largest single mast sailing yachts

Yachting World

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Perini Navi’s new 60m sloop Perseus^3 boasts the world’s largest single sail

• Elaine Bunting
• May 26, 2015

The new Perini Navi sloop Perseus^3 has the world's third largest carbon mast and her A2 spinnaker is the world’s largest single sail, bigger than all the giant Maltese Falcon’s 15 sails combined. Mike Owen and Rob Peake report

Perseus^ 3 is the second in Perini Navi’s new 60m series, launched earlier this year and in Palma for her first regatta and she is likely to turn heads, if only for her sheer scale.

This line is designed with performance much higher in mind than any previous Perini flybridge yachts, as already demonstrated by Seahawk, the first of the range, at the Bucket this year and last. Perseus^3 (Perseus Cubed) clearly goes a step or two further.

She is sloop rigged and her carbon mast stands third tallest in the world. Her Doyle inventory comprises a whopping 10,000m2/107,640ft2 of sails, and her A2 spinnaker is the world’s largest single sail, measuring 2,602m2/28,010ft2. For scale, this one sail alone is bigger than all the giant Maltese Falcon’s 15 sails combined.

The new 60m Perini Navi, Perseus^3

Doyle reports that initially there was simply no existing fabric capable of this job, so they developed their own new cloth, blending Polyester with Dyneema to give the cloth high strength and tear resistance, as well as light weight and enough softness for easy handling.

Future Fibres was responsible for the 16.4-tonne mast, one of the three tallest ever built, saying: “We have managed to produce a tube with a perfect exterior surface and a flawless Clearcote gloss carbon finish with zero filler – which can add up to three per cent to the weight of a mast.”

A new rig load monitoring system will use strain gauges to detect the loads acting on the carbon fibre rig components.

To manage this massive sailplan, Perini has been busy creating its own new generation of fast, quiet captive winches and furlers with variable-speed motors, a max loading of 30 tonnes for headsail, and varying line speeds aboard between 40 and 110 metres a minute. Forward there’s a carbon sprit, also a first for Perini, for the huge flying sails, the Code 0 calling for Future Fibres’ largest ever top-down furler.

But Perseus^3 has more than one focus. Her owner sailed his previous Perini, the 50m/164ft Perseus (now Silencio) in a circumnavigation with his young family. They enjoyed the cruising and also competed in the Hamilton Island Race Week. Charter was useful, too. All this will continue with Perseus^3 , perhaps just faster.

There’s a top bluewater and race-experienced permanent crew on board, vital to the safe handling of such an immense rig, and the accommodation is well suited for private and charter use.

Bruce Brakenhoff of Perini Navi USA explains: “When it came to planning his new, second Perini, the owner said: ‘I really love cruising, having my family aboard the boat, having a successful charter boat and I really love doing Buckets, so I want a boat that has as few compromises as possible to cover all of those bases.’

“When we started from that blank sheet of paper, not only with the engineering systems and changes like chainplate relocation for the sloop rig, I remember a meeting with Ron Holland with the owner saying what else can we do to make this even faster? Ron had just delivered a twin-rudder boat he’d had good experience with and suggested this. The owner thought it a great idea.

“But at the same time as it’s fast, this boat will be as popular a charter boat because it has a fantastic layout, an amazing owner’s suite, a humungous flybridge, and it’s got a pool, one of those lap pools where you swim against the jets – the thing’s like eight metres wide, it’ll turn into the biggest spinnaker pit you’ve ever seen!”

That could come in handy with that huge spinnaker.

With a centreboard Perseus^3 still can cruise in the Bahamas, but she will not manage the Panama Canal as she is too tall to fit under the Bridge of the Americas.

LOA 60m 197ft

LWL 50.4m 164ft

Beam 11.4m 37ft 5in

Draught 4.3-12.3m 14-39ft

Displacement 570 tonnes

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Jeff Bezos’ New Yacht Is Finally Ready to Set Sail

Amazon’s founder has been spotted on Koru, a massive schooner with a design that evokes the golden age of sailing in the early 20th century.

By Kevin Koenig

Just in time for the high season of yachting in the Mediterranean, when multimillion-dollar megayachts descend on ports like Monte Carlo and St. Tropez, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has been photographed with his partner Lauren Sánchez on his new boat, Koru, off the coast of Spain.

Mr. Bezos’ vessel is a sailing yacht, a departure from the diesel-powered, floating palaces popular with other billionaires. But it is still massive. At 417 feet, Koru is the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International , and it cost an estimated $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . (Parsifal III, the boat featured on Bravo’s reality series “Below Deck Sailing Yacht,” is 177 feet long — less than half the length of Koru — and cost $18 million , according to the website SuperYachtFan.)

A spokesperson for Mr. Bezos did not comment for this article; neither did Oceanco, Koru’s builder. Here is what to know about the boat.

For traditionalists, Koru is refreshing. At a time when yacht design skews outrageous — see the lizardlike, 262-foot Artefact or the otherworldly 463-foot Yas — Koru stands out as a schooner, a sailing vessel with two or more masts. Photos reveal a large sailboat with three masts, an on-deck pool and a voluptuous mermaid on the bow, that bears a resemblance to Ms. Sánchez. But otherwise, the sleek, classic lines suggest the patrician age of yachting in the early 20th century, said Robert B. MacKay, author of “The Golden Age of Newport Yachting: Between the Wars.”

“With the clipper bow and the dark hull and the masts,” Mr. MacKay said, referring to Koru’s concave, pointy forward section, “it reminds me of a boat built in 1930 for J.P. Morgan Jr., Corsair IV. It is almost like a reincarnation. It’s certainly at odds with the stuff the oligarchs are building — those look like bloated Clorox bottles.”

Compared with the world’s very largest motor yachts — built for sheer size and the accompanying bragging rights — Koru could almost be considered quaint. Azzam, one of the world’s largest motor yachts, is nearly 200 feet longer.

The Experience

Koru will be propelled primarily by the wind. “Sailboats are usually greener than most powerboats,” said Don Anderson, a former captain of M5 , the world’s largest single-masted sailboat, at 256 feet. “I’d like to think that Koru will be one of the most ecological yachts out there, with its sails and also with the technology that will be aboard.”

“When you’re on a sailboat, you’re more in touch with the wind and the waves than on a powerboat,” he continued. “You’re more susceptible to the elements, too. But you can leave California, and once you get past the Catalinas you can basically surf downwind all the way to Hawaii. All you need to do is run with the waves.”

Mr. Bezos has been a guest on similar boats, according to Bloomberg: In 2019, he was spotted on Eos , a 305-foot sailing yacht owned by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

Bill Tripp, a Connecticut-based naval architect, said the appeal of this type of boat is clear: “When you are on a powerboat, you ask, ‘Are we there yet?’ and on a sailboat, you’re enjoying the ride and the ocean so much that you don’t ask that question.”

Koru will be trailed by Abeona, a 246-foot support vessel. Superyachts often have support vessels following along behind them. These “shadows,” as they are colloquially known, are for the “toys” — the ATVs, supercars, seaplanes, motorcycles, smaller boats, scuba gear, personal submarines and even helicopters that pleasure boaters might bring on a trip. According to its builder, this model of boat can carry these gadgets along with dozens of crew members. (Ms. Sanchez flies helicopters, and the couple was recently photographed taking a helicopter to board Abeona and then Koru.)

Abeona, a motor yacht, will have enough range to follow Koru from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean — a common course for yachts — on a single tank of gas.

The Kerfuffle

Koru set off a controversy last year — before it was even completed — in a face-off with the Dutch city of Rotterdam. The boat was built at Oceanco’s facility in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, and needed to pass the historic Koningshaven Bridge, known as “De Hef,” in Rotterdam, to undergo testing in the North Sea.

When the city announced it would dismantle the bridge to allow the boat and its mainmast — an estimated 230 feet tall — to pass through unscathed, locals were angry. They planned a protest to throw eggs at the yacht as it cruised by. In the end, the bridge was not taken apart, and the yacht was towed to a different location to have its masts attached.

Koru is Maori for “coil” or “loop” and refers to the unfurling of a fern frond. The koru design is common in traditional Maori art, where it symbolizes new life, growth and peace. Mr. Bezos included a photo of a koru frond in an Instagram post on Jan. 1, 2022.

Brad Stone, who was the first to report on Koru, in his 2021 book “Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire,” said the name was “consistent with where we see him today.”

“He is no longer this single-minded tech guy,” Mr. Stone said. “He’s in media and Hollywood and has a new relationship.”

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• Nation & World

277-foot-long super yacht docks in Portland Harbor

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The largest single-mast sailing yacht ever built is now docked in Portland, towering over the other boats.

The M5 measures about 277-feet-long (84 meters) and has a mast extending 54 feet (16 meters). The Portland Press Herald reports the massive watercraft arrived Monday from Newport, Rhode Island.

“Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors” Publisher John Hanson says the people who own yachts like the M5 “have large egos and it takes a very large yacht to carry them.”

The M5 was originally commissioned by Avis CEO Joseph Vittoria.

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The vessel has a master bedroom suite on its main deck and six cabins that sleep up to 12 people. Running the boat requires a crew of more than a dozen.

One of the world's largest sailing yachts arrives on Vancouver Island

One of the largest sailing yachts in the world cruised into a small Vancouver Island community this week, drawing a constant stream of onlookers to the Mill Bay Marina.

At 78 metres long and nearly 90 metres tall, the sloop M5 is hard to miss.

According to Boat International magazine, the Cayman-flagged vessel is the largest single-masted sailing yacht in the world.

The M5 sailed into the Saanich Inlet marina on Sunday, with a floatplane housed on its rear deck.

Built in 2004 by U.K. shipyard Vosper Thornycroft at an estimated US$50 million, the vessel is owned by Texas oil billionaire Rod Lewis, according to Boat International.

Marina staff say the vessel is due to depart on Friday.

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World’s two tallest masts of sailing yacht Salute and superyacht M5 serviced by Marine Results

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Written by Chelsea Smith

Marine Results, an international rigging and structural inspection company has just carried out service work on the masts of sailing yacht M5 and superyacht Salute – two of the world’s tallest masts.  Marine Results inspected the rig of fast cruising sloop Salute which has the world’s tallest aluminium mast at a towering 75 metres.  But even that measurement was dwarfed by the next project on the schedule, that of the giant 89 metres high rig belonging to the 75m yacht M5 (ex Mirabella) .  Sailing yacht M5 is not only the world’s largest sailing sloop but she has the world’s tallest carbon rig.

Marine Results personnel work on the gigantic M5 sailing yacht mast.

“We have worked extensively with both yachts since they were launched,” comments Jon Morris of Marine Results. “Following completion of the two most recent projects we reflected that we had just carried out work on the world’s two largest rigs in their particular construction category.  We are pretty proud of that achievement and the way that it illustrates our capabilities.”

In the case of the 56m Perini Navi yacht Salute, Marine Results carried out an extensive inspection after the team un-stepped the rig at the Perini Navi yard in La Spezia, where she was originally built.  Marine Results then worked with Perini’s mast division to complete the inspection on the mast and rigging systems. Marine Results specialises in a range of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques to check for concealed stressing and damage.

The second of the two record breakers, the M5 yacht had her mast pulled out as part of a substantial one-year refit at Pendennis Shipyard in Cornwall.  Marine Results was called in to unstep the rig prior to an extensive modification programme which is expected to last until the end of 2012.

“Unstepping the rig was no small job,” said Morris. “The rig weighs a colossal 46 tonnes. To give you an idea of the size of the job, when we removed the boom vang, this alone was 9.5 metres long and weighed 900 kg.

“One of our strengths is our ability to deploy our teams around the world to carry out service work on dozens of the world’s most advanced racing and cruising superyachts,” concludes Jon Morris.  Marine Results is based in Hamble, England and La Ciotat, France .

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "World’s two tallest masts of sailing yacht Salute and superyacht M5 serviced by Marine Results".

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Sailing yacht M5 (ex Mirabella V) leaves Pendennis after comprehensive refit

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• Local & State

Super yacht docked in Portland Harbor among world’s largest

The M5, at 277 feet long and 54 feet wide, is the largest single-masted sailing yacht in the world, and as of Thursday, it's moored at DiMillo's Marina.

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The largest single-masted sailing yacht ever built is docked in Portland Harbor and towering over DiMillo’s Marina in the Old Port.

Called the M5 and measuring about 277 feet long with a beam 54 feet, the massive pleasure craft arrived Monday, a DiMillo’s employee said.

Where it’s headed or who’s aboard has not been publicly disclosed, but according to MarineTraffic.com, the vessel sailed to Maine from Newport, Rhode Island.

But one thing is for sure – the owner is likely wealthier than your wildest dreams.

“The guys who have the money and the wherewithal to do this have large egos and it takes a very large yacht to carry them,” said John Hanson, publisher of Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors magazine. Advertisement

Hanson said the original owners of boats this size are typically open and public about it, while those who buy them “used” tend to be more discreet. “The first owner builds it as a way to show how big and powerful he is,” Hanson said.

In this case, the M5 was commissioned by Joseph Vittoria, the former chairman and CEO of Avis rental car company. It was completed at a British shipyard and launched in 2004 under the name Mirabella V, but was renamed in 2012 after the boat changed owners.

The original price was not reported at the time it was launched, but was later estimated to be $50 million by people in the maritime industry.

Vittoria reportedly sold the sloop in 2011 for $25 million, according to Fortune magazine and other sources. The buyer was Rod Lewis, a billionaire Texas oil-and-gas tycoon.

The vessel has a master bedroom suite on its main deck and six cabins that sleep up to 12 people. Running the boat requires a crew of more than a dozen, according to a 2010 Greenwich Time story .

And if mooring it isn’t possible, there is a smaller yacht stored inside the hull that can be launched to ferry passengers and visitors back and forth to shore from an anchorage. Advertisement

If water travel isn’t appealing, there is even space to park a small sea plane on the stern, thanks to a retrofit that extended the M5’s overall length.

Hanson said that many boats this size are often chartered, and at great cost.

As of 2005, the yacht’s charter rate per week was about $420,000, and if it was rented 14 weeks a year, the rental revenue of about $5.9 million would equal its annual operating costs, the Greenwich newspaper reported. Whether those figures still hold true is unknown.

While larger sailing yachts with more masts have been constructed, M5 still ranks as the largest of the single-mast variety, according to BoatInternational.com, a clearinghouse for news and advertisements for yacht sales, rankings and charters and other expensive maritime hobbies. The Greenwich paper reported that the mast is nearly 290 feet tall, nearly the height of the Statue of Liberty and too tall to fit under the Golden Gate Bridge, according to Forbes.

Hanson said Maine is a popular destination this time of year for wealthy, seafaring travelers.

“There’s no place better to have your boat in August than the coast of Maine. Seriously,” he said. “Maine is the most awesome cruising grounds in the world. And that’s why they’re here. You can explore the coast of Maine in a 24-footer you get on Craigslist, and have the same experience. Well, not quite the same experience. You might be drinking out of a beer can. But the view is the same.”

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

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Twitter: MattByrnePPH

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Did Bayesian superyacht’s 237ft mast cause it to sink?

Bayesian’s 237ft metal mast may have played a part in the sinking of the superyacht off the coast of Sicily , experts have suggested.

The yacht, named after the mathematical theory Mike Lynch used to make his millions in the tech industry, foundered in the small hours of Monday morning.

Key among potential reasons for the loss of the vessel will be its most striking feature – the aluminium mast.

Four British personnel from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch are on their way to Palermo to carry out a preliminary assessment.

There are also theories that hot overnight temperatures of 27C (80C) could have prompted passengers to leave portholes and windows open – hastening the sinking when the high winds hit.

Launched in 2008 by Perini Navi, Bayesian is one of the 50 largest sailing yachts in the world and her mammoth mast supported a total sail area of almost 32,000 sq ft.

Bayesian had the tallest aluminium mast in the world when it first took to the seas under her former name Salute. The record was overtaken last year when Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire launched his yacht, Koru.

Koru’s masts stretch to 278ft tall according to Boat International magazine.

Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander and warship captain, said initial reports from survivors and witnesses suggested “that the weather was sufficiently violent to cause her to capsize at anchor”.

Weather reports from Palermo airport, 12 miles west of the yacht, suggest that at about 4am, winds switched from a gentle south-westerly breeze to gusts of 40mph, with temperatures dropping.

Local newspapers have described the weather as a tornado and a waterspout, which is a tornado above water.

The pressure of high winds on the mast could have helped tip the boat over in rough seas, experts have suggested.

Mr Sharpe said capsizing seemed “unlikely” to him given the Bayesian’s size “and that boats like that are designed to survive poor weather – unless something failed at the same time like a valve that let water in and made the whole boat unstable”.

He said it was more likely that the Bayesian had “dragged anchor”. Anchors are designed to lodge on rocks on the seabed, but if the seabed is too soft, or weather is so bad that the anchor is dislodged, then a boat can drag its anchor and drift.

If a boat drifts into an obstruction such as a rock or another boat, this can damage the boat by tearing a hole in its side leading to sinking, Mr Sharpe suggested.

The sea bed off Porticello, the Silician harbour nearest to where Bayesian was moored for the night, consists of a mixture of rocky and muddy areas, according to nautical charts reviewed by The Telegraph.

This means the yacht could have dragged anchor if it had been lowered into a soft, muddy patch of seabed.

A captain of another boat anchored nearby said his vessel was hit by abnormally strong winds on Monday morning.

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Karsten Borner said the Sir Robert BP was battered by strong gusts in the early hours of the morning but he managed to stabilise the vessel while anchored by using the engine.

He said as they were doing this, they noticed the Bayesian nearby and manoeuvred to avoid hitting it.

“We managed to keep the ship in position, and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” said Capt Borner.

Mr Sharpe said: “From a seamanship point of view, the other boat (Sir Robert BP) coming up on her main engines and using those to keep position around [her own] anchor is what you should do. Yacht anchors are often not that robust and that is the best way to avoid putting too much strain on it and/or dragging.”

An alternative theory is that the weight of the mast led the Bayesian to capsize.

A yacht industry source told The Times that the vessel sank after the weight of her mast took the hull beyond its “down-flooding angle” – the point at which a boat cannot right itself after swinging at a steep angle – meaning water rushed over the sides into the interior.

“The wind toppled the mast, which fell over the side, causing the boat to heel over and take on water, capsize and sink very quickly,” the source said.

This can occur whether the mast snapped off or not.

Sam Jefferson, editor of Sailing Today, told The Telegraph: “She has a very tall, aluminium mast – I believe it is the second tallest aluminium mast in the world – and that would not have helped.

“Many yachts with big masts have carbon masts instead of aluminium as these save on weight and improve stability and performance.

“Stability was obviously the problem in the extremely strong winds she was experiencing and I’d assume the boat was pinned on its side and could not right before it filled up with water.”

Another superyacht expert who asked not to be named told The Telegraph that the mast could have pulled the Bayesian over into capsizing, although he expressed some scepticism, saying sailing yachts are designed to prevent that from happening.

He said the anchor-dragging theory was also a plausible explanation for why the Bayesian sank.

Typically, crews try to anchor in safe spots that are sheltered away from the wind, they said.

The Bayesian was moored just off Porticello, a few miles east of Palermo. Prevailing winds from the north-east may have robbed the vessel of the shelter offered by the Sicilian coast, which lay to the west.

Dr Lynch was reportedly aboard the vessel. His wife, Angela Bacares, is among those rescued but six others, including four Britons, are still missing.

One person, reportedly the yacht’s chef, died in the incident and his body was recovered by rescuers.

The Bayesian’s last refit was in 2020.

The vessel was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter websites.

The interior featured six cabins – one master, three doubles and two twin rooms – for up to a dozen guests, with the crew occupying separate quarters.

Fitted out in a Japanese style, the interior was styled by the Remi Tessler design house.

Under her former name Salute, the yacht won the Best Exterior prize at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009, and the Best Interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008.

A coastguard statement issued on Monday morning said the missing passengers were of “British, American and Canadian nationality”.

Camper & Nicholsons, managers of the Bayesian, confirmed the vessel sank at about 4.30am following “severe weather”.

The Italian Coast Guard is leading search and rescue operations, and said on Monday it had safely recovered 15 individuals.

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

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Superyacht Mirabella V sold

It's been a remarkable week as Jacqui Lockhart at Select Charter Services sends word that the 75.22m sailing yacht Mirabella V was sold last week to a private owner who plans a major refit and then extensive cruising. Captain Rocka Romcke and his crew will stay on board with the new owner. Jacqui worked with the owners since conception and advises that "it was a pleasure to be involved in such a unique project and to represent her successfully for charter over the last seven years." Mirabella V may return to the charter market again in the future.

Her owner, Joseph Vittoria, comments, "After seven wonderful years creating Mirabella V and six exciting years sailing in her, it was time to move on. She is in good hands which was very important for us."

Mirabella V is a superyacht in every sense of the word. At 75.22 metres, she is the largest single-masted sailing yacht in the world, and holds the world record for the largest sail and the tallest mast. She has a very spacious interior that can accommodate up to 16 guests in a master suite, four doubles and two twins plus two Pullman berths. Delivered in 2004 by Vosper Thornycroft to a Ron Holland design, she’s proved to be a very popular charter yacht and was featured in the 2005 edition of The Superyachts book.

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Yacht expert breaks down luxury superyacht tragedy after boat capsizes in freak storm: 'Always limits'

A luxury superyacht like the Bayesian , which capsized and sank early Monday with more than a dozen people on board, is typically built to withstand extreme weather conditions, but not everything is 100% guaranteed, says one expert.  

Fox News Digital spoke with eSysman of the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts , to find out what could have gone wrong with the vessel. 

The host, who identifies publicly as eSysman, told Fox News Digital that a high-caliber yacht like the Bayesian, should typically be able to withstand up to "extreme weather conditions," but qualified that "there are always limits." 

"Obviously, any voyage plan will take into account the weather. Wind, wave sizes, and frequencies of the waves will be studied and precise prediction of weather has improved over the years, but it’s still not 100%," eSysman said, noting that it is ultimately the captain who is responsible for the vessel. 

WHO IS MIKE LYNCH, THE BRITISH TECH ENTREPRENEUR MISSING AFTER YACHT SANK?

The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-foot mast — one of the world's tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros – or around about $215,000 – a week.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Sicily's civil protection agency said that a tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight. 

British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, authorities said. 

Lynch's wife and 14 other people survived. Lynch was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off the Italian city of Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. 

"There’s always the possibility of survivors. This is why the search and rescue will keep going, no matter how slim the chances are," eSysman said. "But life expectancy in cold water is short."

If a vessel is caught in high-winds, eSysman, [they] will start their engines, and maneuver into a position where the wind is on the bow, avoiding the beam or the side of the vessel from being against the wind. 

"We’re not sure if the yacht was at anchor or was sailing. The eyewitness report seems to suggest the vessel was anchored in the bay, but the AIS data's lost position said she was underway, so we're not sure which is correct," eSysman said. 

"AIS" refers to "Automatic Identification System," which is a short-range coastal tracking system used on ships. 

Per its YouTube channel, the team at eSysman SuperYachts comprises all serving or ex-maritime professions, with eSysman himself having more than two decades in the industry working on various SuperYachts of all sizes "including some of the largest in the world." 

The crew and passengers of the Bayesian hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families."

Built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, the yacht can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.

Original article source: Yacht expert breaks down luxury superyacht tragedy after boat capsizes in freak storm: 'Always limits'

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Bayesian superyacht’s ‘tallest mast in world’ doomed £14m vessel as it was caught by the storm, says expert

• James Halpin
• Published : 5:41 ET, Aug 20 2024
• Updated : 9:42 ET, Aug 20 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

THE BAYESIAN superyacht's own gigantic mast doomed the £14m boat when it was caught in a storm, an expert claims.

The luxury vessel had the tallest aluminium mast in the world which went a whopping 75m high.

Six people are still missing after the Bayesian sank early yesterday morning in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The single massive mast snapped in two, with glass smashing throughout the boat, and passengers fleeing for their lives as it capsized.

Celebrated British entrepreneur Mike Lynch , his daughter, and Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer are among the missing.

Nautical architect expert Gino Ciriaci has now said the tall mast became a danger to the boat in the winds, he told Libero.

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He said the tallest mast in the world "is also the most dangerous mast in the world because it catches the wind at a great height.

"If it had been a very low boat, perhaps things would have gone differently.

"But the Bayesian, precisely because of its mast... offered tremendous resistance to the wind.

Ciriaci also said that the rigging, the steel cables that move the sails, would also offer "enormous resistance".

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He said that a strong wind hitting it from the side could cause it to capsize.

"It is not strange that a tornado managed to knock down the mast of the Bayesian.

 "Let's be honest, when there is a wind of that strength it also knocks down trees in the city. I see no blame or possibility of avoiding it".

The ship's captain James Calfield , 51, spoke from hospital yesterday and said had no idea the tornado was coming towards the ship.

"We didn't see it coming," he told  La Repubblica .

But the yacht's former stewardess said it is a "bit strange" that the ship sank in bad weather, having sailed through it before.

Monica Jensen, 48, said the vessel had faced bad weather "all over" including crossing the Atlantic., she told the Telegraph.

Jensen worked on the Bayesian from November 2018 to October 2020 for a private owner, and said it was then sold.

She was onboard for two Caribbean seasons and cruised around Italy, Malta, Greece, and the Balearics on the yacht.

The body of the boat's chef was found near the wreckage 50m under the water.

Furniture is now blocking the divers from being able to get into the bridge of the boat.

Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorological Society, said 200kmh winds could be felt over Sunday through Monday.

He described the weather as: “A so-called funnel cloud forms, generating winds of up to 200kmh which can create a water spout at sea by sucking water into the air.

“The event can be restricted to a few hundred metres and be over in ten minutes."

Waterspouts form when warm air from the surface of the water mixes with cold air from higher in the atmosphere.

When they mix it creates a vortex that picks up water from the sea and spins it at up to 80kph.

On average they last about five to ten minutes with the largest being able to grow to a hundred metres wide.

WHO WERE THE PASSENGERS?

In a bizarre twist of fate, it was revealed yesterday that Lynch's ex-colleague and fraud trial co-defendant  Stephen Chamberlain died days before  the yacht tragedy.

The majority of passengers were understood to be from the UK.

Citizens from New Zealand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Canada, the US and two dual British-French nationals were also on board.

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Eight of those rescued were receiving treatment in hospital last night, according to the Italian Coastguard. None was thought to be in a serious condition.

Among the injured are the Kiwis lawyer Ayla Ronald and captain James Catfield, 51; Sasha Murray, 29, of Ireland; and Myin Kyaw Htun, 39, from Myanmar. 

Who are the six still missing from the Bayesian yacht tragedy?

By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter

THE BAYESIAN superyacht was hosting a lavish party for 12 guests, with 10 crew also onboard.

After 15 people were rescued from the water on Monday, six people remain missing and one has been found dead.

Italian authorities said the man recovered near the yacht wreckage was the chef working onboard.

Four of the missing are British and two are American.

Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, are among the four Brits lost at sea.

International chairman of bank giant Morgan Stanley, Brit Jonathan Bloomer, 70, is also missing along with his wife Judy.

As is top New York lawyer Chris Morvillo, a solicitor at major firm Clifford Chance who worked for Mike Lynch, and his wife Neda.

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