The remains of five out of the six missing passengers have now been found after the tragedy of the Bayesian luxury yacht sinking, including the body of British technology giant Mike Lynch.
The £30 million ship overturned with 22 individuals on board while docked off the shore of Sicily at approximately 5am local time on Monday amid extreme adverse conditions They had been commemorating Mr Lynch’s vindication in a fraud lawsuit in the USA.
Other individuals whose remains were found during renewed rescue operations yesterday comprise of Morgan Stanley Global bank chair Jonathan Bloomer and Mr Lynch’s lawyer Chris Morvillo.
His 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch is still unaccounted for.
Authorities are currently investigating the precise reason behind the catastrophe. Here are some of the major inquiries confronting investigators:
What led to the yacht’s sinking while other vessels close by remained afloat?
There has been considerable speculation about why the luxury yacht sank quickly while the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat largely escaped unharmed and managed to rescue the survivors.
Some specialists have identified the vessel’s 250ft aluminium mast as a potential factor.
American entrepreneur Scott Painter informed MailOnline that the towering mast might have rendered the superyacht more prone to capsizing.
He stated: ‘That could indeed lead to a capsize as it would destabilize the yacht. And if it leaned too far, it could certainly capsize the yacht.’
Sam Jefferson, the editor of Sailing Today, conveyed to The Telegraph: ‘She features an extremely tall, aluminium mast – the second tallest in the world, I understand – and that would not have been advantageous.
‘Stability was evidently the issue in the exceptionally strong winds it encountered, and I assume the vessel was pinned on its side and unable to right itself before it filled up with water.’
Was the Bayesian keel fully extended?
The Bayesian was equipped with a retractable keel – the fin-like structure beneath the hull that augments boat stability and functions as a counterbalance to the mast.
Andrea Ratti, a professor of nautical design at Milan Polytechnic University, and structural engineer Filippo Mattioni both pondered if the yacht had been anchored with the keel retracted, diminishing its underwater depth from approximately 10 to four meters, resulting in decreased stability.
Mr Ratti suggested the boat might have started swaying intensely, ‘similar to a pendulum’, in strong winds, exerting immense strain on the mast.
However, even if it had led to the mast’s collapse, ‘this alone is insufficient to rationalize the sinking,’ he asserted.
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Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the publisher of the Sailing Technology Journal, remarked, ‘There is considerable uncertainty regarding whether it possessed a lifting keel and whether this could have been deployed.’
‘If it did have one, it would have lessened the vessel’s stability, making it easier for it to capsize.’
Were entrances left ajar?
Mr Ratti noted that a vessel the size of the Bayesian could only sink rapidly if it took in a large volume of water.
However, boats like the Bayesian are mandated to have waterproof compartments designed to prevent quick, catastrophic sinking even when certain areas take on water.
Mr Ratti proposed that ‘reasonable assumptions can be made that raise doubts’ about the incident, suggesting that one or more portholes, windows, or openings may have been shattered by the water funnel, permitting water ingress.
There have been reports in the media suggesting that a main hatch may have been inadvertently left open.
However, a British industry expert stated that it should have taken several hours for enough water to flood the Bayesian and sink it, making its abrupt sinking baffling.
‘The industry has never encountered a situation like this. It’s a tragic tale,’ he said, choosing to remain anonymous.
Why was there minimal damage to the vessel?
Fire department diver Marco Tilotta informed Il Messaggero that the wreckage appeared ‘seemingly intact’, with ‘no cuts, no signs of collision.’
Italian maritime specialist Gino Ciriaci proposed that the tornado was so forceful that it flipped the yacht, submerging the deck’s edge and allowing water entry.
Karsten Borner, captain of the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell, relayed to Reuters, ‘I believe they were caught off guard by the storm.’
‘All I know is that they went horizontal with the mast in the water and within two minutes, they sank,’ he recounted, describing the storm as ‘extremely fierce, intensely powerful,’ bringing in ‘a large volume of water and I would say a cyclone-like rotation.’
What is a water funne
Authorities from civil protection expressed their belief that the vessel was hit by a tornado over the water, commonly known as a waterspout.
As per the US National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts—fair-weather and tornadic.
Tornadic waterspouts ‘mirror the characteristics of a land-based tornado. They are linked with severe thunderstorms and usually come with strong winds, high waves, large hail, and frequent hazardous lightning,’ the service details on its website.
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