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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/6-missing-after-superyacht-sank-off-sicily-including-tech-magnate-celebrating-recent-acquittal

6 missing after superyacht sank off Sicily, including tech magnate celebrating recent acquittal

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including a British tech magnate who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

The resting place of their sailboat is some 50 meters (164 feet) underwater off Porticello — a depth that requires special precautions: Rescue crews said they were working in 12-minute shifts, a measure that slowed down their efforts to reach the cramped inside of the wreck.

READ MORE: After luxury superyacht sinks off Sicily, British tech magnate Mike Lynch among those missing

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore when a storm rolled in before 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, identified by officials as the on-board chef.

Fire rescue officials have said the other six on board will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage. They include the tycoon Mike Lynch, who was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology and was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

Also unaccounted for are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s lawyers, and Jonathan Bloomer, a chairman at Morgan Stanley International and the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified in Lynch’s defense.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which rescued the survivors who managed to get into a lifeboat, said he was close enough to be able to see the Bayesian as the storm came in.

“A moment later, she was gone,” he said. “They said they went flat on the water and were sunk in two minutes,” Borner added, quoting the survivors.

The rotating search teams, each made up of two specialized cave divers, worked Tuesday to open up access points to get inside the wreck, which lies at a depth far beyond what most recreational divers are certified to reach.

The divers have not yet been able to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by furniture that had shifted during the violent storm. Rescue crews said they assume the missing six are in those cabins because the storm struck when most would be sleeping, but the teams haven’t verified their presence there through portholes.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, said the search was proceeding much more slowly than another big shipwreck in Italy, the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscany’s coast, because of the depth of the wreck and the space divers have to maneuver.

“That was much simpler. Here everything is more tight,” he said.

The outing was intended at least in part as a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal and a “looking forward to what was coming next,” said Reid Weingarten, a Washington attorney and a member of Lynch’s defense team who was not on the yacht.

“A lot of people went, a lot of people were planning to go and then of course this happened,” Weingarten said.

Some of the people who stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal were on board, including Morvillo, the lawyer, who Weingarten worked with and said “was like a brother.”

Morvillo’s wife is also missing, according to his law firm Clifford Chance.

Aki Hussain, CEO of international insurer Hiscox Group, where Bloomer, the witness, was chairman, said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.”

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation,” he added.

Charlotte Golunski, who survived the disaster, said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived, as did Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. Hannah Lynch, reportedly the couple’s 18-year-old daughter, is among the missing.

The yacht’s registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., according to online maritime database Equasis. Bacares is listed as Revtom’s sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

Its name, Bayesian, may be a reference to “Bayesian Inference,” one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Lynch’s company.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it had been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and was notable for its massive 75-meter-tall (246-foot-tall) aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

In an unrelated event, Lynch’s co-defendant in the Autonomy trial who was also cleared, Stephen Chamberlain, was killed Sunday when he was hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire, England, said Chamberlain’s lawyer, Gary Lincenberg.

Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, and Danica Kirka and Kelvin Chan in London, contributed.

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Five bodies found inside superyacht that sank off Sicily

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Divers recovered four bodies Wednesday from inside a superyacht that sank in a sudden storm off Sicily , Salvatore Cocina, director of the island's Civil Protection Agency, confirmed to NBC News.

Cocina later confirmed to Sky News that a fifth body had been found and was being brought to shore. One passenger remains missing.

The identities of the bodies were not immediately released. Their recovery follows a dayslong search in the deep waters off Italy where British tech tycoon Mike Lynch  and several others were believed to be trapped in the hull. Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived.

The rest had been missing since early Monday, when the Bayesian was caught in the storm anchored off the coast of Porticello, a village near the Sicilian capital city, Palermo.

The body of the ship’s cook, identified as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan national, was recovered Monday. 

On Wednesday, NBC News witnessed what appeared to be at least three body bags being lifted from fire department boats after they pulled into port at Porticello. It was unclear whose bodies they were. Some were later transferred to ambulances and driven away from the dock.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, are also missing. 

The Bayesian is owned by a firm linked to Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was among the survivors rescued by a nearby vessel after they got into a lifeboat.

Built by the Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered yacht could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist boating sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters.  

Regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” Lynch was  acquitted of fraud by a San Francisco jury this year, stemming from the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

The Mediterranean sailing vacation was designed to be a celebration for Lynch, who brought Bloomer, who testified in his defense, and Morvillo, one of his U.S. lawyers, on the trip.

Lynch's co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain was not aboard the Bayesian, but in what appears to be a tragic coincidence, a  car struck and killed  him Saturday as he was jogging in a village about 68 miles north of London, local police said.

Claudio Lavanga and Claudia Rizzo reported from Porticello. Henry Austin reported from London.

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

Claudia Rizzo is an Italy based journalist.

Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.

Investigators seek answers to why luxury superyacht Bayesian sank in storm

Italian and British authorities are trying to determine why a 184-foot luxury superyacht sank in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily early Monday. Divers have recovered five bodies and were searching for a sixth.

According to witnesses, the sailing ship Bayesian was struck by a waterspout while at anchor. It sank quickly in 160 feet of water about half a mile off the Sicilian coast near Porticello around 5 a.m. local time.

Twelve guests and 10 crew members were aboard the ship when it sank. Fifteen people were rescued. The body of one man, the ship’s chef, was found later that day.

Names of the deceased have not been officially released by Italian police, but those aboard included British tech mogul Mike Lynch, the ship's owner, and his daughter Hannah, 18.

Mike Lynch's body has been recovered , USA TODAY reported.

Profile of the superyacht Bayesian

The Bayesian was built in Italy by Perini Navi and delivered in 2008. It was one of 10 models and sailed under the United Kingdom flag.

Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.  

Who was aboard the Bayesian when it sank?

In addition to Lynch and his daughter, those aboard the ship who were missing and believed dead were:

• Christopher Morvillo, an attorney from New York
• Neda Morvillo, his wife
• Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley executive
• Judy Bloomer, his wife
• Recaldo Thomas, the ship's chef

Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued.

Lynch was acquitted on fraud charges in June stemming from the sale of his tech company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard. Prosecutors said Lynch and another executive misrepresented Autonomy revenue.

The yacht trip around southern Italy was planned as a celebration of Lynch's acquittal.

Where the yacht went down

What are investigators focusing on.

The Bayesian is the type of ship that’s “unsinkable,” says Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the company that built the vessel, reported the Independent. Costantino said it was one of the safest boats in the world.

Italian authorities in the town of Termini Imerese Sicily, and the U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch are investigating the sinking. The ship's captain, James Cutfield, has been questioned.

Early reports said the ship's 240-foot aluminum mast had broken, but Italian divers later said the vessel was intact , according to The Wall Street Journal.

Investigators will try to determine whether the ship's crew followed safety procedures, which include closing portholes and hatches ahead of the storm's arrival.

Contributing: Christopher Cann and Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; boatinternational.com; marinetraffic.com

• Live Reporting (active)

Watch & listen

The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the Bayesian yacht off the coast of Sicily , a source close to the family says

The search is continuing for one person who's still missing - it's believed it is Mike's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah

Five bodies have been brought ashore but they have not been formally identified

One body - that of Recaldo Thomas, the yacht's chef - was recovered from the sea on Monday

In total, 15 people survived, with six bodies recovered, and one person still missing

Live Reporting

Edited by Johanna Chisholm and Sophie Abdulla

Six key takeaways from day four of the search published at 20:20 British Summer Time 22 August 20:20 BST 22 August

The fourth day of search operations has come to a close in the coastal town of Porticello, and divers deployed to the scene have yet to recover the last missing person from a yacht that sank on Monday morning.

Here's a brief summary of what we learned throughout the day:

• The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the Bayesian yacht off the coast of Sicily, a source close to the family has told the BBC
• The person still missing is believed to be Mike’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, Reuters news agency reported
• No formal identification of the bodies has been announced by the Italian authorities
• An investigation is underway by Italian authorities, with captain James Cutfield reportedly being questioned by authorities yesterday for two hours, as they began speaking to all crew members
• The trip has been described as a "celebratory cruise" that came after Lynch was cleared of fraud charges in June. The BBC were told his "key team" were travelling on board

We're going to be pausing our coverage for the day, but you can read the latest here .

This page was written by Pia Harold, Cachella Smith, Matt Spivey, Rachel Flynn and James Harness and was edited by Marita Moloney, Nadia Ragozhina, Sophie Abdulla and Johanna Chisholm.

In pictures: A fourth day of search operations published at 19:41 British Summer Time 22 August 19:41 BST 22 August

As the sun rose over the harbour in Porticello and divers resumed their search operation, people gathered again by the shore

Earlier today, members of the fire brigade and coast guard recovered a fifth body, after four bodies were retrieved from the wreck on Wednesday and transported to nearby hospitals, in the city of Palermo

A source close to the family has told the BBC the body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered and they believe the person still missing is Mike’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah. No formal identification of the bodies has been announced by the Italian authorities

A 'warm and wonderful smile' that will be 'impossible' to forget - Countess of Euston published at 19:03 British Summer Time 22 August 19:03 BST 22 August

Mike Lynch OBE was one of Suffolk's "most inspirational citizens", the Countess of Euston says in one of the latest tributes to the UK businessman.

Clare, Countess of Euston, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk says in a statement that Lynch "was quite simply a genius", adding that he was a "global leader in his field".

"A kind and compassionate man who was always ready to help, hugely generous, the best of friends, but it will be his warm and wonderful smile that will be impossible for me to forget," she continues.

"Mike was an exemplary Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk serving both our late Queen Elizabeth II and our present King Charles III."

She goes on to send her condolences to Lynch's wife and wider family.

From a celebratory excursion to a devastating tragedy published at 18:38 British Summer Time 22 August 18:38 BST 22 August

Mike Lynch was a star of the British tech sector who - as we've mentioned in previous posts - attracted comparisons to Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

But he also suffered a sudden and dramatic fall from grace.

In 1996, he established Autonomy, a company which built software to help businesses manage and sift through data. In 2011, it was bought by the US giant Hewlett-Packard in a deal that valued the business at $11bn (£8.6bn).

That made Lynch a very rich man.

But it rapidly turned sour. Little more than a year later, HP said it had found evidence of accounting "irregularities" at Autonomy that had been used to make it appear a much more attractive prospect financially.

This led to a decade of legal wrangling and last year, Lynch was extradited to the US to face criminal fraud charges. He was acquitted in June.

The excursion aboard the Bayesian was meant to be a celebration of that victory. It ended in tragedy.

Lynch 'a pioneer in artificial intelligence' published at 18:16 British Summer Time 22 August 18:16 BST 22 August

More tributes are continuing to be shared about British entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

The head of Luminance, a technology company where Lynch was a founding investor, says he was "one of the brightest minds the technology sector has ever seen" and a "pioneer in artificial intelligence".

Quote Message Above all, Mike was a kind man who had an impact on many and will be sorely missed. I feel honoured to have known him, worked with him and learnt from him over the years." Eleanor Lightbody, CEO of Luminance

Judy Bloomer: Teacher, wife and 'wonderful friend' published at 17:49 British Summer Time 22 August 17:49 BST 22 August

Some more details about Judy Bloomer, who - alongside her husband of five decades - went missing from Bayesian earlier this week.

Bloomer was educated at Homerton College, University of Cambridge, where she studied English language and literature. After that, she embarked on a career as a teacher.

She later worked as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.

She was also a former director of property developer Change Real Estate, a property firm in Bristol, which was founded by her husband, Jonathan Bloomer.

Sally Bailey, a former chairwoman of charity Pilot Light, wrote that Judy was a "wonderful friend" to the gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal. She was a "kind and caring person," she added.

In a statement from the Bloomer family, they described the couple as "incredible people and an inspiration to many".

"Our only comfort is that they are still together now."

Judy Bloomer was educated at Homerton College, University of Cambridge, before starting her career as a teacher

Bloomer 'a friend and mentor to many' published at 17:25 British Summer Time 22 August 17:25 BST 22 August

Tributes continue to be paid to Jonathan Bloomer. The chief executive of Morgan Stanley, where Bloomer was international chairman, says that "Jonathan's leadership and experience helped the firm manage a period of complex change for our international businesses".

Ted Pick describes him as a "friend and mentor to many", adding: "We will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness."

Meanwhile, Aki Hussain, chief executive of insurance group Hiscox, says Bloomer's advice and support were "immensely valuable".

"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," Hussain adds.

"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."

Elsewhere Bloomer is described as a "giant in financial services" by investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown.

The group says: "We remember him fondly at Hargreaves Lansdown as someone who made a major impact on the business with his wealth of experience when he served on the board from 2006-2013 including as our senior independent director."

Mike Lynch 'was the Steve Jobs of Britain' published at 17:15 British Summer Time 22 August 17:15 BST 22 August

David Tabizel described his colleague and friend as the 'Steve Jobs of Britain'

Let's bring you a few more tributes to the victims of the Bayesian shipwreck.

First, David Tabizel has been speaking about Mike Lynch, who he says was "a human supercomputer" who "loved having his brain lit up".

Tabizel co-founded Autonomy with Lynch, and tells the BBC it's a tragedy Mike Lynch died "just when he was about to reclaim his status and his position in society", who had been subjected to "an unjust legal interruption".

"It feels a bit like the Post Office scandal... Just because a group of people are being accused doesn't mean they are guilty."

Tabizel praises Lynch's loyalty to his friends, describing the businessman as a great polymath with an inquisitive mind.

Mike Lynch had "an amazing gift to get to the nub of things, to get to the truth... he was a child. At the same time, he was a moral giant... he was certainly the brightest person I've ever met.

"To me he's the Steve Jobs of Britain. I miss him. I loved him."

Many factors could've played a role in yacht disaster published at 16:55 British Summer Time 22 August 16:55 BST 22 August

While we wait for the sixth missing person to be found, the investigation goes on.

The focus now is on whether human error was to blame. From the captain and the crew not taking measures onboard the yacht to mitigate the extreme weather and storm alert that had been issued before that terrible tragedy on Monday morning.

The wheels of justice move very slowly here in Italy. But there will be pressure on the investigators to wrap this up.

These are high profile victims - so there will be a lot of legal implications.

We know the investigators spoke to the captain, who survived, for two hours yesterday. He's 51 and from New Zealand.

Part of the focus is on whether there were storage compartments left open, allowing water to flood into the boat. And also on why there was no crew team on alert overnight when the storm happened, particularly given the fact there was a weather alert.

Another question: why was the yacht not harboured at port if the storm alert was out?

A ship surveyor told me yesterday there should have been a two-man watch team on board overnight.

The feeling is that there was a combination of factors that made the conditions ripe for this kind of disaster to happen.

No news conferences planned yet published at 16:39 British Summer Time 22 August 16:39 BST 22 August

Gillian Hazell Reporting from Porticello

Let's return briefly to the operation that's still running on the ground in Porticello.

Carlo Dall'Oppio, head of Italy's firefighters, has told the BBC there are no news conferences planned at present, and that the last body has not been found yet.

He said it was up to the coroner to announce the names of those who have died after identification.

As we've been reporting , according to Italian law, officials are not allowed to share the names of the deceased until formal identification has concluded.

Family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer pay tribute published at 16:28 British Summer Time 22 August 16:28 BST 22 August

We're also been hearing from the family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer - both of whom were confirmed as missing following the yacht sinking earlier this week.

Jonathan is the chairman of the Morgan Stanley International bank, he also gave evidence as a defence witness in Mike Lynch's US trial which saw him cleared of fraud charges in June.

The yacht trip has been described as a celebration following the trial's verdict.

In a statement, the couple's family express "sincere gratitude" to emergency services and all those who helped with the 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," the statement continues.

"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."

Mike Lynch had 'most brilliant mind' says close friend published at 16:14 British Summer Time 22 August 16:14 BST 22 August

A close friend and colleague of Mike Lynch says he was "the most brilliant mind and the most caring person" he has ever known, in a statement released to the BBC in the last half an hour.

Quote Message Over nearly a quarter century I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business.

Quote Message There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people. His passion for life, knowledge and all those around him was instantly inspiring to everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed." Andrew Kanter

Meanwhile Ruth Leigh, a neighbour of Mike Lynch said she was "horrified" when she learned he was missing after the yacht sank.

The 57-year-old writer and author added: "It's dreadful, it's the worst news."

She said that "right from the start [Lynch] was a fantastic neighbour".

Quote Message Whenever he met you he always remembered your name, he would chat to you, incredibly friendly and down to earth which we thought was a great quality. He was a really good neighbour." Ruth Leigh

British Library and BBC heads among latest tributes to Mike Lynch published at 15:57 British Summer Time 22 August 15:57 BST 22 August

Here are some more tributes that have been coming in to Mike Lynch, who had served on the boards of several organisations, including the British Library and the BBC.

The chief executive of the British Library, Sir Roly Keating , says: "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."

Director general of the BBC Tim Davie says: "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."

Who was the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch? published at 15:49 British Summer Time 22 August 15:49 BST 22 August

Lynch, pictured here in 2000, has been in a major figure in the British tech industry since the turn of the century

The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered, days after his yacht capsized off the coast of Sicily.

The 59-year-old was holidaying on his boat with family, members of his business and legal inner circle, as well as the vessel's crew, when it was struck by a powerful storm on Monday morning.

Lynch had been a significant figure in the UK tech industry since helping to establish Cambridge Neurodynamics - a firm that specialised in using computer-based detection and recognition of fingerprints.

Five years later, he co-founded the British tech firm Autonomy. In 2011, Lynch made his riches by selling his company to US computing giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11bn (£8.6bn).

But an intense legal battle following the high-profile acquisition loomed over Lynch for over a decade. He was acquitted of multiple fraud charges in the US in June, over which he had been facing two decades in jail.

Lynch had reportedly invited guests to his yacht to celebrate the conclusion of that court case.

In 2006 he was awarded an OBE in recognition of his service to UK enterprise. He served on the board of the BBC as a non-executive director, and in 2011 was appointed as an adviser to then-Prime Minister David Cameron on the risks and possibilities of AI development.

• You can read more about Mike Lynch here
• Or listen to our new profile on BBC Sounds

Body of Mike Lynch recovered from wreck published at 15:43 British Summer Time 22 August 15:43 BST 22 August Breaking

The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the Bayesian yacht off the coast of Sicily, a source close to the family has told the BBC.

The source also said they believe the person still missing is Mike’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

A 'calm spirit' and 'deeply saddened': Friends and family remember victims of Bayesian sinking published at 15:39 British Summer Time 22 August 15:39 BST 22 August

In addition to the tributes that have been being paid to Mike Lynch, we're also receiving commemorations of the other people who went missing after the Bayesian sank:

• A spokesperson for Clifford Chance, the law firm where Chris Morvillo was a partner, said the team was "in shock and deeply saddened"
• Recaldo Thomas, a chef on the yacht, was described by his friend, Gareth Williams, as being a "well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit"
• Jonathan Bloomer's brother spoke to the BBC earlier in the week while they were still waiting for news. "We’re coping the best we can, and we’re all just supporting each other,” he said. “He was my elder by half an hour, so, it means a lot when you lose a twin brother."

Reports this morning from the AFP news agency have indicated that all the missing men from the yacht have been brought to shore.

Bloomer 's wife, Judy Bloomer , Morvillo's wife, Neda Morvillo , and Lynch's daughter, Hannah Lynch were also confirmed as missing earlier this week.

As we've been reporting, five bodies, in addition to the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, have been retrieved so far but there has been no formal identification by Italian officials.

UK cancer charity 'deeply saddened' at Lynch news published at 15:22 British Summer Time 22 August 15:22 BST 22 August

The chief executive of Cancer Research UK has paid tribute to Mike Lynch, saying the charity is “deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mike Lynch and all those who have been affected by this tragedy”.

Michelle Mitchell says: "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,” adds Mitchell.

"Our sincerest condolences go out to all the families affected."

Lynch spoke of second lease of life weeks before boat tragedy published at 14:57 British Summer Time 22 August 14:57 BST 22 August

Mike Lynch was described by many who knew him as a charismatic and clever man, regarded by some as the UK’s version of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

A tech industry stalwart for over 30 years, the Cambridge graduate was awarded an OBE for his services to UK enterprise.

His company Autonomy was a British tech superstar. The software Lynch developed at the firm used a statistical method called Bayesian Inference, which helps forecasters predict more accurate outcomes. It’s still used in AI tools today, and shares a name with the yacht he died on.

When Lynch was dramatically acquitted in a US court of 15 charges of fraud earlier this year, he was also in line for a £300m pay-out from the recent sale of UK cybersecurity firm Darktrace, which he co-founded.

Things were looking up, and just three weeks ago he spoke about having a second lease of life. It sounds like the yacht trip was intended as a celebration of that new chapter.

Lynch also told the BBC that his wealth had helped him ride out the legal proceedings, but equally, it was also his wealth which put him and his family on the doomed luxury yacht.

Body of Mike Lynch retrieved today, official tells Reuters published at 14:43 British Summer Time 22 August 14:43 BST 22 August

An Italian interior ministry official has confirmed to Reuters news agency that the body of Mike Lynch was retrieved from the wreck today.

Massimo Mariani says Lynch's daughter Hannah, 18, is still missing - adding that it's possible she is either inside the wreck or may have been tossed into the sea as the boat sank.

The BBC is in touch with the Italian authorities and we'll bring you further details as we get them.

Italian interior ministry official Massimo Mariani leaves after visiting the scene where a luxury yacht sank

What's been happening on the fourth day of the search operation? published at 14:34 British Summer Time 22 August 14:34 BST 22 August

If you're just joining us, here's the latest from the fourth day of the Sicily search operation:

• As the fifth body is brought to shore, the search for one missing body continues
• Reuters is reporting that the last missing body is Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah
• Lynch's body has been recovered, according to multiple reports, as well as the bodies of Jonathan Bloomer and Chris Morvillo, says AF P
• There has been no formal identification yet. Under Italian law, victims families must be notified first
• Investigators have questioned the yacht's captain, James Cutfield , for two hours yesterday. There are now questions over whether he took necessary measures amid weather warnings before the boat capsized

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Body Of Mike Lynch Recovered From Sicily Yacht. BBC News. Video Body Of Mike Lynch Recovered From Sicily Yacht

British tech giant Mike Lynch among 5 bodies recovered from sunken superyacht off Sicily

British tech giant Mike Lynch is among five bodies recovered from a superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, the Italian Coast Guard said.

The news comes as rescuers found a fifth body on Thursday. Crews were seen bringing a body bag ashore at Porticello Port in Italy.

Dive teams have been making progress in their search for six people who went missing after a yacht went underwater in a matter of minutes on Monday. Rescuers had found four of the bodies on Wednesday when they were able to gain access into the hull of the yacht deep underwater.

Lynch — who was recently acquitted of fraud in the U.S. — and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch, were among the six reported missing.

Also missing were Mike Lynch's lawyer Chris Morvillo, who represented him in the fraud trial, and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo. Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of the Morgan Stanley International bank and insurance company Hiscox was also missing, alongside his wife Judy Bloomer. Jonathan Bloomer recently served as a defense witness in Lynch's fraud case.

With five bodies now recovered, the coast guard identified the last missing person as a woman. Reports say the female who remains unaccounted for is the tech mogul's daughter Hannah Lynch.

RELATED STORY |  British tech giant Mike Lynch missing after possible tornado flips yacht

Because of the difficult nature of the rescues, officials said it’s hard to tell when the final person will be found.

“We would need a crystal ball to know when we'll be able to find the next body," said Luca Cari, spokesperson for the fire rescue service, according to AP.

“It's very difficult to move inside the wreckage. Moving just one meter can take up to 24 hours,” Cari added.

The yacht sank in a storm early Monday with 22 people on board. Fifteen people escaped via a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby sailboat. Civil protection officials believe the yacht was struck by a tornado over the water, AP said.

One person was also found dead that day. That person was the yacht's chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation branch is launching an investigation into the watercraft's sinking.

Italian authorities said the British investigation is not involved in search, recovery and rescue missions, but that they will be at some point due to the fact that the Bayesian yacht involved in the incident was British-flagged.

Additional investigations are expected to determine what caused the incident and why the yacht sank so quickly.

RELATED STORY |  Yacht that sank off Sicily was carrying people celebrating tech magnate's acquittal; 6 missing

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Mother recounts the harrowing moment she lost her 1-year-old amid superyacht shipwreck

A survivor of the luxury superyacht that sank near Sicily during a violent storm says she saved her 1-year-old by holding her above the rough and choppy waters.

The mother has been identified as 35-year-old Charlotte Golunski by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), an Italian national news agency. She was among the 12 passengers and 10 crew members on board the Bayesian, a 184-foot sailboat, when it capsized in the early hours of Aug. 19 off the coast of Sicily, a village in southern Italy. The boat belonged to British tech magnate, Mike Lynch, who is still missing, along with five others.

Speaking to la Repubblica , an Italian newspaper, Golunski recounted battling turbulent waves to keep her daughter alive.

“I kept her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards so she wouldn’t drown. It was all dark. In the water, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was screaming for help, but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”

In a separate interview with ANSA, Golunski is reported to have briefly lost her daughter while in the water.

“For two seconds, I lost the child in the water; then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy. Many were screaming.”

“Luckily, the lifeboat inflated, and 11 of us managed to get on it. It was terrible. In a few minutes, the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after.”

Golunski was on board the yacht with the child’s father, James Emsili, who also survived the incident.

Several passengers and crew on board the ship are still missing. Read on for more about the luxury yacht accident that occurred near Sicily.

How did the yacht sink in Sicily?

In a statement obtained by NBC News, Italy’s coast guard confirmed that the Bayesian sank “due to a violent storm” off Palermo at around 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET).

Who was on the yacht that sunk?

Twelve passengers and 10 crew members were on board a superyacht called the “Bayesian” when it was hit by a storm and capsized.

According to NBC News , the ship's passengers were American, British and Canadian citizens.

So far, 15 people have been rescued, and one death has been confirmed. The body of the ship’s cook, Ricardo Thomas, was recovered on Aug. 19.

Mike Lynch, a 59-year-old British Irish entrepreneur dubbed by the U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” was also on the ship, according to NBC News. Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, are among the six people who’ve yet to be accounted for in the search for the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the rescued.

Did Mike Lynch own the yacht?

The superyacht Bayesian belonged to Mike Lynch. The technology entrepreneur was also the co-founder of Autonomy Corporation, a software company, and Invoke Capital, a venture capital fund.

Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.

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What is a Yacht? History, Types of Yachts, Styles, and Sizes

In this article, we explain the definition, history and origin of the word yacht, and break down some of the more common types of yachts along with various styles and sizes.

Yacht Definition & Origin

The word yacht comes from the Dutch word “jacht”, which means to hunt, and refers to the quick and lightweight sailboats the Dutch navy used to pursue pirates and other enemies in shallow waters. Today, the word takes on a very different meaning. While there is no strict definition of the word today, a yacht is generally considered as a boat used for pleasure, whether you’re cruising open waters, racing or island-hopping for the weekend. Typically, we consider a boat to be a yacht if it has an overnight cabin onboard, is more than 33 feet long, and generally looks nicer than your average vessel.

Pleasure boats have been around for hundreds of years, which is no surprise when you consider our options for transportation around that time. Without planes, cars, bikes or scooters, humans turned to the one form of transportation they knew well for pleasure – the ship.

Sailing Yacht History

Sailing yachts have been a thing since at least the beginning of the 1660s in Europe, when King James of England commissioned a sailing yacht for his son Henry, the Prince of Wales. But it was Charles II, the Kind of Scotland, who brought the term “yacht” into the mainstream after spending time exiled in the Netherlands. Once Charles got home, he began commissioning royal yachts left and right.

Steam Yacht History

Steam Yachts also have quite the history, which started as massive and luxurious sailing yachts with steam auxiliary engines. These yachts were much larger, and carried full crews complete with a cook, captain, engineer, stewards and deck hands. By the late 1700s, screw propellers were installed and the engines became far more efficient. Eventually, compound engines came about and persisted until the internal combustion took over.

Power Yacht History

Powerboats with 4-stroke gas engines were first developed by Nicolaus Otto and Gottlieb Daimler in 1876. Then in the 1900s, diesel engines became the more popular option because of their lower cost and improved reliability.

Yacht Types

Today, yachts fall into one of two general categories – sailing yachts and motor yachts.

Sailing Yachts

A sailing yacht is a leisure craft that relies on its sails for the primary method of movement, made from natural, synthetic or carbon fibers. Sailing yachts are split into two main categories: cruisers and raisers.

Cruising Yachts

A cruising yacht is designed for comfort above anything else. These yachts are ideal for overnight and lengthy journeys, typically equipped with all the comforts of home, including full kitchens (galleys), bathrooms (heads) and beds. They’re also designed to be slightly easier to maintain.

At the smaller end, we have what’s called as a “trailer sailer”. These yachts are generally shorter than 25 feet, and can be pulled by the average car. But anything shorter than 33 feet is considered a small sailing yacht. The next level is 33-45 feet, referred to as near-shore yachts. Offshore yachts are the largest category, including vessels larger than 45 feet.

Racing Yachts

A racing yacht is designed with performance top of mind, rather than comfort. World Sailing, the governing body for the sport of international sailing, recognizes 11 different classes of sailing yachts, but each share some general characteristics.

On a racing yacht, aerodynamics is prioritized. These yachts come in a variety of shapes and weights, but performance is the underlying motivation for all. Similar to aerodynamics but underwater, hydrodynamically efficient hulls allow boats to pull through the water with minimal drag or extra motion. Finally, for peak performance, these sailing yachts typically use full-battened Kevlar or carbon fiber sails.

Motor Yachts

Motor yachts come in all shapes and sizes, built with a variety of different materials. Generally speaking, they range from 30-130 feet in length, but there are superyachts out there exceeding 500 feet (that’s over 150 metres!).

The hull of a motor yachts comes in three basic styles. A yacht with a full-displacement hull moves the water up and away, creating waves. These boats have the potential to be plenty powerful, but their speed is limited. Semi-displacement hulls are slightly faster, because they’re able to partially rise above the water. Last are the yachts with a planing hull. These yachts are the fastest, because of a flat underside and enough power to lift them onto the surface of the water.

The majority of modern motor yachts have at least one diesel engine. A boat with two engines is certainly more expensive, but well worth it when you consider the reliability and increased handling/performance.

When it comes to motor yacht styles, there are many. Here’s a brief introduction to a few different motor yacht styles:

• Sport Motor Yacht : These powerful crafts are built with a semi-displacement and planing hulls, making them fast boats great for weekend adventures and short trips.
• Trawler Motor Yacht : A trawler is known for its more traditional style with a displacement hull, designed for medium distance passage-making.
• Cruising Motor Yacht : A cruising yacht is built for comfortable longer distance travel, equipped with a displacement hull.
• Expedition Yacht : Similar to a cruising motor yacht, expedition yachts are built with a displacement hull for long distances, but these crafts specialize in passage-making in remote areas.
• Mega Luxury Yachts : The mega luxury yachts is what you see and hear about on TV and in magazines. They’re hundred of feet long, designed for dozens of family and friends, and reserved for the super-rich.
• Sports Fisherman Yacht : These yachts have semi-displacement or planing hulls for quick fishing trips where you need to be able to move well. On a sports fisherman yacht, there will also be extra space for fishing gear and large fish.
• Lobster Yacht : A lobster yacht is similar to but quicker than a trawler, built with a semi-displacement or planing hull. These yachts get their name from their unique style – looking like classic Maine lobster boats.

If you’re looking for a new yacht, browse our current listings of sailing and motor yachts at Van Isle Marina. You can also visit us in Sidney at 2320 Harbour Road to see our stock in person, and our staff will be happy to help you out.

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Could Open Hatches or a Large Mast Have Contributed to Sicily Yacht Sinking? What We Know So Far

Questions remain about what exactly led a large luxury yacht to seemingly sink in minutes off the coast of Sicily

Lo Bianco/Anadolu via Getty

As the search for the missing continues , questions remain about what exactly led a large luxury yacht to seemingly sink in minutes off the coast of Sicily — and investigators are still looking for answers more than 48 hours later.

There were 22 people on board when the Bayesian , a 183-foot vessel, sank around 5 a.m. local time on Monday while moored about a half mile from the coast of Porticello, the Italian coast guard said in a statement that was previously obtained by PEOPLE.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, 15 people were rescued, according to the cost guard. Six people were declared missing after the yacht sank — and five bodies have since been found in the wreckage — while a body was also separately retrieved near the vessel and later identified as chef Recaldo Thomas.

One theory is that the boat capsized after being struck by a waterspout (which refers to a tornado over the water), though there may have been more factors at play that contributed to the sinking.

Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images

"The dynamics aren't clear — lightning, mini tornado, water spout, it's not clear exactly what happened," one person close to the search efforts tells PEOPLE. "The most likely hypothesis is that the cause was indeed a tornado that began at land and then sped out off coast and became a waterspout at sea with a speed of more than [180 miles] per hour, to the point that it managed to practically sink the ship whilst causing minimum damage to both the mast and the hull."

"Eyewitnesses said the boat went down in minutes," this person adds.

The source says the vessel’s upper hatches could have been open at the time of the disaster, which would have caused the boat to quickly fill up with water. The source also says that large amounts of water may have flowed onto the ship through the hatches as the vessel rocked back and forth during the storm.

“This would be the only thing that could cause the hull to rear up which, as several survivors told the investigators, made the ship sink in literally 60 seconds​​​​​​​​​​​​​​,” the source says.

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The boat’s 236-foot mast may also have also played a role in allowing the boat to rock, similar to a pendulum.

Speaking with the BBC , Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, said that the large mast may have acted more like a sail during the strong winds.

As for whether it broke, Karsten Borner, a captain on a nearby boat who saw what happened and helped rescue survivors , told an Italian newspaper that he did see the mast "bend and then snap," according to the BBC .

"The evidence that we are getting from the divers is the vessel is basically intact, lying on its side reportedly," Schanck, the chair of the outside search and rescue council, said while speaking with the BBC. "If the mast was broken, that would be a significant thing that would be reported."

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

Another factor that could have caused the yacht to lose stability was its movable keel, which is an underwater blade designed to help keep boats upright and prevent them from swaying back and forth, the source close to the investigation tells PEOPLE. They say that the 30-foot keel was allegedly retracted to about 13 feet when the storm hit, while natural experts say it would have been strange to retract the keel at that location if the crew knew bad weather was approaching.

Speaking with USA Today , meteorologist Rick Shema said that while the waterspout "was an uncommon occurrence" that "these things happen, especially in warmer water."

Schema went on to note that on the day the ship sank, the water was about 3 degrees hotter than on average, which can likely be attributed to climate change.

Related: Acquitted of Fraud, Mike Lynch Was Elated but 'Struggling to Accept' New Reality Before Yacht Sinking, Reporter Says

One person still remains missing as crews continue to investigate the fatal incident, a source close to the investigation previously told PEOPLE.

The six people who disappeared after the storm are British entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, New York City-based lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.

Authorities have not confirmed the identities of the five victims already removed from the wreckage.

Search efforts are ongoing, officials say, including inspection of the wreck.

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Watch CBS News

Tornado likely sank luxury yacht off coast of Sicily, officials say, as search for survivors continues

Updated on: August 20, 2024 / 7:56 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including a British tech magnate who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

Civil protection officials said they believed the Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged yacht, had been struck by a tornado over the water. The ship had been moored about a half-mile offshore off Porticello near Palermo when a storm rolled and the vessel sank at about 5 a.m. local time on Monday . 

Grainy film from closed-circuit cameras from shore, broadcast on the website of the Giornale di Sicilia, showed the majestic, illuminated 246-foot mast of the Bayesian weathering the storm and then disappearing over the course of a minute.

Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body was recovered, identified by officials as the Antiguan-born on-board chef. The rest of the 10-person crew survived, including the captain whom prosecutors reportedly sought to interview.

However, CBS News senior weather producer David Parkinson said Tuesday that it's still too early to determine whether the yacht was hit by a waterspout or a downburst. A waterspout is a meteorological term for a tornado over water, while a downburst consists of powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and can often be misinterpreted as a tornado, according to the National Weather Service.

As of now, Parkinson said, it's only safe to say that the yacht was impacted by a severe thunderstorm. Based on satellite imagery, there were strong to violent thunderstorms in the area where the yacht sank, Parkinson said.

That said, early Monday morning conditions were appropriate for either the development of a waterspout or a downburst, Parkinson explained. At around 4 a.m. local time Monday, the winds spiked, with wind gusts above 43 mph in Palermo. About 10 minutes later in the town of Aspra — which is 20 miles from Palermo and three to four miles west of where the boat sank — wind gusts of 51 mph were recorded, and the thunderstorms appeared to intensify as they moved east.

In cases of downbursts, when wind hits the water's surface, it increases the wind speed, Parkinson said. While at the time the boat sank, water temperatures were 84 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be warm enough to support the development of a waterspout, Parkinson said. 

"It's a great, great tragedy," said Britain's ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn, who visited Porticello on Tuesday. Britain sent four investigators to the scene, given the disaster involved a British-flagged ship and British citizens were among the missing.

Fire rescue officials have said the six other passengers will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage. They include tycoon Mike Lynch , who was once hailed as Britain's king of technology and was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

Also unaccounted for are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch's lawyers, and Jonathan Bloomer, a chairman at Morgan Stanley International and the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified in Lynch's defense.

The wreckage of the luxury craft is some 164 feet underwater — far deeper than most recreational divers are certified for and a depth that requires special precautions. Recovery crews could only stay for 12-minute shifts, a measure that slowed their efforts to reach the cramped inside of the wreck.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which rescued the 15 survivors who managed to get into a lifeboat, said he was close enough to be able to see the Bayesian as the storm came in.

"A moment later, she was gone," he said. "They said they went flat on the water and were sunk in two minutes," Borner added, quoting the survivors.

The rotating search teams, each made up of two specialized cave divers, worked Tuesday to open up access points to get inside the wreck. They were using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, or ROV, to help in the search.

The divers hadn't been able to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by furniture that had shifted during the violent storm. Rescue crews said they assume the missing six are in those cabins because the storm struck when most would be sleeping, but the teams haven't verified their presence there through portholes.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, said the search was proceeding much more slowly than another big shipwreck in Italy, the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscany's coast, because of the depth of the wreck and the limited space divers have to maneuver.

"That was much simpler. Here everything is more tight," he said.

The outing was intended at least in part as a celebration of Lynch's acquittal and a "looking forward to what was coming next," said Reid Weingarten, a Washington attorney and a member of Lynch's defense team who was not on the yacht.

"A lot of people went, a lot of people were planning to go and then of course this happened," Weingarten said.

Some of the people who stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal were on board, including Morvillo, the lawyer, who Weingarten worked with and said "was like a brother."

Morvillo's wife, Neda, is also missing, according to his law firm Clifford Chance.

Aki Hussain, CEO of international insurer Hiscox Group, where Bloomer, the witness, was chairman, said the company was "deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event."

"Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation," he added.

Among the survivors, the Emslie family was released from Palermo's pediatric hospital on Tuesday where little Sofia had been kept overnight after her rescue. Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, had reported that she momentarily lost hold of the 1-year-old in the water but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, doctors said.

The father, identified by ANSA news agency as James Emslie, also survived.

"They don't talk much, primarily because they consider themselves survivors and they don't understand why they survived given what they went through," said Dr. Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at Di Cristina Pediatric Hospital.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Cipolla said Golunski had reported that she and the baby were sleeping in the cabin and suddenly found themselves in the water, where they also found Emslie who had been in a different part of the ship. Cipolla said the parents had been in touch with other survivors, who are being housed at a nearby hotel and were waiting for other family members to arrive in Sicily.

The baby slept well overnight and all were released after final checks Tuesday morning, he said according to a videotaped interview posted on Palermo Today, adding that psychologists had been made available.

Among the other survivors was Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares. Hannah Lynch, reportedly the couple's 18-year-old daughter, is among the missing.

The yacht's registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., according to online maritime database Equasis. Bacares is listed as Revtom's sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

Its name, Bayesian, may be a reference to "Bayesian Inference," one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Lynch's company.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it had been available for charter for about $215,000 a week and was notable for its massive aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

The coast guard said to date there was no trace of fuel leaks from the wreckage.

In an unrelated event, Lynch's co-defendant in the Autonomy trial who was also cleared, Stephen Chamberlain, was killed Sunday when he was hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire, England, said Chamberlain's lawyer, Gary Lincenberg.

• Boat Accident
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The Yacht – The Meaning and the Origin of the Word

In my language there are a few words for a floating object, or a vessel. According to the size and the purpose of the vessel, those words could be translated as “dinghy”, “yacht”, “boat” or “ship”. Some types of vessels have international names, for example “catamaran” or “hovercraft”.

What Does Yacht Mean?

However, when you say “ yacht” in my language, everyone know exactly what it is about. The word “yacht”, unlike other terms, has certain connotations. It always links with something classy, fancy, wealthy, elegant, and even glamorous.

For example, if you say that you have spent a week aboard a sailing boat , the recations of people will be more or less neutral. On the other hand, if you say that your week aboard a yacht was excellent, many people will become jealous. They will imagine you in a scene from a James Bond movie : aboard a massive white yacht in Monte Carlo , having a cold martini (shaken, not stirred)…

I wanted to share with you this language introduction because I found an interesting story about the word “yacht” and its origin. The word “yacht” became an English and an international term after an event that happened a long time ago.

How Do You Spell ‘Yacht’?

This word comes from the Dutch word “jacht”, which means “hunt”. Furthermore, “ j achtschepen” was the name for narrow, light and very fast sailing boats that the Dutchmen were using for intercepting larger and slower boats and ships.

One of the ‘hunters’ was given as a present to the British king Charles II . In His Majesty’s free time this vessel was not used for intercepting. Instead, was using it for fun. That is why the word “yacht” eventually became the term for vessels/boats made for pleasure.

I would highly appreciate comments from the native speakers of the  English and Dutch languages. Especially since I am not one of them. No matter whether this story is true or not, it still sounds interesting to me.

Find out more about sailing quotes and phrases here .

I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!

8 thoughts on “The Yacht – The Meaning and the Origin of the Word”

I looked up the origin of the word yacht, and it said it is a mid 16th century, Early Modern Dutch word from ‘jaght,’ from ‘jaghtschip’ meaning “fast pirate ship,” from ‘jaght’ which means “hunting” + ‘schip’ meaning “ship”.

I like the story of King Charles. It makes sense that that is why a yacht has the definite aura of wealth and pleasure!

Almost but not 100%. Actually the verb ‘jagen’ to hunt goes back to middle high German,i.e. Deutsch not Dutch, and before that it was ‘jagon’ in lower high German. But it seems that it all started with Greek and travelled North.

I guess that mid 16th century, the Dutch word jaght or jaghtschip was the word that got picked up. Not the earlier middle high German word where it came from.

Today it is jacht in Dutch, meaning hunting and it also the word for a luxury sailing boat.

In German Jagd is the word for hunt. Germans use the Dutch or English Jacht or Yacht for the boat.

Did the Germans design the original schooners? I think not! Since some Netherlanders speak a form of the Deutschland language, this word is shared (jacht/Dutch—jagd/German: meaning to hunt). It was the Dutch (Netherlanders) who designed the “flyut” or flute sailing ships, l-o-n-g before any British ever thought of such a ship—and—any German. The schooner grew out of the basic designs of the Dutch flute sailing ship (known for it’s speed). The Dutch economy relied heavily on trade and shipping, and were, thus, cutting edge innovators in ship building. Their engineering skills, was and is, plainly seen in their dike system, as well.

My father built a beautiful wooden replica of the”yacht” referred by the author (“Yacht Mary”) which was a present from the city of Amsterdam to King Charles II of England in 1660. They wrecked the ship a few years later (already too much partying on yachts, perhaps?)

I noticed the plaque that came with the model ship spelled the name as “Yatch” Mary. First, I thought, maybe, it was old English or Dutch spelling but it looks like it was just an error.

Nice, We have made an eplainermovie about this subject!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3HDZHF8w2E

In my head yogurt used to be spelled yoghurt and yacht used to be spelled yaught. Am I completely mis-remembering?

Dear Margaret, you are quite right for the spelling of the word yogurt that used to be, and sometimes still is, spelled with its old spelling yoghurt. However, there are no traces of the word yacht to have ever been spelled as yaught, but it would be best to take an etymology expert’s word for it.

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What Does Yacht Mean? (The Definition and History Explained)

Ah, the luxurious lifestyle of the yacht.

Whether youve seen one in the harbor or on a distant horizon, the image of a yacht has a certain allure and mystique.

But what exactly is a yacht? From the definition to the different types, the history, and the lifestyle, there is so much to explore.

In this article, we will uncover the mysteries of the yacht, and explore the different types, the races, and the luxury amenities that come with them.

Get ready to set sail!.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Yacht is a term used to describe a recreational boat or vessel that is used for pleasure trips and sailing.

It typically refers to a larger, more luxurious boat than a regular fishing or leisure boat.

Generally, yachts are meant for longer trips, usually with more than one person on board.

Yachts can range in size depending on the type of boat and its intended use, but all will typically include luxury features and amenities for a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

The Definition of Yacht

Yacht is a term often used to describe a variety of large and luxurious recreational boats, typically used for personal pleasure or sport.

Yachts can be defined as any boat or vessel that is used for leisure and recreational activities.

While the term yacht may be used to describe any kind of boat, it is most commonly used to refer to large, expensive boats designed for recreation, luxury, and leisure.

These vessels are typically larger than other recreational boats, and can range from modest day-sailers to luxury mega-yachts with all the amenities of a home.

Yachts are usually crewed by professional or paid crew and can be used for activities such as fishing, cruising, racing, and even as a floating holiday home.

Yachts may be owned either by individuals or by companies, and typically contain a variety of amenities such as staterooms, sleeping areas, dining areas, and entertainment areas.

Yachts are often used in the charter industry, where they are rented for short-term use, and can be found in harbor cities and coastal towns around the world.

Yachting is a popular recreational activity that has been around for centuries, and can be traced back to ancient Greece.

Yachting has long been associated with wealth and luxury, with the earliest yachts being owned by wealthy aristocrats.

In modern times, yachting has become more accessible to people of all backgrounds, with a variety of yachting activities and vessels available to meet a variety of budgets and preferences.

The term yacht is derived from the Dutch word jacht, which translates to hunt.

The term was originally used to refer to small, fast vessels used by the Dutch navy to chase and capture pirates.

Over time, the term has come to refer to large, luxurious recreational vessels that are often used for pleasure and leisure.

Yachts have become a symbol of wealth and luxury, and are often associated with the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Types of Yachts

When it comes to yachts, there are several different types available.

The most common type is the sailing yacht, which is propelled through the water by sails and is typically smaller than other types of yachts.

Motor yachts, on the other hand, are powered by an engine and are typically larger than sailing yachts .

Another popular type of yacht is the sport fishing yacht, which combines the luxury of a motor yacht with the convenience of fishing.

These yachts often have advanced navigational equipment, fishing tackle, and other amenities.

Finally, there are luxury yachts, which are the most luxurious of all yachts and typically feature amenities such as jet skis, hot tubs, and full-service bars.

No matter which type of yacht you choose, they all provide a luxurious experience on the water.

Yacht Racing

Yacht racing is one of the most popular activities associated with yachts, and it has a long and storied history.

Yacht racing dates back to the 1800s and has been a popular pastime ever since.

The sport is often divided into two main categories: offshore and inshore racing.

Offshore racing involves navigating the open waters of the ocean, while inshore racing is confined to the waters near shore.

In both types of racing, yachts compete against each other to see who can complete the course in the shortest amount of time.

Yacht racing is typically governed by the rules and regulations of the International Sailing Federation, which sets out a standard for the equipment and safety of the yachts and the sailors onboard.

Yacht racing is a highly competitive sport, and it is a great way to test the skills and strategies of the crew.

There are a variety of different classes of yacht racing, ranging from small dinghies and keelboats to large ocean-going yachts.

The most prestigious class of yacht racing is the America’s Cup, which is the oldest and most prestigious sailing race in the world.

The America’s Cup has been held since 1851 and is now held every four years in a different location.

Yacht racing is an exciting and challenging sport, and it is one of the most popular activities associated with yachts.

Whether it is a day sail or a full-fledged race, yacht racing is a great way to experience the thrill of sailing and the camaraderie of the crew.

Yacht Charters & Cruising

When people think of yachts, they usually think of luxury and leisurely cruising around the ocean.

Yacht charters have become increasingly popular, allowing people to enjoy the freedom of the open seas without having to purchase their own yacht.

Yacht charters offer a variety of packages, depending on the size and amenities of the yacht, the type of cruise being taken, and the number of people being accommodated.

Chartering a yacht is a great way to explore a variety of destinations and enjoy a variety of activities, from fishing and swimming to sightseeing and sunbathing.

Yacht charters typically include a professional crew to manage the vessel, as well as a variety of amenities such as a chef, cabin crew, and a variety of water toys.

Some charter companies even offer special packages for romantic getaways, corporate retreats, or special occasions.

Safety is always a priority when it comes to yacht charters, and all vessels must adhere to strict safety regulations.

All vessels must be inspected and certified by the relevant maritime authority and must be equipped with the necessary safety equipment.

Yacht charters are typically subject to local laws and regulations and must be operated in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Whether youre looking for a private escape or a unique corporate event, yacht charters offer a luxurious and convenient way to explore the open seas.

From discovering new destinations to enjoying the comforts of home away from home, yacht charters provide an unforgettable experience for all.

The History of Yachts

The term yacht has been around since the 1600s, and it has come to represent a broad range of luxurious recreational boats.

The word itself is derived from the Dutch term jacht, which translates to hunt.

In the 1600s, yachts were used for military purposes, such as scouting and patrolling.

Over time, however, the term yacht has come to refer to any large, luxurious recreational boat.

Modern yachts are typically larger than other recreational boats, and range from modest day-sailers to luxury mega-yachts with all the amenities of a home.

Yachts are typically crewed by professional or paid crew and can be used for activities such as fishing, cruising, racing, and even as a floating holiday home.

The evolution of the yacht has been quite remarkable.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yachts were primarily used by the wealthy and elite to show off their wealth and status.

Yachts of this era were often quite elaborate and ornate, with richly decorated decks, lavish interior spaces, and even an onboard orchestra.

As technology improved, so did the capabilities of yachts.

In the late 1920s, the modern sailing yacht was invented and became the norm, allowing for a more comfortable and efficient sailing experience.

In the mid-20th century, motor yachts were developed, making navigation and speed much easier.

By the latter part of the 20th century, yacht builders began to focus more on luxury and comfort, with modern yachts featuring amenities such as spas, fitness centers, multiple decks, luxurious cabins, and more.

Today, yachts are still seen as a symbol of wealth and status, and there is a great deal of competition in the luxury yacht market.

There are many different types of yachts to choose from, from modest day-sailers to mega-yachts that can cost millions of dollars.

Yachts of all sizes can be used for a variety of activities, from fishing, cruising, and racing, to simply enjoying the beauty of the open sea.

The Yacht Lifestyle

Yachting is more than just a leisure activity; it is a lifestyle.

From the outside, it might appear to be a glamorous and luxurious pursuit, but there is much more to it than that.

Yachting is a unique way of life that is rich in adventure, exploration, and relaxation.

It is an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing you to explore the world in a more intimate and luxurious way.

Yachting provides an opportunity to experience the world in a way that is both exciting and luxurious.

Whether it be racing around the world or simply enjoying the gentle breeze of a summer day, yachting is a great way to explore the world.

You can explore remote destinations, experience different cultures, and even explore the depths of the sea.

With a yacht, the possibilities are truly endless.

The yacht lifestyle is also a great way to relax and enjoy the finer things in life.

With a yacht, you can enjoy the luxury of a five-star hotel, complete with a dedicated crew to cater to your needs.

On board, you can enjoy fine dining, top-shelf drinks, and all the amenities of a luxurious hotel.

You can also take advantage of the yacht’s amenities, such as a gym, swimming pool, spa, and even a movie theater.

The yacht lifestyle also offers the opportunity to meet new people and build relationships.

With a yacht, you can travel to different ports and meet new people from all over the world.

You can also host events on board, from intimate dinner parties to large gatherings.

At the end of the day, the yacht lifestyle is about living life to the fullest.

It is about exploring the world in luxury and relaxation.

It is about creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Whether you are a racing enthusiast or simply looking for a way to escape from the everyday grind, the yacht lifestyle is an unparalleled experience that is sure to provide a lifetime of memories.

Luxury Amenities of Yachts

When it comes to luxury and comfort, yachts are in a class of their own.

From plush furnishings and spacious cabins to state-of-the-art entertainment systems and private chef-prepared meals, yachts have all the amenities of a home but with the added benefit of being able to take them anywhere in the world.

Whether you’re looking to cruise the Mediterranean, fish the Pacific, or just relax in the Caribbean, yachts are the perfect way to do it in style.

Most yachts come equipped with fully-stocked wet bars, hot tubs, and even private movie theaters, making them the perfect place to entertain family and friends.

There are also plenty of options when it comes to entertainment, from game rooms to fishing equipment, and even water-sports equipment for those looking for a more active vacation.

Yachts also come equipped with the latest navigation and communications systems, so you can stay connected with the world even when you’re out at sea.

With satellite-based communication, you can even stay connected with friends and family back home.

Finally, when it comes to luxury amenities, yachts are the perfect way to pamper yourself.

From private spa treatments to personal chefs and masseuses, yachts provide the perfect opportunity to indulge and relax in style.

Final Thoughts

Yacht is a term that has a long and fascinating history, and today there are a variety of yachts that range from modest day-sailers to luxurious mega-yachts.

Yachts can be used for a variety of activities such as racing and cruising, and also offer a unique lifestyle with various luxury amenities.

If you’re looking to experience the luxury of a yacht, consider chartering one for a special occasion or take a sailing course to learn more about the yacht lifestyle.

No matter what, you’re sure to have a memorable experience.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Search resumes for British tech magnate and 5 others after yacht sinks off Sicily

The Associated Press

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat Monday in Porticello Santa Flavia, Italy. Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/AP hide caption

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Rescue teams and divers were returning to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht off Sicily on Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater.

Divers were loading a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search 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.

Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?

Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, officials said.

“Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers’ passage,” the fire crews said in a statement.

The search was made particularly difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari. As a result, the search is expected to take time, he told The Associated Press early Tuesday.

The 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian luxury yacht had been moored about a half-mile off Ponticello when a storm rolled in around 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, which had passed over the area.

Fifteen of the Bayesian’s 22 passengers and crew managed to escape, first onto a lifeboat and then by a nearby sailboat, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, that had also been moored offshore to ride out the storm, Karsten Borner, the captain of the Baden Powell, told reporters at the scene.

One body, belonging to the Bayesian’s chef, was recovered nearby.

Among those missing was Lynch , who was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology. He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. His wife, Angela Bacares, survived.

The vacation appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal. Among those unaccounted for, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife. Also among the missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified at Lynch’s trial, and his wife.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it has been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and is notable for its massive 75-meter tall aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

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Tributes paid to ‘incredibly talented’ chef who died on sunken superyacht in Sicily

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on monday as the area was hit by a storm., article bookmarked.

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Tributes have been paid to a chef whose body was recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily , as rescuers fear six people are still trapped inside the wreck.

Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working on the Bayesian superyacht, was found by the Italian coastguard near the sunken boat.

A friend of Mr Thomas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the yachting community has been saddened by his death.

She told The Independent: “He was a one-of-a-kind special human being. Incredibly talented, contagious smile and laugh, an incredible voice with a deep love of the ocean and the moon.

“I spoke to him nearly every day. He loved his life his friends and his job.”

She added: “He will be smiling and laughing.”

Among those unaccounted for are technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Four bodies were found on the shipwreck on Wednesday but are yet to be identified.

The body of Mr Thomas was recovered on Monday.

His friend Gareth Williams told the BBC: “I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit.”

Another friend, Eli Fuller, told the outlet Mr Thomas was “friends with everybody”, “always positive” and “sought after” in his profession.

Bayesian was moored around half a mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Of the 22 passengers and crew onboard, 15 – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

More of the yacht’s rescued crew members were named by the Italian Coastguard on Tuesday, with Leo Eppel and South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken all confirmed as having been on board.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to the 11 billion US dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was “shocked and saddened” while Clifford Chance said it was a “tragic incident”.

The former school of Mr Lynch’s daughter has said its “thoughts are with their family and everyone involved.”

A spokesperson for Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, said: “We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.”

Ed Llewellyn, British ambassador to Italy, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph that she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynch’s recent court case.

Another survivor, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofia’s father, James Emsley.

In a separate incident, Mr Lynch’s co-defendant in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlain’s family said: “Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

“He was an amazing individual, whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.”

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Pearson Yachts Portal

Hull numbers explained.

A hull identification number is a unique code, including a serial number, used by the boating industry to identify individual vessels.

Hull Number Definition

In 1972 the U.S. Federal government established the Hull Identification Number (HIN in this document), that is required for all boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972. Vessels manufactured or imported before this date are exempt from this requirement, when builder's identified boats ad hoc.

The HIN is a 12 digit serial number that uniquely identifies a boat. It is analogous to a VIN on a motor vehicle registration. The HIN is normally used during the boat registration process and should be included on any bill of sale.

Note: The HIN is not the same as a State registration number, which may be required to be displayed on the bow of your boat.

Hull Location

The primary HIN must be permanently affixed or engraved on the hull on the starboard side of the transom within two inches of the top of the transom, gunwale, or hull/deck joint, whichever is lowest, so that it can be seen from outside the boat. To identify a boats hull number for registration purposes some states may require a pencil rubbing or tracing of the hull number. To create a pencil tracing, place a blank piece of paper on top of the number and rub a pencil across the paper so that an impression of the number appears. If the rubbing is not clearly legible write the numbers you see adjacent to the rubbing and take a digital photograph.

Hull Number Rubbing

12-Digit Number Standard

• The first three characters consist of the manufacturers index code and should only be letters.
• The next five characters are the unique serial number assigned by the Manufacturer, and can be a series of letters and/or numbers with the exception of the letters O, I, and Q (they can be easily mistaken).
• The last four characters determine the certification year and month or model year designation of the boat. (Prior to August 1, 1984, the manufacturer had the option of expressing this in the form of a model year designation).

HIN Examples:

Figure 1: pearson 26, figure 2: location on transom.

Figure 3: Format prior to 1 Aug 1984

Figure 4: format after 1 aug 1984, example hull numbers decoded for pearson boats.

•  PEA58288M81A – 1980 Pearson 323 
•  PEA46205M76A – 1975 Pearson 26 
•  PEA77034H485 – 1985 Pearson 385 

Manufacturers Identification Code

Pearson Yachts used PEA to identify the manufacturer. Note: Cal-Pearson used code KDG for yachts built from 1986–2003.

• PEA 58288M81A – Pearson Yachts code of PEA

Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) Lookup

The USCG website provides a tool to search the manufacturers list with a company name or MIC: Manufacturers Identification

Hull Serial Number

Pearson Yachts used the 5 digit Serial Number to specify the factory model code (see table 1), and the unique hull number.

Pearson 323 Hull Number 288:

• PEA 58 288 M81A – Factory model identifier of 58
• PEA 58 288 M81A – Serial Number

Pearson 26 Hull Number 1205:

• PEA 46 205 M76A – Factory model identifier of 46
• PEA 46 205 M76A –

Note that the 3 digit hull number presents a problem for boat productions greater than 999. An example is the P26, where production reached 1,000 in 1975, causing the number to roll over. This resulted in the necessity to add 1,000 to the hull number from that year forward.

Date of Certification

Pearson Yachts used the Date of Certification to specify year and month (see table 2), and 1 digit is undetermined.

Before August 1, 1984:

• PEA 58288 M 81 A – Year 1981 , production year of 1980 based on month code
• PEA 58288 M81 A – The production month is A for August

August 1, 1984 and after:

• PEA 77034 H4 85 – Year 1985
• PEA 77034 H 4 85 – The production month is H for March

Note in the example the naming convention changed in 1984 so that the last two digits became the year – to conform to the change in HIN specifications. The Pearson production year runs from August of the previous year to July of the given year.

Pearson Factory Specific Codes

Table 1 - factory model code.

Table 2 - Production Month

Sources: Pearson323.com, Pearsoninfo, Wikipedia, BoatSafe

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History of the Yacht

By: American Sailing Sailing History

When does a boat become a yacht? One answer has always been, you can tell a yacht when you see one. But, It really has nothing to do with size of the boat, weight of the boat, its style, sleeping quarters, heads, tillers, or a wheel. A yacht is a boat that was designed for the express pleasure of its owner.

The yacht is an invention of the 14th century Dutch. The Dutch used small, fast boats for chasing smugglers, pirates and criminals. Rich ship owners and merchants began using these small “ jaghts ” to sail out to celebrate their returning merchant ships. It quickly became chic to use these “ jaghts ” to take friends out just for pleasure.

“ Mary ” was presented to King Charles II by the Dutch in 1660.

Charles II of England spent 10 years in exile in Holland before he was returned to the English throne in 1660. His return to the throne was celebrated by the city of Amsterdam, presenting him with a luxurious 60’ yacht including a crew of 20. Her name was Mary. He took great pleasure in sailing her up and down the Thames. He studied navigation and even naval architecture and he built approximately 20 yachts during his lifetime. It can be said that he was the world’s first yachtsman. His enthusiasm for yachting was contagious and his brother James, Duke of York, joined him and also became an avid yachtsman as well.

As always when there are two sailboats on the water a race ensues. Soon the first organized regatta was planned as a 40-mile race on the Thames. It took place in 1661 between Katherine , Charles’s newly constructed yacht and Anne , the Duke of York’s new yacht with Charles himself at the helm Katherine won and a new sport was born.

Yachting stayed the Sport of Kings for over a century, but by the 1800s yachting had grown to included participants of more than just the crown heads of Europe. The worlds wealthiest had joined in. Yacht Clubs were forming. The first yacht club in the world, called the Cork Water Club , was established in Ireland in 1720, followed the Lough Ree Yacht Club in 1770 (again in Ireland), and the Starcross Yacht Club in 1772 in England.

Cowes Castle became the headquarters of the Royal Yacht Squadron around 1858.

Probably the most famous of all the English yacht clubs the The Royal Yacht Squadron was founded on June 1, 1815 in the Thatched House Tavern in St James’s, London as The Yacht Club by 42 gentlemen interested in yachting.

Across the pond the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) was started on July 30, 1844 when John Cox Stevens invited eight friends to his yacht Gimcrack , anchored in New York Harbor. They formed a syndicate to build a yacht with the intention of taking her to England and making some money competing in yachting regattas and match races. They choose to build a Pilot style Schooner to represent the club; at the time there was no faster design!

Pilot Schooners would lie at anchor in the inner harbor of New York City and wait for the behmoth square rigged Clippers carrying goods between America and Europe. The Pilot Boats purpose was to guide the huge square riggers that would appear at the entrance to New York Harbor’s Verazno Straights, to a berth in the City. The Schooners had to be fast to make a living. First one to the cargo ship got the job second got nothing.

The syndicate contracted with master schooner designer George Steers for a 101 ft (30.78 m) schooner which was christened America and launched on the 3 of May 1851. America crossed the Atlantic on her own bottom that year and challenged all of England’s fastest yachts to a match race. No yachts were willing to race her. Finally, America joined a free-for-all on Friday, August 22, around the Isle of Wight, racing against 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron in the club’s annual 53-nautical-mile (98 km) race around the Isle of Wight. Finishing 8 minutes ahead of its closest rival. America had won the Royal Yacht Squadron’s “ Hundred Guinea Cup “, later called the America’s Cup in honor of the yacht that won it.

The Yacht America

Watching the race was Queen Victoria, who supposedly inquired, “ Which is first? ” Told it was America , she asked, “ Which is second? ” “ Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second, ” was the reply. Or so the story goes. The NYYC defended that trophy from 1870-1983. This has been described by journalists as “ the longest winning streak in sports “.

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Bayesian yacht search called off overnight as five bodies found - but one remains missing at sea

A search of the Bayesian superyacht has been called off just hours after the bodies of tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were found inside

• 22:32, 21 Aug 2024

The search of the Bayesian superyacht wreckage has been called off overnight after five bodies were found, with two confirmed as tech mogul Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told the PA news agency that searches have finished for the day and will resume on Thursday. He confirmed that five bodies have been found, but only four recovered. One person remains missing, Mr Cocina said.

Search teams made the tragic discovery of Mike Lynch and 18-year-old Hannah on Wednesday after finally breaking in to the cabin of the Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily after being hit by a freak tornado on Monday morning.

The Chief of Civil Protection later said the two bodies were that of the father and daughter, before announcing two more corpses had been recovered. The freak incident came as the 59-year-old Brit was enjoying a victory trip to celebrate winning a US fraud trial.

And Hannah had just landed a place to study English at Oxford. Two bodies were brought ashore shortly before 4pm local time yesterday and were later confirmed as the pair. Three further body bags were transported from the wreck site and taken away under blue lights but their identities remain unknown.

It means one yacht guest remains missing. Still unaccounted for are Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy and American citizens Chris Morvillo and his jewellery designer wife Neda. The four guests, plus the tycoon and teen daughter, had been missing since Monday, with specialist divers scrambling to access the boat in the hope air pockets in the cabins could keep them breathing.

The £30 million Bayesian went down in just 60 seconds after being hit off the coast of Porticello on Monday morning. It was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers. Earlier a doctor treating the hero mum who saved her baby in the horror said she was sleeping on deck with the tot when disaster struck.

Charlotte Emsley, 36, survived the sinking of the superyacht by reportedly holding her baby above the waves. It emerged as inspectors from the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrived on scene on Wednesday.

The MAIB is looking into what happened because the yacht Bayesian was flying a British flag. One expert told the Telegraph authorities are investigating whether hatches left open by crew members contributed to the sinking. The wreckage of Bayesian is resting on the seabed 50 metres deep.

Fire crews said they accessed the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings. And the Italian coastguard said remotely-controlled underwater robots were assisting the search. The devices can remain underwater for at least two hours at a time, providing much-needed help to diving teams who can only search the wreck in 12-minute intervals.

Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 – including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat. Survivors are recuperating at a hotel complex in Porticello, where authorities are gathering witness statements.

Ms Bacares has reportedly been joined by the couple's elder daughter who was not on board the yacht. We earlier revealed the mum-of-two was in a "state of shock and sadness" as she anxiously waited for news. She has reportedly been joined by the couple's elder daughter who was not on board the yacht.

The ship's captain was yesterday confirmed as “well respected” seafarer James Cutfield, 51. The New-Zealander earlier said crew members “didn’t see [the storm] coming.” He is recovering in hospital with his wife by his side.

More of the vessel's rescued crew members were named by the Italian Coastguard on Tuesday, with Leo Eppel and South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken all confirmed as having been on board. A body recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday was that of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working on the superyacht.

Gareth Williams, a friend of the chef, told the BBC : "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit." Another pal, Eli Fuller, added Mr Thomas was "friends with everybody,” and was "always positive" and "sought-after" in his profession.

Mr Lynch – once dubbed "Britain’s Bill Gates"– formed his first firm in 1996 with a £2,000 loan, and it morphed into software giant Autonomy. Just months ago, the head honcho - worth around £500 million - was cleared of fraud in the US over the 2011 sale of that firm to Hewlett-Packard.

Earlier Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, where Hannah Lynch was a pupil, said its "thoughts are with their family and everyone involved." In a separate tragedy, Stephen Chamberlain – the former vice president of finance at Autonomy and Mr Lynch's co-defendant – died after being hit by a car while out jogging in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

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Meaning of yacht in English

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• They spent their annual holiday on a chartered yacht in the Caribbean .
• He spent three days adrift on his yacht.
• His eyes were fixed on the distant yacht.
• If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.
• She sailed around the world single-handed in her yacht.
• cabin cruiser
• dragon boat

yacht | American Dictionary

Examples of yacht, collocations with yacht.

These are words often used in combination with yacht .

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Translations of yacht

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in an energetic and continuous way

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

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World News | Mike Lynch co-defendant hit by car days before…

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World News | Mike Lynch co-defendant fatally hit by car days before superyacht sinking

Chamberlain, who was once the vice president of finance at Lynch’s former company, Autonomy, was out for a run on Saturday when he was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire, England, his lawyer Gary Lincenberg told CNN.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

“He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him,” he said.

“Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family,” Lincenberg concluded.

The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement, BBC News reported.

The deadly incident came just days before Lynch’s superyacht, nicknamed the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Porticello , near Palermo. Lynch had been celebrating his recent acquittal in one of Silicon Valley’s biggest-ever fraud cases when a waterspout formed in the exact spot where the 184-foot vessel had been moored.

Lynch, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were still missing on Tuesday alongside four others. They were identified as Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, who served as Lynch’s lawyer, and Morvillo’s wife, Neda. Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, also the former head of the Autonomy audit committee, and his wife, Judy, were also unaccounted for more than 24 hours after the sinking.

Lynch — once hailed as Britain’s king of technology — and Chamberlain were recently co-defendants in a fraud trial over the 2011 sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion. They were accused of cooking their books to make the sale happen, and both faced one count of conspiracy and 14 counts of wire fraud.

In June, a jury in San Francisco acquitted the pair of all charges.

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World News | Mediators express skepticism about Gaza cease-fire proposal

World News | 5 bodies found, 1 still missing during search of Mike Lynch’s sunken superyacht

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What does the noun yacht mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun yacht . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun yacht ?

How is the noun yacht pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun yacht come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun yacht is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for yacht is from before 1584, in the writing of S. Borough.

yacht is a borrowing from Dutch.

Etymons: Dutch jaght(e .

Nearby entries

• yabber, v. 1841–
• yabbering, n. 1839–
• yabble, n. 1827–
• yabble, v. 1808–
• yabbler, n. 1901–
• yabby, n. 1887–
• yabby, v. 1941–
• yabbying, n. 1934–
• yabu, n. 1753–
• yacca, n. 1843–
• yacht, n. a1584–
• yacht, v. 1836–
• yacht basin, n. 1929–
• yacht broker, n. 1882–
• yachtdom, n. 1901–
• yachter, n. 1828–
• yachtery, n. 1861–
• yachtian, n. 1842–
• yachtie, n. 1874–
• yachting, n. 1836–
• yachting, adj. 1847–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for yacht, n..

yacht, n. was first published in 1921; not yet revised.

yacht, n. was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into yacht, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1921)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View yacht, n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for yacht, n., browse entry.

“Yachting” is about more than being paid to party, it’s Hollywood’s murkiest open secret