother and baby - but another seven remain missing.

One body, later confirmed to be the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, is found near the wreck.

It emerges that British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among six people that remain missing.

Tuesday 20 August

The search continues for the six tourists missing.

It is reported that among those missing are Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Police divers try to reach the hull of the ship, resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Italy's fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco say early inspections of the wreck were "unsuccessful" because of limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

The operation is later described as "complex", with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Tributes pour in for Mr Thomas, with his friend Gareth Williams saying: "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit."

Wednesday 21 August

The search for the six people unaccounted for enters a third day, with crews carrying out inspections of the yacht's internal hull.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrive in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking.

A helicopter is drafted in to help with the search effort and remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search.

Five bodies are found inside the yacht on Wednesday afternoon. Only four of them are brought to shore.

Body bags are seen being taken to Porticello in the afternoon where dozens of emergency services staff wait.

Searches finish for the day just before 7.30pm.

Thursday 22 August

The search resumes for the remaining missing person.

The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.

The search is called off at around 8pm in Sicily, with divers expected to begin again at 6.30am on Friday.

Friday 23  August

The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, Hannah Lynch.

Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been "easy or quick", comparing the sunken yacht to an "18-storey building full of water".

The coastguard confirms in the late morning that her body has been found.

A green body bag is brought to the port of Porticello from the site of the sinking.

A spokesperson announces on behalf of the Lynch family that they are "devastated" and "in shock" after the deaths of Mike and Hannah.

Hannah's sister Esme pays tribute to her "little angel".

Saturday 24 August

A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town, Termini Imerese.

Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.

As the focus now turns to the manslaughter investigation, here's another reminder of the seven victims of the sinking and the 15 people who survived. 

A close friend of the Lynch family has added to the chorus of tributes for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who died in Monday's superyacht sinking.

Susannah Gurdun, who lives in Suffolk, recalled being "daunted" when she first met Mr Lynch at a dinner party, before discovering he was "so much more than the corporate cliche".

"He was riveting.  He was funny, and kind, and endlessly interesting; capable of talking about anything and everything," she said.

Ms Gardun said the businessman also had a "thrilling ability" to make complicated subjects "accessible to those of us less blessed with a science acumen".

"In particular, he was wonderful with children.  I will never forget hearing him explain to a group of them - including our ten year old son - the physics of why the sky went pink at sunset," she said.

She went on describe Mr Lynch as a "true genius" and "phenomenal creative".

Ms Gardun said his daughter Hannah was also showing "serious literary promise", and added that it was "beyond tragic that we will never know where her own particular brilliance might have led".

"I still feel blessed to have shared that time with them in Spain.  Not just because I witnessed Mike’s incredible storytelling; but because I was given a chance of understanding what that moment said about all four of them as a united vibrant loving family," she said.

"He was an extraordinary human being and it was - truly - a privilege to have known him."

A yacht crew member who survived the sinking has paid tribute to Hannah Lynch, calling her a "diamond in a sea of stars".

Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the Bayesian, has released a statement after divers recovered the final missing body from the wreckage, which is believed to be 18-year-old Hannah.

"Those who knew her will know that Hannah was a diamond in a sea of stars," she said.

"Bright, beautiful and always shining. 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."

Ms Murray's statement comes as a new image of Hannah Lynch and her father Mike Lynch is released:

Prosecutors announced in this morning's news conference that they have opened a manslaughter and negligent shipwreck investigation.

Officials were unable to answer several queries from the media, saying they needed time to establish the facts, but what are the key questions facing prosecutors? 

Why weren't passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?

The prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested that some passengers may have been asleep when others were awake.

Asked why they were not woken up or alerted, he said that is something investigators are trying to work out from the statements of the survivors.

He called it an "essential" part of the inquiry.

Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?

The press conference heard several bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which was not theirs.

Mr Cammarano said investigators currently do not know the reason for them being discovered in the same cabin.

The chief of the Palermo fire service, Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the yacht pinned to the right and suggested people tried to go on the other side, taking refuge in cabins in the higher part of the wreck.

Why did the boat sink?

The vessel had been deemed "unsinkable" by its manufacturer - Italian shipyard Perini Navi.

The Bayesian was hit by a downburst, according to Mr Cammarano, which are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.

Officials will look into the safety equipment on the sunken vessel.

Mr Cammarano was asked about whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open.

He said investigators do not have exact information about the black box and that the first phase of the inquiry will look into it.

Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?

Another yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when extreme weather hit.

Its crew helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken vessel.

Italian officials said they would be looking at how the downburst could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels.

What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?

Maritime director of western Sicily, Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, said the weather at the time of the yacht's sinking was abnormal and there was nothing to suggest such an extreme situation would arise.

He said there were forecasts of winds and a storm alert, but there was no warning of a tornado.

"Given that the conditions were such, there wasn't anything to suggest there could be an extreme situation arising," he said.

"There are vessels that can monitor, after all, these events and one would have thought that the captain had taken precautions."

How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?

Mr Macauda could not confirm how long it would take to retrieve the shipwreck of the sunken yacht.

"Everything depends on the availability of the owners and the timeframe of the retrieval of the wreck and of course all that has to be submitted to the port authorities and in parallel of course there will be the inquiry results and it's only really then that we will be able to authorise the operation," he said.

"I can't say, like some experts who have already spoken on the subject, [said] that it will be eight weeks."

He made clear that the owners will bear the full cost of retrieval, although he could not estimate the figure.

Italian authorities detailed the challenging and meticulous rescue operation to recover the six missing people from the Bayesian wreck (see 9.18am post).

But why was the five-day search so difficult? 

Read more below...

More on this morning's press conference. 

One of the main updates from prosecutors was that they have opened manslaughter and shipwreck investigations after the deaths of seven people in the Bayesian sinking. 

Watch the announcement below...

Prosecutors have given a lengthy news conference this morning on their investigation into the sinking of the Bayesian. 

Read the full report on the prosecutors' probe below...

Marine investigator James Wilkes has been speaking to Sky News after this morning's press conference.

"Naturally, there are more questions than there are substantive answers at the moment - that's the nature of investigative work.

"Something forced that yacht to roll beyond its nominal stability limits, such that it wasn't able to right itself with the ingress of a certain amount of seawater that was coming into the yacht. 

"So the investigators are going to ask themselves one initial question - what must the conditions have been for this to happen? 

"Then they are going to look at the contributing factors to the yacht, sinking, and, and the unfortunate loss of life." 

Prosecutors said this morning that the future of the investigation is reliant on recovering the wreck. 

Mr Wilkes said the yacht is a "major piece of physical evidence in and of itself." 

"It's lying at 50 metres, which is a recoverable depth. 

"If it was significantly deeper, then I'm not sure they'd be considering salvage at this stage or certainly, the salvage question would be a lot more complicated to answer. 

"But if there was the ability to raise that yacht in one piece safely, then it gives the investigators physically more to look at."

Mr Wilkes said he was unsure if the yacht would have a "black box" - called a voyage data recorder in shipping. 

"It would record things like GPS position, heading speed, engine telemetry, whether the radars were on, what they were recording, alarms, communications from the yacht itself, any audio on the bridge.

"But more often than not, these are on merchant ships. The yacht was a commercial yacht in the sense that it could be chartered out so it's quite possible it has a voyage data recorder on, but I'm not sure that it does. I don't know that as a matter of fact," he said.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

trending now in World News

Islamic militant group claims responsibility for horror knife...

Houthis burn Greek oil tanker in Red Sea, mock US by posting...

German warship blasts iconic villain theme song as it travels...

Bodies of tech tycoon, daughter found in separate cabins on...

Investigators probe whether subtle mistake could have caused...

Mike Lynch's family break silence after bodies of tech mogul and...

Ukraine's homegrown drone strikes target inside Russia, marking...

AI recreates 'face of Jesus' from the controversial shroud of...

Breaking news, window cleaner claims to own first portrait of william shakespeare, worth over $264 million.

A British window cleaner claimed he discovered the first portrait of William Shakespeare made in the author’s lifetime — an image which could be worth more than $264 million.

The painting, which Steven Wadlow’s antique dealer dad purchased from an Oxfordshire estate in the 1960s, has been analyzed and X-rayed by art experts who determined it dates to around 1595, when Shakespeare would have been 31-years-old, according to The UK Sun.

It resembles the only authenticated portrait that exists of the famed writer — but historians have yet to confirm Wadlow’s painting, which one art dealer valued at the whopping sum.

Wadlow, a window cleaner, feels like his claims are disregarded as “Much Ado about Nothing” and that the painting not been validated due to his blue-collar profession.

“Because I’m a working-class tradesperson, the people who have been studying this for years, they don’t want to find this out from a no-one,” Wadlow, 58, told The Sun .

Wadlow, who hails from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in Southeast England, has shelled out thousands in an attempt to prove the artwork’s authenticity, which hung in his father’s living room for decades.

His quest started in 2012, when his dad, Peter, now 92, was watching a Shakespeare documentary.

“He looks like our bloke above the telly,” Peter later told him.

The only confirmed painting of the Bard in his lifetime is known as the Cobbe portrait, and it hangs in the Hatchlands Park country house in Surrey. It was made around 1612.

Wadlow, who now keeps his own version of the Bard’s portrait tucked away in a secure storage spot, has resigned himself to the sad conclusion that the truth behind the painting may never be brought to light.

However, he told the outlet, “Let’s get it out and talk about it.”