The extreme wind experienced by the yacht Bayesian was sufficient to knock the vessel over, an interim report in to the yacht’s sinking has found.
Once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.
The interim report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) into the fatal foundering of the yacht Bayesian in August 2024 has considered Bayesian’s design, stability, escape routes, operation and emergency procedures.
The safety investigation has also considered the forecast weather and that experienced during the accident, as well as the available guidance to mariners on actions to be taken in extreme weather.
“The interim report presents a desktop study of the facts as we know them,” said chief inspector of marine accidents, Andrew Moll OBE.
“The study has reviewed the yacht’s stability, the likely local weather conditions at the time, and the effect of that weather on the yacht.”
This safety investigation is being conducted in parallel to a criminal investigation being led by the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office, Sicily, Italy.
At anchor
The report states that the yacht was at anchor off Porticello with 12 guests and ten crew on board.
During the night the wind increased and with the anchor dragging, the crew began making preparations for manoeuvring Bayesian into the wind.
However, the wind suddenly increased to more than 70kts, and the Bayesian violently heeled over to 90° to starboard, taking less than 15 seconds to do so. People, furniture, and loose items fell across the deck with the people around being injured.
As the vessel was sinking, the skipper organised the abandonment from the flying bridge and instructed the guests and crew present there to swim clear of the mast and boom.
The liferaft was released from the sinking yacht and the survivors were assisted to board by one of the deck hands.
A search for survivors was carried out with help from the crew of a nearby vessel, however not everyone managed to escape and the accident resulted in the deaths of six guests and one crew member.
Vulnerabilities
All of the bodies were subsequently recovered by the local authorities.
The investigators found that a stability information booklet (SIB) was approved against the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Notice in 2008.
However certain vulnerabilities were not identified in the SIB, so were unknown to either the owner or the crew.
The interim report concludes that wind speeds in excess of 63.4kts on the beam were sufficient to knock Bayesian over and it is possible that the yacht was also vulnerable to winds speeds below this amount.
The safety investigation into the foundering of Bayesian is ongoing and a salvage operation is underway.
Examination of the wreck should improve the investigators’ understanding of the yacht’s actual loss condition.
The salvage will also enable investigators to have a fuller understanding of the access and egress routes, internal layout and liferaft status.
