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Sailing Yacht A

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80 m / 262 ft

143 m / 468 ft

73 m / 239 ft

73.5 m / 241 ft

68 m / 223 ft

60 m / 196 ft

67 m / 219 ft

92.5 m / 303 ft

LOA: 142.81 m

Beam: 24.88 m

Draft: 8.00 m

Interior: Philippe Starck

Exterior: Philippe Starck

Hull: Steel

Superstructure: Steel / GRP

Max. speed: 21 knots

Cruising speed: 16 knots

Gross tonnage: 12.558

Project number

“Born from the desire of the owner to push the boundaries of engineering and challenge the status quo of the industry, ‘SAILING YACHT A’ is undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects NOBISKRUG has ever been involved in.”

SAILING YACHT A is the ultimate embodiment of German superyachts built for the 22 nd century.

She is unique.

She is the largest of her kind. She is a masterpiece in every detail. Her name: SAILING YACHT A. She will draw eyes the world over, as no other superyacht has ever done before.

She is sophisticated.

Measuring almost 143 m and a gross tonnage of about 12.600, she became one of the most impressive PYC superyachts in the world in terms of design and technology.

She is innovative.

She is one of the world’s largest and the most advanced superyachts with unique features such as an underwater observation pod, hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and state-of- the-art navigation systems. The luxury sailing yacht's three masts are the tallest and most highly loaded freestanding composite structures in the world. The mainmast towers 100 m above the waterline.

The smooth, lustrous, silver-metallic surfaces…

…and nearly invisible windows give this yacht a futuristic look. World-renowned Philippe Starck created this unconventional design, which challenges the expectations of conventional aesthetics. NOBISKRUG high-tech building technology made this fascinating design possible.

Steel hull and steel superstructure with high-tech composite fashion plates that can be formed into any shape or size, a technology NOBISKRUG has developed during the past 15 years in co-operation with classification societies and special subcontractors.

Thanks to her striking looks and innovative technology SAILING YACHT A definitely changes the upcoming landscape of the NOBISKRUG fleet as well as the future of supersail.

Strictly confidential!

This is all we can tell you!

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Sailing Yacht A: Everything You Want To Know

The sailing yacht known as A was built between 2015 and 2016 by German yacht makers Nobiskrug based on designs by French architect Phillippe Starck that seemed to have made use of some naval architecture for inspiration. It currently holds the record for being the world’s largest sailing yacht, though, to be fair, it is technically a sail-assisted motor yacht as it is fully capable of moving under its own power rather than relying on the sails. 

Who Owns Sailing Yacht A?

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, a man who made his fortune thanks to a coal company and a chemical company, is the owner of Sailing Yacht A as well as its older sister yacht the Motor Yacht A. Melnichenko has French designer Philippe Starck design both of the vessels for him. 

How Big is Sailing Yacht A?

As mentioned, this is actually the largest sailing yacht in the world and it truly is immense. It earned the title of largest sailing yet specifically because of the length which clocks in at a stunning 468.5 feet. Not only is it the longest sailing yacht as a result of that, making it over 50 feet longer than its closest competitor, it qualifies as one of the largest yachts period, sailing or motor powered. It’s the 11th largest yacht in the world if you also include motor yachts.

Even aside from length, the stats are pretty remarkable. The masts, which are very hard to miss, are also gigantic. The main mast stands at over 100 meters or 300 feet tall. The entire boat has a listed height of 328 feet. That makes the A taller than the Tower of London or Big Ben. 

The vessel is just over 81 feet wide and has a gross tonnage of 12,558 gt. The sails measure an incredible 3,747 square meters or 40,332 square feet. The sails can be controlled with an in-boom furling system. It also features a gimballed crow’s nest, accessible by an elevator, 60m high in one of the curved, carbon masts.

So It’s the Largest Sail Assisted Motor Yacht?

Technically, yes. There is not really a distinction made for more people between sail-assisted and sailing yacht.

Why Is it Called Sailing Yacht A?

Sailing Yacht A’s owner was being a little crafty when he came up with the name for the vessel. Like his earlier motor yacht, which is also called A or Motor Yacht A, Sailing Yacht A got the name it has so that it will always appear at the top of boat registry lists. It’s kind of like when businesses used to call themselves something like AAAA+ Plumbing so they’d be at the top of the page in the phone book, back when people still used phone books. 

What is the Interior of Sailing Yacht A Like?

As you can imagine, there’s a lot going on in this massive yacht. To start, it’s a full eight decks. These can be accessed throughout the yacht with either a number of elevators or the free-floating spiral staircases. It’s rumored that there are cabins for at least 20 guests, plus a master suite on board.

There are oval windows throughout the vessel that are almost impossible to see from outside as they’re covered in a one-way film that allows passengers to look out but prevents anyone from looking in. Some of the rooms have floor to ceiling windows that simply can’t be seen from outside. It’s rumored that the master suite has a rotating bed and is presumably of a significant size as the master suite in the smaller Motor Yacht A was 2,500 square feet.

In terms of luxury amenities there’s plenty to choose from. The yacht has an underwater observation pod right in the keel with windows to the sides and below. The glass is one foot thick to ensure it can handle the pressure. It offers a view of the props in action which is unique and unlike observation windows you’d likely find on any other boats. And unlike many yachts which have launch vessels or jet skis in the garage, this one has a three-man submarine you can take out for fun as well as four tenders.

Melnichenko is known for throwing lavish parties – he’s had Lennie Kravitz and Snoop Dogg perform on board Motor Yacht A for him and his guests, and even had Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera perform at his wedding some years ago, so it’s safe to assume the sailing yacht also features an extravagant party room as well. 

A crew of up to 54 operate the vessel and much of that can be done easier than you’d think. Touch screen controls can power and maneuver the vessel at the touch of a button. Even the sails can be raised and lowered with electronic controls and a single person operating them. 

In addition to the piloting of the ship, the crew run the yacht’s internal power plant, a professional galley the size of a kitchen you’d expect to find in a hotel, and other guest services like laundry and so on. These services and features are maintained across two of the boat’s 8 decks.

Much like any other yacht of this size, there is a helipad on the deck, and you can also find a large pool in the center of the deck as well. There are two other pools and all three are said to have current-generating technology to give them a more realistic ocean feel. As in his previous yacht, one of the pools has a glass floor so that you can see up into the pool from the deck below.

Many of the internal features have been kept under wraps as few people have had a chance to go on board the yacht. One particularly odd feature that has been noticed, however, is a chair on deck shaped like a giant, human head. Other glimpses of the interior have also shown off things like a large hot tub which has storage underneath it for a number of lifeboats, and the stunning blue navigation lights that line the exterior from bow to stern, just along the waterline.

The security features on the boat have not been disclosed, for obvious reasons, but Melnichenko previous yacht was rumored to feature everything from bomb proof glass to fingerprint scanners for enhanced security at key entry points. 

Was Sailing Yacht A Seized?

In March, 2022, Sailing Yacht A was seized by Italian authorities in the Port of Trieste after Andrey Melnichenko was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many Russian billionaires who have had ties to President Vladimir Putin had sanctions levied against them which resulted in assets being frozen or confiscated all over the world.  

For unknown reasons, A was placed back in the water in June 2022 after being in dry dock for a few months. It was officially listed as being at anchor at that time with no further details about why the change in status. Melnichenko had stated at the time that he was going to contest the seizure of the luxury yacht but it’s unknown when or if that happened. 

What Did Sailing Yacht A Cost?

Billionaires don’t always like to share their expenses with the world and  Andrey Melnichenko is no different. He has not disclosed what he paid for the mega yacht and the yacht makers built it with a very thorough non-disclosure agreement in place that prevents them from sharing any of the particulars. 

The fact that there has been no officially confirmed price tag doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some solid speculation about the price which has yet to be refuted. According to most sources, the yacht likely cost its owner somewhere in the neighborhood of €530 million which, at the time, probably worked out to around $578 million to $600 million US.

How Fast is Sailing Yacht A?

The props on the yacht are powered by twin MTU 20V 4000 ML73 main diesel engines or by electric motors or even by both together. It runs up to 2,050rpm, giving 2,800kW, and makes use of four generators instead of five to cut down on the overall weight.  The generators are able to run down to 1,050rpm when it’s appropriate. Something called Superimposed System Controller (SSC) is able to constantly recalculate the optimal speed and determine the best combination of generators to use from moment to moment. This ensures optimal fuel and power usage while also limiting noise and vibration. 

The result of all of this engineering is that the yacht has a cruising speed of 16 knots and a top speed of 21 knots. 

The Bottom Line

Sailing Yacht A is the largest sail-assisted yacht in the world and, although the price is just speculated to be around $600 million, it’s clearly one of the most expensive yachts in the world as well. The exterior design is sleek and subtle and is able to hide many features including shell doors and windows while the interior spans 8 decks and has room for 54 crew and up to 20 passengers on board. The boat was seized by Italian authorities in 2022 and it’s unknown if or when the owner will get it back. 

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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MOTOR YACHT A – Cutting-edge $300M Superyacht

MOTOR YACHT A is one of the largest privately-owned megayachts in existence, measuring 119 meters (390 ft) in length.

It is currently ranked the 27th biggest yacht in the world and sails under the flag of Bermuda.

A was built by the famous shipyard Blohm & Voss in Kiel, Germany and after four years of construction, she was handed over to her new owner in 2008.

MOTOR YACHT A interior

The interior of the 119 meters (390 ft) long A offers plenty of natural light and elaborate wooden furniture, providing a luxurious and comfortable ambiance.

The interior design is by Philippe Starck, a renowned French architect, and designer who helped develop the private rooms of the Élysée Palace in Paris.

MOTOR YACHT A features a beautiful master suite and an additional six state-of-the-art guest cabins. A crew of 35 members is able to stay on board to take care of up to 14 guests.

Specifications

Two diesel engines power MOTOR YACHT A with an output of 9,000 kW each. A full tank of over 750,000 liters provides her with an impressive reach of up to 6,500 nautical miles.

Her cruising speed lies at 19 knots, but the vessel can reach maximum speeds of up to 23 knots.

A is equipped with the latest technology and control systems, which aid the crew in maneuvering the gigantic vessel. She has a width of 18.87 meters (61.90 ft) and weighs in at an impressive 5,500 tons.

Philippe Starck also created the exterior design of A in collaboration with naval architect Martin Francis and the shape of the yacht strongly resembles a US Navy destroyer.

A has a total of three swimming pools distributed on the different decks.

The pool on the front deck is the largest of all and is equipped with a jet nozzle that can simulate currents.

Furthermore, A features a spacious beach club as well as three tenders housed in their own garages.

She also has her own helicopter landing pad located on the forward main deck while three elevators make it easy for guests and crew to reach the different levels of the vessel.

Of course, A is equipped with a high-quality gym and a spacious spa area.

The price of MOTOR YACHT A is estimated at about US $300 million, which the owner, Russian billionaire Melnichenko paid for the vessel in 2008.

The annual costs amount to US $12 to $15 million depending on use.

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84 Luxury Yacht Interiors: Bedroom, Galley and Salon Pictures

Posted on Published: April 13, 2022  - Last updated: June 13, 2022

A yacht is really just a luxury floating home . When you’re talking 70 feet and larger, they’re a lot nicer than my house. As you’ll see in the luxury yacht interiors below, the quality and aesthetics are simply gorgeous. And we merely feature a small handful of such boats. There are thousands and thousands of these worldwide.

Our epic yacht interiors article is split into 5 galleries:  staterooms, guest bedrooms , salons and dinettes, kitchens and bathrooms. The point of this article is to merely give you a glimpse inside these ultra expensive boats… expensive to buy, run and maintain. Be sure to also check out our yacht decks galleries .

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Yacht Primary Bedrooms (Staterooms)

We kick off our yacht interiors gallery with the stateroom. When it comes to the primary bedroom on these boats, no expense is spared. They are large, comfortable and stunning in design. These bedrooms are bigger than our primary bedroom.

[su_divider]

Yacht Guest Bedrooms (2 Beds)

Many guest bedrooms on a yacht have two beds so that it can accommodate more people. However, they are, as you’ll see below, still very, very luxurious. These are certainly cozy sleeping quarters.

Salon and Dinette Photos

My favorite room on the boat is the salon and/or dinette area. In many cases, the dinette doubles as the living room. Mega yachts have dedicated salons and dining areas. I love these superb lounge designs below in the cabin as well as the upper lounge areas.

I must admit that kitchens on these super yachts are fairly small. I guess the cooking is done by the staff and yacht owners prefer to have more space for bedrooms, deck space and lounge space. That makes sense given there really is limited space. Nevertheless, these kitchens are gorgeous and the yacht designers certainly didn’t skimp with respect to quality.

Most boats dedicate very little space to bathrooms. Not these. The primary bathrooms below are incredible. The smaller bathrooms are guest bathrooms. These luxury yachts are so large and spacious that even the bathrooms are both beautiful and comfortable to use.

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Inside the shocking Sicily yacht tragedy that left 7 people dead

There was a violent storm, but even then, luxury yachts are built to weather such events. so why did this boat sink off the coast of sicily, leaving seven people dead, by natalie finn | e news • published august 24, 2024 • updated on august 24, 2024 at 9:34 am.

Originally appeared on E! Online

Nobody was trying to reach the lowest depths of the ocean or otherwise test the boundaries of human endurance .

📺 24/7 Chicago news stream: Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are

But what was supposed to be a routine pleasure cruise aboard a superyacht turned deadly all the same on the morning of Aug. 19 when the 184-foot Bayesian got caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Sicily .

"I can't remember the last time I read about a vessel going down quickly like that," Stephen Richter of SAR Marine Consulting told NBC News . "You know, completely capsizing and going down that quickly, a vessel of that nature, a yacht of that size."

Of the 22 people onboard, including crew, seven people died. The last of the bodies was recovered Aug. 23, an expectedly sad coda to what had already been a tragic week as the search for answers as to how this happened got underway.

And to be sure, every minute of the Bayesian's ill-fated outing is being fiercely scrutinized, starting with the general seaworthiness of the vessel itself.

Because, frankly, this was a freak occurrence.

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"Boats of this size, they’re taking passengers on an excursion or a holiday," Richter explained. "They are not going to put them in situations where it may be dangerous or it may be uncomfortable, so this storm that popped up was obviously an anomaly. These vessels that carry passengers, they’re typically very well-maintained, very well-appointed."

But in this case, a $40 million yacht sank, seven people are dead—including a billionaire tech mogul and his 18-year-old daughter—and morbid fascination doesn't need a second wind.

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Here is how the story of the Sicily yacht tragedy has unfolded so far:

What happened to the yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily?

The Bayesian had set off from the Sicilian port of Milazzo on Aug. 14 at capacity with 12 guests and 10 crewmembers aboard.

The aluminum-hulled vessel was built in 2008 by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi and registered in the U.K. Cruise sites listed it as available for charter at $215,000 per week, per the Associated Press.

On the morning of Aug. 19, the superyacht was anchored off the coast of Porticello, a small fishing village in the Sicilian province of Palermo (also the name of Sicily's capital city), when a violent storm hit.

The vessel "suddenly sank" at around 5 a.m. local time, seemingly due to "the terrible weather conditions," the City Council of Bagheria announced shortly afterward, per NBC News .

At the time, only one person was confirmed dead—the ship's chef—but six others were said to be missing. The 15 survivors—who managed to make it onto an inflatable life boat, according to emergency officials—were rescued that morning by the crew of another yacht that had been nearby when the storm hit.

"Fifteen people inside," Karsten Borner, the Dutch captain of the ship that was able to help (the Sir Robert Baden Powell), told reporters afterward, per Reuters. "Four people were injured, three heavily injured, and we brought them to our ship. Then we communicated with the coast guard, and after some time, the coast guard came and later picked up injured people."

When the storm hit, his boat ran into "a strong hurricane gust," Borner said, "and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position."

They "managed to keep the ship in position," he continued, but once the storm died down, they realized the other boat that had been behind them—the Bayesian—was gone.

The wreck ended up settling 165 feet below the surface, according to Italy's national fire department.

Fire officials said that divers, a motorboat and a helicopter were deployed to search for the missing.

Meanwhile, footage was captured of the ship capsizing on closed-circuit TV about a half-mile away from where it was anchored.

In the video obtained by NBC News, the illuminated 250-foot aluminum mast of the ship appears to list severely to one side before disappearing completely. Survivors recalled having just a few minutes to literally abandon ship.

Who were the seven people who died when the yacht Bayesian sank?

The tragedy initially became headline news because billionaire tech mogul Mike Lynch—"Britain's Bill Gates," some U.K. media called him—was among the missing. His body was ultimately recovered Aug. 22 .

"They told me that suddenly they found themselves catapulted into the water without even understanding how they had got there," Dr. Fabio Genco, head of the Palermo Emergency Medical Services, told NBC News Aug. 22. "And that the whole thing seems to have lasted from 3 to 5 minutes."

Genco said he got to Porticello about an hour after the Bayesian capsized.

Survivors "told me that it was all dark, that the yacht hoisted itself up and then went down," he said. "All the objects were falling on them. That’s why I immediately made sure, by asking them questions, if they had any internal injuries."

Why did the yacht sink?

Italian prosecutors are investigating to determine what transpired before the boat went down, according to NBC News.

Meanwhile, the CEO of shipbuilder Perini's parent company The Italian Sea Group defended the vessel itself as "unsinkable."

Perini boats "are the safest in the most absolute sense," Giovanni Costantino told Sky News Aug. 22 . What happened to the Bayesian "put me in a state of sadness on one side and of disbelief on the other," he continued. "This incident sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact."

Costantino said it had to have been human error that led to the boat sinking, declaring, "Mistakes were made."

"Everything that was done reveals a very long summation of errors," he told newspaper Corriere della Sera Aug. 21, in an interview translated from Italian. "The people should not have been in the cabins, the boat should not have been at anchor."

The weather was "all predictable," he continued, adding that the storm "was fully legible in all the weather charts. It couldn't have been ignored."

The yacht's captain, identified as James Cutfield of New Zealand, was taken to Termini Imerese hospital for treatment. From there, he told La Repubblica, per Sky News , that he didn't see the storm coming.

Borner, the captain of the ship that rescued the 15 Bayesian survivors, told NBC News that he noticed the storm come in at 4 a.m. local time, and saw what looked to him like a waterspout, a type of tornado that forms above water.

The International Centre for Waterspout Research posted on X Aug. 19 that it had "confirmed 18 waterspouts today off the coasts of Italy. Some were powerful waterspouts, one of which may have been responsible for the sinking of a large yacht off of Sicily."

Borner said he didn't know why the Bayesian sank so quickly, guessing "it may have something to do with the mast, which was incredibly long." (A tall mast, even with its sails down, means there's more surface area exposed to wind, which can result in tipping.)

Confirming that one person was dead and six unaccounted for immediately following the wreck on Aug. 19, Salvo Cocina of Sicily's civil protection agency told reporters that a waterspout had struck the area overnight.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

The 59-year-old founder of software firm Autonomy had been on the trip with his wife Angela Bacares and their 18-year-old, Oxford-bound daughter Hannah to celebrate his recent acquittal in the U.S. on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from the $11.7 billion purchase of his company by Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

In a bizarre turn of events, Lynch's co-defendant at trial, Stephen Chamberlain, the former vice president of finance at Autonomy, died after being taken off life support following a road accident on Aug. 17. Chamberlain's attorney told Reuters Aug. 20 that his friend and client had been out for a run when he was "fatally struck" by a car.

Meanwhile, multiple people who contributed to Lynch's defense were on the cruise with him and his family.

The bodies of Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer—who testified on Lynch's behalf—and his wife Judy Bloomer, as well as lawyer Chris Morvillo, a partner at the U.S. firm Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda Morvillo, a jewelry designer, were recovered on Aug. 21 .

In a LinkedIn post thanking the team that successfully defended Lynch, Morvillo wrote, per Sky News , "And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after…"

The first casualty confirmed Aug. 19 was the ship's Canadian-Antiguan chef, later identified as Recaldo Thomas.

"He was a one-of-a-kind special human being," a friend of Thomas told The Independent . "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."

Hannah's body was the last of the missing six to be found , with divers bringing her remains ashore on Aug. 23.

Lynch and Bacares, who was rescued, also shared a 21-year-old daughter, according to The Times.

While awaiting trial, Lynch—who maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings—had spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco. Back home in London afterward, he admitted to The Times in July that he'd been afraid of dying in prison if he'd been found guilty. (He faced a possible 25-year sentence.)

"It's bizarre, but now you have a second life," he reflected. "The question is, what do you want to do with it?"

(E!, NBC News and Sky News are all members of the Comcast family.)

“Not An Accident”: Bayesian Superyacht Sinking Victims Suffocated Inside Cabins Before Tragedy

Four of the seven victims killed in the Bayesian superyacht wreck were trapped alive inside the ship’s cabins and suffocated to death, according to their autopsies. 

Lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, along with Morgan Stanley Bank International Chair Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, all died of asphyxiation after the yacht’s air pockets ran out of oxygen, not from drowning, Italian outlet La Repubblica reported .

The $33 million vessel ran into a sudden, violent storm off the coast of northern Sicily and sank in the early hours of August 19.

Autopsies conducted over the past two days on the four passengers found that neither had water in their lungs, stomachs, or trachea.

Four of the seven victims of the Bayesian superyacht tragedy suffocated to death after the vessel’s air pockets ran out of oxygen

Image credits: Merijn de Waard/SuperYacht Times

The results come amid  conspiracy theories suggesting a connection between the sinking of the yacht and the acquittal of Mike Lynch, one of its passengers.

Pathologists with the Palermo Institute of Forensic Medicine determined the four victims died of asphyxiation when the air pockets they tried to breathe in ran out of oxygen and “quickly filled with rising levels of toxic carbon dioxide.”

Their bodies were recovered on the left side of the cabins. Their positioning suggests they were seeking the last air pockets as the yacht was sinking.

Among the victims were also British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who had sailed to celebrate his acquittal from fraud charges in June in the US, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and yacht chef Renaldo Thomas.

The businessman wanted to celebrate with those who had been closest to him during the 10-year judicial ordeal.

Image credits: Jonathan Brady/PA Image

The remaining post-mortem analyses on Lynch, his daughter, and Thomas will be carried out on Friday (September 6).

Angela Bacares, Lynch’s wife and Hanna’s mother, reportedly tried to warn those below deck that the ship was sinking.

As she told Italian media, she and Lynch had been woken around 4 am after the  superyacht suddenly tilted in a violent storm. 

Becares was reportedly injured when she stepped on broken glass, and she wasn’t able to reach the cabins as they quickly filled with water.

The mother was one of the 22 passengers and crew members on the  yacht who survived after being rescued from a raft.

Morgan Stanley Bank International Chair Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, died of asphyxiation inside the superyacht’s cabins on August 19

Image credits: staceyitv

The vessel was anchored close to the coast, 300 meters from Porticello, when it was hit by a waterspout—a whirlwind that develops at sea—created by a heavy thunderstorm that took place near Palermo at around five in the morning. 

Experts have noted that the sinking represents an extremely rare occurrence, given the boat’s size and the captain’s inability to predict the extreme weather.

“There were weather warnings out that evening for intense thunderstorms. They are still incredibly rare weather events,” explained Matthew Shank, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council. “It was unprecedented.”

The vessel was hit by a waterspout, a whirlwind that develops at sea and is created by a heavy thunderstorm, in northern Sicily

Image credits: Jonathan Brady/PA Images

“I’ve never heard of a 56-meter (183 ft) boat being sunk like this,” Stewart Campbell, the editor-in-chief of Boat International, said during an  interview with the BBC .

“This is a supremely well-made and capable  trans-oceanic vessel . They are designed to withstand extreme weather.”

While the storm was anticipated, winds were higher than expected, stated Campbell. 

“The forecast was of a light offshore breeze. None of my colleagues in the industry expected this. They are all as shocked as I am,” he added.

Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s Civil Protection, said that the force of the storm caused the Bayesian’s  mast to break in half , causing damage to the hull and resulting in the boat becoming unbalanced. Its 72-meter (237 ft) mast was the world’s tallest aluminum mast and the second-tallest overall, as per Sky News.

Lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, were also among the victims

Image credits: Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan

The Sir Robert, a nearby Dutch sailing ship, was anchored just meters away from the Bayesian and managed to escape from the storm unharmed.

The autopsies of the four victims have reignited  conspiracy theories suggesting a connection between the events leading up to the tragedy and the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and those close to him.

Lynch was accused of inflating the value of his development company, Autonomy, before selling it for $11.1 billion to the US corporate giant HP.

Since 2012, the magnate has faced a total of 15  charges (one for conspiracy and 14 for fraud). He was acquitted last June.

The bodies of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who had sailed to celebrate his acquittal from fraud charges, and his daughter, Hannah, were also recovered

Image credits: The Royal Society/Wikimedia Commons

What has fueled theories is that 48 hours before the Bayesian sank, Lynch’s co-defendant and friend, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being run over while jogging in Stretham, Cambridgeshire.

The main conspiracy involves claims that the businessman and his co-defendant were both killed as revenge, although it’s not clear by whom or why.

“That was a deliberate clean murder; we will never get to the bottom of it. Mike Lynch just won his case,” an X user wrote.

“The problem with this story is that there was a smaller boat moored near the Bayesian – and it had no problem riding out the storm…” another said.

A third user added: “There is no way this guy and his co-defendant died in two separate random accidents just days after winning an almost unwinnable case.”

Italian prosecutors are investigating the boat’s captain, James Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffith for possible manslaughter and shipwreck charges

Image credits: Breed Media/SuperYacht Times

Image credits: guardiacostiera

Italian prosecutors are reportedly investigating the boat’s captain, James Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffith for possible manslaughter and shipwreck charges.

Giovanni Rizzuti, one of two legal representatives appointed to defend Cutfield,  said the captain has been “deeply affected by this ordeal.”

“We are currently assessing, with other legal representatives, the defense strategy and examining the technical aspects of the case.”

“May their souls rest in peace,” a Facebook user wrote

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Video: See inside 9 of the most amazing modern sailing superyachts

• September 10, 2020

Sailing superyacht technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years - we take a closer look at nine of the most stunning examples...

1. Aquarius

The brief for Aquarius included that she should be, ‘an elegant, muscular sailing yacht with a classic profile for family enjoyment.’ But that barely scratches the surface of the main requirements for this giant ketch. The owners also wanted a yacht that would combine good seakeeping characteristics with performance, reliability and quality.

Essential features included relative simplicity, robustness of systems and a contemporary interpretation of elegant, classic lines, with a clean and uncomplicated appearance. Aquarius ’s graceful lines and timeless shape belie a rugged world cruiser configured to be self-sufficient for extended periods when voyaging well beyond the popular Med and Caribbean circuits. In addition, the yacht is welcoming for family and friends, while providing sufficient performance to compete in superyacht regattas.

Specifications

LOA: 56.18m (184ft 4in) LWL: 41.17m (135ft 1in) Beam: 9.51m (31ft 2in) Draught: 4.80m (15ft 9in) Displacement: 264 tonnes (591,360lbs) Mainsail: 520m2 (5,597ft2) Mizzen: 440m2 (4,736ft2) Blade: 430m2 (4,628ft2) Air draught: 58.50m (192ft 11in) Spars: Rondal carbon with Rondal/Carbo-Link continuous standing rigging Builder: Royal Huisman Launched: 2017

Photo: Baltic Yachts

2. Pink Gin VI

The Baltic 175 Pink Gin may have captured most of the headlines for her sheer size and cleverly engineered topside balconies, but below decks a collection of Cuban art and some phenomenal styling demand equal attention.

Mark Tucker’s team at Design Unlimited in the UK worked closely with the yacht’s owner, Professor Hans Georg Näder, with whom they had co-operated on his previous Pink Gin , to produce an unusual exercise in interior styling.

LOA: 53.90m (176ft 10in) LWL: 45.27 m (148ft 6in) Beam: 9.55 m (31ft 4in) Draft: 4.50-7.00 m (14ft 9in – 22ft 12in) Displacement: 250 tons (560,000lbs) Ballast: 79 tons (176,960lbs) Naval architect: Judel/Vrolijk & co Interior: Design Unlimited Builder: Baltic Launched: 2017

Article continues below…

Liara: The Baltic 112 superyacht designed to cruise the world in supreme comfort

Over the past decade we’ve been treated to the rise of the custom built cruiser-racer. Arguably inspired by the success…

Aquarius: Modern classic masterpiece makes for a surprisingly sensible superyacht

A demanding brief for Aquarius from experienced sailors has produced a masterpiece from some of the most experienced and talented…

The Baltic 142 Canova  may not be using the hydrofoils popularised by the America’s Cup , but her 29ft 6in long (9m) horizontal sliding foil employs the same principle of lift to reduce heel and boost speed. The designers of the Dynamic Stability System (DSS) say it could improve the performance of this super-cruiser by 20 per cent, delivering a sustained 25 knots – not bad for a superyacht that displaces 146 tonnes. This is the first time the DSS has been used in superyachting, but its benefits will be used for comfortable, fast long-distance cruising rather than gaining an edge on the racecourse.

With styling and interior design by Lucio Micheletti as well as the in-house team, Canova  sports a sleek, low deck saloon with a hard, fixed bimini extending over the forward cockpit area. Below, her vast deck saloon, providing panoramic views, forms the focal point of her luxury accommodation.

Unusually, the owner’s suite is located almost amidships, where motion is at its least, with further accommodation for six guests in three cabins. Other features include a Rondal rig with electric in-boom furling, a lifting keel and a propeller leg rotating through 180 degrees.

LOA: 43.3m (142ft 1in) LWL: 41.6m (136ft 6in) Beam: 9.m (29ft 6in) Draft: 3.8-6.5m (12ft 6in-21ft 4in) Displacement: 146.5 tons (328,160lbs) Naval architect: Farr Yacht Design Interior design: Baltic Yachts / Lucio Micheletti Exterior design: Lucio Micheletti Builder: Baltic Launched: 2019

Photo: Perini Navi

Part of the world’s largest sailing yacht series by length, Seven is hull number 3 in Perini Navi’s 60m ketch series, after Seahawk and Perseus 3 . Launched in 2017, she was feted for her groundbreaking interior lighting design throughout all five guest cabins. A powerful motor-sailer, her twin MTU engines and 47,000-litre fuel capacity mean a globe-trotting range of 3,600nm when motoring at 12 knots.

LOA: 60m (197ft) LWL: 50.4m (165ft 4in) Beam: 11.4m (37ft 4in) Draft: 4.3m-12.3m (14ft 1in – 40ft 4in) Mast height: 62.2m (204ft) Total sail area: 2,097 m2 (22,572ft2) Displacement: 575 tonnes (1,288,000 lbs) Naval architect: Ron Holland / Perini Navi Builder: Perini Navi Launched: 2017

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget / Wally

This may be the fourth 100ft yacht designed to the Wallycento box rule, but it’s one that raises the bar with regard to combining form and functionality with outrageously cool aesthetics. Considering that Wally is yachting’s deity of style, that’s saying something.

Tango is at the very forefront of modern fast monohull design and advanced technology. Its stealthy black livery and long, low lines combine with a bold reverse sheerline to create a potent, powerful look. The ruthlessly clean deck is signature Wally. The image of the single helmsman on deck, with all that power and beauty controlled simply by the touch of a network of buttons on the pedestals, has become an icon for the Italian brand.

LOA: 30.48m (100ft) Beam: 7.20m (23ft 7in) Draught: 4.4-6.2m (14ft 5in-20ft 4in) Displacement (light): 47,500kg (104,720lb) Upwind sail area: 640m2 (6,889ft2) Downwind sail area: 1,398m2 (15,048ft2) Naval architecture: Mills Design Exterior design: Wally / Mills Design Interior design: Pininfarina Builder: Persico Marine Launched: 2017

Photo: Breed Media

The owner’s brief for Ngoni would be challenging for any size of yacht: “Build me a beast. Don’t build me a sheep in wolf’s clothing. This has to be an edgy and innovative weapon; fast and furious.” When the boat in question is a giant 58m (190ft) sloop with a displacement of nearly 400 tonnes this project was always going to push hard against existing boundaries of design, deck hardware and materials technology.

“The owner wanted me to take a fresh look at large yacht design,” Dubois recalled before his untimely death four years ago. “He wanted me to go back to my roots in the late 1970s and ’80s when we were designing race boats, but he also knew we had designed a number of high-performance yachts that were nevertheless seaworthy and comfortable cruisers. So I had to reset my internal computer, if you like, and look hard at how we could save weight and add strength.

“That’s how the reverse sheer came about. I was worried he might not like it. The next time we met in London I showed him the design and he loved it – in fact he gave me a big bear hug!”

LOA: 58.15m 190ft 9in LWL: 51.20m 167ft 12in Beam: 9.54m 31ft 4in Draught: 5.3m-81m (17ft 5in-26ft 7in) Displacement: 353 tons (778,224lb) Upwind sail area: 1,950m2 (20,989ft2) Downwind sail area: 3,093m2 (33,293ft2) Air draught: 75m (247ft) Naval architect: Ed Dubois Interior design: Paul Morgan / Rick Baker Builder: Royal Huisman Launched: 2017

Photo: Vitters Shipyard

Ahimsa is a 216ft sloop-rigged aluminum yacht, designed by the late Ed Dubois. Built with a combination of innovation and advanced technical craftsmanship, Ahimsa boasts a low superstructure and deck clean. Key features include the ability to hoist her mainsail in less than two minutes and tack the boat within 30 seconds.

The 83m carbonfibre mast is the largest ever produced by Southern Spars and had to be transported to The Netherlands in two pieces. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Ahimsa ‘s Code 1 sail is the world’s largest artwork on canvas, designed by the Norwegian artist Magne Furuholmen.

LOA: 66m (216ft 6in) Mast height: 83m (272ft 4in) Naval architect: Ed Dubois Builder: Vitters Launched: 2012

Svea , the newest addition to the now nine-strong J Class fleet, is one of the most outstanding new yachts of modern times – a harmonious meeting of historic and modern design; a blend of J Class lines and maxi grand prix yacht technology.

All Js dazzle on the water, but Svea simply stops you in your tracks. Her lines and deck are kept spectacularly clean, thanks to the compact wheelhouse, sunken wheel and wonderfully low boom.

Her dark metallic grey hull and black and red sail wardrobe lend her timeless lines a slightly menacing appearance – a purposeful racing look that belies the luxurious interior below decks. The aggressive aesthetics are in keeping with her name, a Viking word (it means Swede).

LOA: 43.6m (143ft 1in) Interior design: Pieter Beeldsnijder / deVos deVries design Builder: Vitters/Bloemsma Launched: 2017

Not only is Liara a masterpiece of style, thanks to UK-based super designers Malcolm McKeon and Adam Lay combining to stunning effect, but she clearly represents a formidable amount of experience. And that all stems from the boss.

This is the fourth Liara for British serial yacht owner Tony Todd, who is now in his seventies. His initial brief was for a safe, comfortable family cruising yacht for circumnavigating the globe , hence the deep and well-protected cockpit. However, Todd has been racing yachts all his life, and once his competitive side kicked in and the odd regatta was mentioned, the speed, weight and deck layout to make this possible became critical features. The result is Liara , the definitive multi-role superyacht.

Specification

LOA: 112ft 0in (34.14m) LWL: 105ft 0in (32.00m) Beam: 25ft 11in (7.90m) Draught: 13ft 0in-20ft 2in (3.95m-6.15m) Displacement (light): 88 tonnes (194,000 lbs) Design: Malcolm McKeon / Adam Lay Builder: Baltic Launched: 2019

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Inside the £30m Bayesian superyacht

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

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

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

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

When launched, it had the tallest aluminium mast in the world, at 237ft , earning the accolade of best exterior styling at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009.

Inside, the sleek, minimalist furnishings were created by Remi Tessier. The French design house also designed the 240ft-long Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern, the president of Patek Philippe, and the 177ft-long Parsifal III, made famous by the television show Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

The Bayesian, which accommodated 12 guests in its master, three double and two twin bedrooms, was furnished with a teak deck and beige sofas set against dark wood furnishings.

Thin brown pillars and miniature terracotta sculptures offered a Japanese influence, while a crescent canvas awning kept guests cool on the top deck.

The superyacht won best interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008, and was also voted one of the best sailing yachts over 45 metres at the 2009 World Superyacht Awards.

Its original owner was John Groenewoud, a Dutch real estate developer, who was said to have purchased Salute from Eric Albada Jelgersma for a reported €35 million (£30 million) when it was built.

Mr Groenewoud, he founder of Built to Build Real Estate, set out an asking price of $35 million (£27 million) and sold the yacht in 2014, according to Boat International.

The Bayesian is now owned by Revtom, a company that listed Angela Bacares, Mr Lynch’s wife, as its legal owner in April.

It was given the name because Bayesian was the subject of Mr Lynch’s PhD and the name of the statistical method that helped build his empire.

A former chief stewardess of the yacht has spoken of putting on themed occasions and games for the owner’s two daughters.

Monica Jensen, 48, worked on the 184ft superyacht from November 2018 to October 2020 and told The Telegraph: “I had a fantastic time.”

She said she was surprised to hear of the sinking because the boat had withstood the choppiest of seas, telling The Telegraph: “It seems a bit strange. We have been in bad weather with it, crossed the Atlantic. It’s been all over. These things definitely don’t happen very often.”

Ms Jensen said the crew would have been well drilled on the evacuation process, adding: “You can’t work on a boat without the right certificates, training, and you do drills monthly.”

The vessel, which was operated by Camper & Nicholsons, had twin 965hp MTU engines, giving it a range of 3,600 nautical miles at 13-15 knots.

RSB Rigging carried out rig service works on it in conjunction with Astilleros de Mallorca, a shipyard facility in Palma, in November 2016. The Bayesian returned in September 2020 for scheduled service works, with the mast removed and reinstalled.

Steve Branagh, the managing director of RSB Rigging, told The Telegraph: “At this time, our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and families of all those affected by this dreadful tragedy.”

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Divers uncover the 6th missing body after luxury superyacht sank in freak storm off sicily. here's what we know about the incident..

It's been five days since the Bayesian, a luxury superyacht, sank after being caught in a violent storm.

Bodies of Autonomy founder Mike Lynch and his daughter recovered from sunken Bayesian yacht

Mike Lynch, the U.K. investor and founder of IT company Autonomy, has been identified as one of two bodies recovered from the Bayesian, the yacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily early Monday, according to several reports coming out of the country that cite the chief of Civil Protection, Salvo Cocina. The boat, registered to Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, quickly capsized in the early hours of Monday after it was struck by a tornado-like water column. In a tragic coincidence, Chamberlain was hit by a car last Saturday and died of his wounds earlier this week.

Mike Lynch, recently acquitted in HP-Autonomy fraud case, is missing after yacht capsized off Sicily (updated)

Mike Lynch, the investor and high-profile founder of U.K. tech firm Autonomy, has been declared missing at sea after the yacht he was on, the Bayesian, capsized in a storm off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, is one of the 15 who have been rescued. The news is a dramatic, tragic development for one of the more colorful, and sometimes controversial, figures in technology out of the U.K.

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4 victims on Mike Lynch's yacht were trapped inside air bubbles before suffocating, report suggests

• Four victims in a sunken superyacht were likely trapped inside air bubbles, per Italian media.
• The four ran out of oxygen and suffocated, la Repubblica reported, citing autopsy results.
• The yacht sank last month, claiming seven lives, including the tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

Four of the bodies recovered from Mike Lynch's superyacht showed signs that they had been trapped inside air bubbles before suffocating to death, an Italian media report said.

La Repubblica, citing autopsy results, reported that four of the seven victims who died after British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily last month died of "atypical drowning."

The autopsies found no water in their lungs, trachea, or stomach, which suggested that they ran out of oxygen while stuck inside air pockets in one of the yacht's cabins, per the outlet.

Pathologists from the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Palermo's Polyclinic carried out the autopsies on the bodies of Lynch's attorney Chris Morvillo; his wife, Neda Morvillo; the Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer; and his wife, Judy Bloomer, on Monday and Tuesday, the report said.

Tiziana Lenzo, a press officer for Palermo's Polyclinic, told Business Insider that the hospital was not allowed to comment on the autopsy results because the incident is under investigation.

The 183-foot Bayesian superyacht sank on August 19 during stormy weather near Porticello, prompting the Italian Coast Guard to launch a search-and-rescue effort.

Fifteen of the 22 people on board survived, while seven — including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter — were confirmed dead.

Matthew Schanck, the chairman of the UK's Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told BI last month, while the rescue efforts were still ongoing, that divers were likely searching for air pockets where survivors may be located.

Meanwhile, Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, told Sky News at the time that divers had a "very small" window of time to try to locate anyone stuck inside, hopefully in "an air pocket."

In the aftermath of the sinking, some have focused blame on crew members.

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Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the firm that built the Bayesian in 2008, criticized crew members for not following protocol and failing to prepare for the storm.

Costantino told the Financial Times that the yacht was "designed to be absolutely stable."

Franco Romani, a nautical architect who was part of the team that designed the yacht, told La Stampa that the Bayesian was built to go to sea in "any weather" and that a side hatch left open could have let water enter the vessel, per Reuters.

During a press conference last month, investigators said five bodies had been discovered in the same cabin.

Italian prosecutors said they had opened a manslaughter investigation following the sinking.

The captain of the yacht, James Cutfield from New Zealand, and two Britons — an engineer, Tim Parker Eaton, and a crew member, Matthew Griffiths — have been placed under investigation, per Sky News .

• Main content

Autopsies show drowning as the cause of death for a US banker and wife in super yacht sinking

U.s. lawyer chris morvillo and his wife neda were among seven people who died when the bayesian sank in a sudden, violent storm on aug. 19, by the associated press • published september 2, 2024 • updated on september 2, 2024 at 2:41 pm.

The first autopsies of victims of the Bayesian super yacht sinking off Sicily show drowning as the cause of death, authorities said Monday.

U.S. lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda were among seven people who died when the Bayesian sank in a sudden, violent storm on Aug. 19. The autopsies were carried out by coroners designated by Palermo prosecutors, who confirmed the results.

📺 Watch News4 now: Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Autopsies are planned Wednesday on the bodies of Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy.

They are pending for the remaining three victims, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who had organized the yacht trip to celebrate a recent legal victory, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and the yacht’s cook, Recaldo Thomas.

Morvillo was one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers in a fraud case involving the sale in 2011 of Autonomy, a search engine company that became a symbol of British ingenuity, to Hewlett-Packard, in an $11 billion deal that quickly turned sour over allegations Lynch had cooked the books to overvalue Autonomy. He was acquitted in June.

Prosecutors are investigating the captain and two crew members for possible responsibility in connection with the sinking. The 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht sank during what appears to have been a sudden downburst, or localized powerful wind from a thunderstorm that spreads rapidly after hitting the surface. Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife, were rescued.

Prosecutors said raising the Bayesian and examining the yacht for evidence would provide key elements to the investigation. No timeline has been determined.

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