yacht sea look

SEA LOOK a Cerri Cantieri Navali 102' Flyingsport Superyacht

• Inspiration

SEA LOOK has 11 Photos

Chesapeake Bay

Sea look news.

Latest Images of Brand New 102’ ...

Similar yachts.

INVICTUS | From US$ 80,000/wk

• Yachts >
• All Yachts >
• All Motor Yachts Over 100ft/30m >

If you have any questions about the SEA LOOK information page below please contact us .

Launched in 2015, luxury motor yacht SEA LOOK is the fourth 102' Flyingsport series vessel, built by the Italian shipyard, Cantieri Navali Cerri (CNN). Combining the comfort of a flying bridge yacht and the sporty character as well as speed of large open crafts, superyacht SEA LOOK can be characterized by elegance, style, functionality and onboard liveability.

SEA LOOK Specifications

Superbly penned by architect Filippo Rossi, the interiors of luxury yacht SEA LOOK are inspired by the natural landscapes and elements of Sardinia: sand, rock, north-westerly wind, the waves, the turquoise sea. The soft harmony of the light colour shades brings a pleasant, relaxing contrast with the bright colours typical of the days spent at sea. All interiors are extremely bright, thanks to a central skylight, characterised by a highly innovative profile. This allows to notably increase the height of the main salon, letting light shine through and flood the entire room.

Built in composite, the fourth 102' Flyingsport super yacht SEA LOOK is run by twin powerful MTU 16V2000M94 diesels, reaching a thrilling top speed of 37 knots. She can comfortably cruise at 32 knots.

Yacht Accommodation

We do have available further accommodation information for yacht SEA LOOK, so please enquire for more information.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 31m (102') yacht SEA LOOK, so please enquire for more information.

SEA LOOK Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht SEA LOOK displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

Quick Enquiry

OSCAR II | From AUS$ 85,000/wk

SUNCOCO | From EUR€ 55,000/wk

INCEPTION | From US$ 65,000/wk

Find anything, super fast.

• Destinations
• Documentaries

Motor Yacht

SeaLook is a semi-custom motor yacht launched in 2015 by CCN in Carrara, Italy.

It was true, deep love for the sea and for yachts that, in 1997, spurred Carlo Cerri to invest his huge experience as a successful businessman into building the world-class powerboat Cerri 28: limited size, a painstaking care for details, functionality, ergonomics, clean lines and finely-finished pleasant interiors were some of the keys to this motor boat’s huge success.

SeaLook measures 31.10 metres in length, with a max draft of 1.80 feet and a beam of 7.25 feet.

SeaLook has a GRP hull with a GRP superstructure.

Her exterior design, naval architecture and interior design is by CCN.

SeaLook is a semi-custom Cerri 102' Flyingsport model.

Performance and Capabilities

SeaLook has a top speed of 37.00 knots and a cruising speed of 32.00 knots. She is powered by 2 diesel engines.

SeaLook has a fuel capacity of 10,000 litres, and a water capacity of 2,000 litres.

Other Specifications

SeaLook has a hull NB of 102/05.

• Yacht Builder CCN View profile
• Naval Architect CCN View profile
• Exterior Designer CCN View profile
• Interior Designer CCN View profile

Yacht Specs

Other ccn yachts, related news.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home

The Superyacht Directory

• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

The Superyacht Directory is the world’s largest database of private luxury yachts, with over 12,000 megayachts listed. It’s the most authoritative place to find everything you need to know about superyachts – including new builds, historic vessels and the most famous boats of all time.

You can filter your Superyacht Directory search results by a number of specifications including speed, length and year of build, or select the builder, exterior designer or interior designer to narrow your search. With the Superyacht Directory, you can be as precise as you like, with options to filter by engine power, draught or displacement, propulsion system or hull material and more. You can use the Superyacht Directory to search by yacht type, breaking down your results into motor yachts, sailing yachts, explorer yachts or classic yachts.

Yacht search

Popular yachts, the fastest yachts in the world, the longest superyachts in the world, from our partners, sponsored listings.

Advertisement

Supported by

Lynch Yacht Sinking Off Sicily Proves as Baffling as It Is Tragic

As bodies were recovered, the authorities and experts wondered how a $40 million, stable and secure vessel could have sunk so quickly.

• Share full article

By Emma Bubola and Michael J. de la Merced

Emma Bubola reported from Porticello, Italy, and Michael J. de la Merced from London.

Two months after being cleared in a bruising legal battle over fraud charges, the British tech mogul Mike Lynch celebrated his freedom with a cruise. He invited his family, friends and part of his legal team on board his luxury sailing yacht, a majestic 180-foot vessel named Bayesian after the mathematical theorem around which he had built his empire.

On Sunday night, after a tour of the Gulf of Naples, including Capri, and volcanic islands in the Eolian archipelago, the boat anchored half a mile off the Sicilian coast in Porticello, Italy. It chose a stretch of water favored by the Phoenicians thousands of years ago for its protection from the mistral wind and, in more recent times, by the yachts of tech billionaires. The boat was lit “like a Christmas tree,” local residents said, standing out against the full moon.

But about 4 a.m., calamity unfolded. A violent and fast storm hit the area with some of the strongest winds locals said they had ever felt. Fabio Cefalù, a fisherman, said he saw a flare pierce the darkness shortly after 4.

Minutes later, the yacht was underwater. Only dozens of cushions from the boat’s deck and a gigantic radar from its mast floated on the surface of the sea, fishermen said.

In all, 22 people were on board, 15 of whom were rescued. Six bodies — five passengers and the ship’s cook — had been recovered by Thursday afternoon, including that of Mr. Lynch, an Italian government official said, adding that the search was continuing for his daughter.

It was a tragic and mystifying turn of events for Mr. Lynch, 59, who had spent years seeking to clear his name and was finally inaugurating a new chapter in his life. Experts wondered how a $40 million yacht, so robust and stable could have been sunk by a storm near a port within minutes.

“It drives me insane,” said Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company, Perini, that made the Bayesian. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

The aura of misfortune only deepened when it emerged that Stephen Chamberlain, 52, a former vice president of finance for Mr. Lynch’s former company and a co-defendant in the fraud case, was killed two days earlier, when he was hit by a car while jogging near his house in England.

Since June, the two men had been in a jubilant mood. A jury in San Francisco had acquitted both on fraud charges that could have sent them to prison for two decades. There were hugs and tears, and they and their legal teams went for a celebratory dinner party at a restaurant in the city, said Gary S. Lincenberg, a lawyer for Mr. Chamberlain.

The sea excursion was meant as a thank-you by Mr. Lynch to those who had helped him in his legal travails. Among the guests was Christopher J. Morvillo, 59, a scion of a prominent New York family of lawyers who had represented Mr. Lynch for 12 years. He and his wife, Neda, 57, were among the missing.

So, too, was Jonathan Bloomer, 70, a veteran British insurance executive who chaired Morgan Stanley International and the insurer Hiscox.

The body of the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered. All the other crew members survived. Among them was Leo Eppel, 19, of South Africa, who was on his first yacht voyage working as a deck steward, said a friend, who asked not to be identified.

Since the sinking, the recovery effort and investigation have turned the tiny port town of Porticello, a quiet enclave where older men sit bare-chested on balconies, into what feels like the set of a movie.

Helicopters have flown overhead. Ambulances have sped by with the sirens blaring. The Coast Guard has patrolled the waters off shore, within sight of a cordoned-off dock that had been turned into an emergency headquarters.

On Wednesday afternoon, a church bell tolled after the first body bag was loaded into an ambulance, a crowd watching in silence.

The survivors were sheltering in a sprawling resort near Porticello, with a view of the shipwreck spot, and had so far declined to comment.

Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said that the yacht had most likely been hit by a fierce “down burst” — when air generated within a thunderstorm descends rapidly — or by a waterspout , similar to a tornado over water.

He added that his agency had put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about storms and strong winds. Locals said the winds “felt like an earthquake.”

Mr. Costantino, the boat executive, said the yacht had been specifically designed for having a tall mast — the second-tallest aluminum mast in the world. He said the Bayesian was an extremely safe and secure boat that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing.

But he said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, is to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

The New York Times attempted to reach the captain, James Cutfield, who had survived, for comment through social media, his brother and the management company of the yacht (which did not hire the crew), but did not make contact.

So far none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened that night.

Fabio Genco, the director of Palermo’s emergency services, who treated some of the survivors, said that the victims had recounted feeling as if the boat was being lifted, then suddenly dropped, with objects from the cabins falling on them.

The Italian Coast Guard said it had deployed a remotely operated vehicle that can prowl underwater for up to seven hours at a depth of more than 980 feet and record videos and images that they hoped would help them reconstruct the dynamics of the sinking. Such devices were used during the search and rescue operations of the Titan vessel that is believed to have imploded last summer near the wreckage of the Titanic.

After rescuers broke inside the yacht, they struggled to navigate the ropes and many pieces of furniture cluttering the vessel, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italy’s national firefighter corps.

Finally, as of Thursday morning, they had managed to retrieve all but one of the missing bodies, and hopes of finding the missing person alive were thin. “Can a human being be underwater for two days?” Mr. Cari asked.

What was certain was that Mr. Lynch’s death was yet another cruel twist of fate for a man who had spent years seeking to clear his name.

He earned a fortune in technology and was nicknamed Britain’s Bill Gates. But for more than a decade, he had been treated as anything but a respected tech leader.

He was accused by Hewlett-Packard, the American technological pioneer that had bought his software company, Autonomy, for $11 billion, of misleading it about his company’s worth. (Hewlett-Packard wrote down the value of the transaction by about $8.8 billion, and critics called it one of the worst deals of all time .) He had been increasingly shunned by the British establishment that he sought to break into after growing up working-class outside London.

He was extradited to San Francisco to face criminal charges, and confined to house arrest and 24-hour surveillance on his dime. In a townhouse in the Pacific Heights neighborhood — with security people he jokingly told associates were his “roommates” — he spent his mornings talking with researchers whom he funded personally on new applications for artificial intelligence. Afterward, he devoted hours to discussing legal strategy with his team.

Despite his persistent claims of innocence, even those close to Mr. Lynch had believed his odds of victory were slim. Autonomy’s chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was convicted in 2018 of similar fraud charges and spent five years in prison.

During Mr. Lynch’s house arrest, his brother and mother died. His wife, Angela Bacares, frequently flew over from England, and she became a constant presence in the San Francisco courtroom during the trial.

After he was finally acquitted, Mr. Lynch had his eye on the future. “I am looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field,” he said.

Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Pallanza, Italy.

Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome. More about Emma Bubola

Michael J. de la Merced has covered global business and finance news for The Times since 2006. More about Michael J. de la Merced

• Yachts for sale
• Yachts for charter
• Brokerage News

• Latest images of superyacht Sea Look have been released
• Yacht Harbour

Latest News

• Articles and Guides

Best Ocean Boats: Types and Brands to Buy

15th nov 2023 by samantha wilson.

What makes a good ocean boat ? It’s a valid question, commonly asked, but as with many boating questions, there is no one answer. In fact, there is no best ocean boat either. Only the best ocean-going boat for you and what you want it to do. Whether it’s offshore fishing, sailing around the world, coastal cruising, or extended voyages, there will be good boats for the task—and others, not so good. 

Of course there are many characteristics that ocean-going boats will need to have that are different from those designed to ply gentler inland waters where breaking seas, long distances, and inclement weather rarely if ever are a factor. Here we’ll take a look at the types of boats that are designed for the ocean and also look at some of the best ocean boat brands on the market today. 

What Characteristics Do the Best Ocean Boats Have?

Seaworthy in open water and stormy weather: A boat tackling ocean waters needs to be sturdy enough, large enough, and/or nimble enough to navigate the bigger seas and stronger winds that can arise. If you’re tackling oceans, you’ll typically want a boat that is 20 feet long or larger and built with strength. It’s important to know your boat’s limitations, to check the weather carefully before venturing out, and prepare accordingly. Knowing your boat’s range—is it a long-distance, bluewater voyager or a day-sailing coastal boat?—is also key to staying safe. 

Deep-V hulls and deep draft: Most ocean-going boats have deep-V hulls and adequate draft to provide extra stability in turbulent waters, high waves, and bad weather. An exception to that are multihulls, which can offer excellent stability thanks to their multiple hulls and wide shape. In addition to a deep V hull, ocean-going boats are often designed with strakes—molded lines running down the hull of motorboats that help them reach planing speed and reduce the slap from large waves. If you don’t plan to venture offshore or undertake long voyages, a shallow or modified V hull is often ideal for more coastal ocean cruising in shallower waters. 

Corrosion resistance : In contrast to fresh water, salt water is highly corrosive and damaging to boats, and they need to be designed for and maintained to cope with those damaging effects (see our guide to the differences between saltwater and freshwater boats for more advice). Boats designed for salt water will have marine-grade metals such as stainless steel, and must be built with corrosion-resistant hardware.  

Power and fuel capacity : If you’re going to cruise farther, it makes sense that your boat will need a fuel-efficient engine as well as a larger fuel tank to allow you to carry on longer without refueling. Fast boats such as those used for offshore fishing commonly have large powerful engines, allowing you to get to the offshore fishing grounds in less time. For those crossing oceans, sailboats have long been the boat of choice since wind-power is free, if occasionally finicky. 

Sleeping and storage capacity: If you’re cruising long distances, you’ll need to ensure that you have enough cabin space, living space, and storage space for supplies to accommodate all those on board. Bunks will typically be fitted with lee cloths to securely hold sleeping crew members in their berths. Ventilation is also critical, allowing fresh air below decks without bringing sea water along at the same time.

The Best Types and Brands of Ocean Boats

Ocean sailboats.

Sailboats bring the romance to cruising the oceans, and are able to sail motor-less for thousands of miles, making them the top choice when it comes to long range ocean cruising. The choice of sailboat is endless, but it depends how far you want to travel as to how big a sailboat you’ll need. Coastal sailing can be done in most sizes and styles of sailboat, while you’ll ideally be looking for a strong and sturdy sailboat over 35 feet to travel long distances (see our guide to bluewater sailboats under 40 feet for some exciting small sailboat options and what to look for in an ocean sailboat). 

The best ocean sailboat brands

• Hallberg-Rassy has been producing quality ocean-going cruising boats in Sweden for more than half a century. The company’s current lineup of comfortable, seaworthy, premium-priced yachts from 34 to 69 feet LOA.  Hallberg-Rassy boats for sale
• Beneteau ’s impressive range of Oceanis cruisers ranges from 31 to 60 feet and offers spacious, versatile layouts and sound performance at a moderate price.  Beneteau boats for sale
• Jeanneau has produced ocean-capable sailboats for more than 60 years and has a good reputation for building innovative boats that perform well. The company’s current range includes large yachts, small ocean racers, and 35- to 49-foot cruising models.  Jeanneau boats for sale

Hallberg Rassy 400. Hallberg Rassy photo.

Trawler Yachts

Known for their long-range capabilities and excellent fuel efficiency, trawlers are becoming increasingly popular as ocean-going liveaboards. Unlike the fishing vessels from which they draw their name, this new breed of power-cruising yacht typically offers extensive living space, home comforts, and even luxury living, which is highly regarded among many cruising great distances or spending extended periods of time living aboard.  

The best trawler yacht brands

• Nordhavn is a long-standing, all-American brand producing some of the best trawler yachts on the market today. Ranging from 41 feet all the way into superyacht classification sizes, Nordhavn trawlers balance robustness with comfort.  Nordhavn yachts for sale
• Selene is a Dutch brand, building up to 100 world class boats every year. Their impressive inventory includes boats from 40 feet to 128 feet, with their mid-sized models in particular offering excellent use of space and a classic styling.  Selene boats for sale
• American Tugs is one of the best smaller shipyards, with 20 years’ experience producing high quality coastal cruisers under 45 feet.  American Tugs boats for sale

Nordhavn 475. Nordhavn photo.

Center Console Boats

  Center consoles boats are high-powered vessels, commonly used for offshore fishing due to their open deck layout allowing for 360 fishability. Fast, stable, roomy, and well-equipped, they are wonderfully versatile and are available from trailerable 17-foot models up to 45 feet and longer, with cabins and heads. They are typically able to handle big seas and weather, but don’t have the sleeping, living, and storage space of longer-range types of ocean boats. 

The best center console boat brands

• Boston Whaler have been around since 1958 and have one of the best reputations in the center console industry for both their fishing and recreational boats.  Boston Whaler boats for sale
• Everglades is a brand offering 23- to 45-foot center consoles with a clear focus on fishing offshore. It is known equally for premium quality finishings and strong hull construction using high-density foam core to offer a smooth ride in waves. https://www.rightboat.com/boats-for-sale/everglades Everglades boats for sale
• For more check out our article on the best center console boat brands and the best center consoles over 40 feet . 

Boston Whaler 250 Dauntless. Boston Whaler photo. 

Sport Fishing Yachts

Powerful, robust, and equipped to take anglers on deep sea fishing adventures, sport fishing boats are more than capable when it comes to big ocean conditions. They’re capable of cruising up to 100 miles offshore where the big pelagic creatures such as bluefin tuna and marlin live, allowing anglers to fish for several days at a time in comfort. With all the equipment needed for fishing, storing, and living, sport fishing yachts aren’t inexpensive, but you can buy a seriously high-performance yacht for the money. 

The best sport fishing yacht brands

• Viking Yachts has a huge range of world-class sport fishing yachts ranging from towable 38 footers all the way up to 90 feet, although the majority fall within the 45 to 70 feet range. Impeccable finish and extremely high performance is the norm throughout the fleet.  Viking Yachts for sale
• Hatteras Yachts bring elegance and innovation to sportfishing with their four convertible sport fishing yachts from 45 to 70 feet. For more than 60 years, the firm has been creating high-performance sport fishing boats that ooze luxury.  Hatteras Yachts for sale
• Bertram has a long history of building fishing yachts focused on seaworthiness, stability, and safety. The company offers serious blue water fishing machines, as well as smaller, capable boats ranging from 28 to 61 feet.  Bertram boats for sale

For more top fishing boat brands, see Best Offshore Fishing Boat Brands .

Viking 68C. Viking Yachts photo.

Cabin Cruisers

Cabin cruisers make up one of the most versatile and popular of ocean boats as they are multifunctional, seaworthy, and well-designed for coastal cruising. While not normally suited to prolonged periods at sea or long-range cruising, this style of boat features home comforts, modest galley areas, and cabins that can be used for extended trips.

The best ocean cabin cruisers

• Sea Ray are masters in producing small, luxurious cabin cruisers that offer weekends at sea, plenty of home comforts, and reassuring seaworthiness. Their Sundancer range is from 26 feet to 37 feet, and the SLX series goes up to 40 feet.  Sea Ray boats for sale
• Chris-Craft has been producing elegant, traditionally styled cabin cruisers (as well as center consoles) for decades, and their range of boats certainly turn heads. Offering pocket-sized luxury and packed with amenities, they remain one of the best brands in the industry.  Chris-Craft boats for sale
• Grand Banks Yachts is a brand that has shifted over the years from producing what was the iconic ocean-going trawler yacht to a higher-performance luxury motoryacht that fits better in the cabin cruiser category. Design and construction attend to hull shapes, weights, and materials to produce a capable, quiet boat in rough conditions.  Grand Banks Yachts

Grand Banks 54. Grand Banks photo.

Cruising Catamarans

Cruising catamarans are fast gaining popularity for their long-range capabilities as well as their stability and huge amounts of extra living and storage space compared to monohulls of the same size. With salons and cockpits that stand well above the water line you get wrap around sea views, as well as huge cabin and galley space. They’re extremely capable blue water cruisers, but also perfect for coastal adventures with larger groups than you could comfortably get on a monohull. They don’t keel over in the same way as sailboats, offering impressive stability and speed, and are fast becoming a popular choice for around the world cruisers and charter companies. 

The best cruising catamarans

• Fountaine Pajot is one of the biggest names in the cruising catamaran world and are instrumental in shaping this new industry of long range, high performance blue water multihulls.  Fountaine Pajot Catamarans for sale
• Lagoon Catamarans have a huge inventory of cruising catamaran models throughout the size ranges, and are one of the top choices for charter companies.  Lagoon Catamarans for sale
• Leopard Catamarans offer a huge range of top-of-the-range sailing and motor cruising catamarans through boat builders Robertson and Caine. In their 50 years of business they’ve delivered an impressive 2,500 vessels, making them one of the most popular cruising catamaran brands out there.  Leopard Catamarans for sale

Leopard 40 Powercat. Leopard Catamarans photo.

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

Related Articles and Guides

16th Aug 2024

Best Luxury Pontoon Boat Brands Have it All: Glamor, Speed, Fishing, Waterslides...

10th Aug 2024

Deck Boat vs. Bowrider: Which Runabout is Best?

19th Jul 2024

The World’s Best Yacht Brands

12th Jul 2024

Top Performance-Boat Brands, Where There’s Something For Everyone

• Explore Rightboat
• Boats for Sale
• Boating Articles
• Buyers Guide
• About RightBoat
• Sell Your Boat
• Boat Selling Advice
• All manufacturers
• All categories

Enter your email to keep up to date with the latest news

Join for free

Sign up now for free and discover how easy it is to keep up to date with THE latest boats for sale. Find your right boat, and tailor your voyage to finding your next boat.

Benefits of becoming a member:

• Set up tailored alerts
• Personalise your experience
• Download full specifications and broker details
• Keep tabs on your favourite boats

Are you a broker? Join as a Broker

Rightboat - join for free.

Do you have an account already? Login

Save this search

Save your search and receive new boats in your email..

You can unsubscribe from your alerts whenever you like. By pressing the button you accept the Legal Terms and conditions

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

What makes a boat seaworthy?

• Duncan Kent
• April 17, 2020

What characteristics make a yacht fit for purpose? Duncan Kent explores the meaning of 'seaworthy' and how hull design and technology have changed the way we think

Hallberg-Rassy yachts have long been the epitome of a rock solid modern cruiser. These too have now changed to twin rudders. Credit: Rick Tomlinson Credit: Rick Tomlinson

A hundred years ago a yacht was considered seaworthy 
if it could stand up to a full gale whilst continuing to make headway under sail while still keeping its crew safe.

Today, yachts are designed and built using entirely different construction parameters, with far more emphasis on speed, ease of handling, openness and comfortable living.

Do any of the old maxims still apply or are new cruising yachts better than the classics?

A cutter rig gives you more options for reducing sail and balancing your canvas. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

There are many improvements to the contemporary offshore yacht that have indeed increased its seaworthiness.

Take sail plans and sail handling, for instance.

Fifty years ago it was common to battle your way to the bucking foredeck to change headsails as the wind reached screaming pitch.

Rarely would you be wearing a lifejacket either, as these consisted of big lumps of foam tied awkwardly together, which always got in the way of what you were doing.

Today, the fractional sloop rig with furling headsails is pretty much standard, so the foresails are smaller and the risk of leaving the cockpit to reef is removed.

Powered winches have revolutionised sail handling

Cutters or ‘slutters’ (twin headstays close to each other) seem to be the sail plan for long distance sailing and even downwind sails come with furlers and the yachts with bowsprits for their tacks.

The same goes for the mainsail which, even if it isn’t the furling type, is often fully battened and can usually be dropped safely into a zipped sail bag using cockpit-led sail controls.

There’s no doubt that this has brought about a massive improvement to the safety of the crew, and in turn the 
yacht’s general seaworthiness.

The introduction of modern ropes has also improved the life of the sailor no end.

Massively strong man-made fibres such as Spectra and Dyneema have allowed much lighter and smaller diameter lines to be used and many are changing their old steel shackles for the more user-friendly ‘soft’ shackles, eliminating the dangers of flying bits of heavy metal and making a corroded shackle pin a thing of the past.

Despite modern yachts being able to sail so much better than the classics in light airs, at some point you’ll need an engine – even if it’s just to charge your batteries.

Despite being relied upon so heavily these days, the good old marine diesel can be the cause 
of many headaches.

A properly designed engine installation will offer easy access 
to all the regular service points, particularly the water pump, fuel filters and water traps, alternator, coolant, oil filler, dipstick and 
filter and starter battery.

Hull design

One of today’s most prevalent and popular yacht designers is Stephen Jones, creator of the Rustler 33, 42 and 44, Starlight 35 and 39, the Hunter Mystery 35, Sadler 260, Southerly 32, 38 and 470 and many more performance cruisers as well as traditional racing designs such as the Spirit.

One of the primary reasons for his popularity is that he undoubtedly has the knack of blending tradition and technology – the result being 
a stunning combination of beauty and performance, rather than an indifferent compromise between new and old.

A Rustler 37, with an encapsulated keel, emerges from its mould. Credit: Graham Snook

Of his many classic designs Jones 
says: ‘Without doubt the modern CAD-derived hull outperforms all of those built in the days when the main criteria for 
a cruising yacht was just that it had to 
be virtually indestructible. I try to blend 
the aesthetically attractive elements with 
the best technology can offer in order to produce a yacht that doesn’t just look beautiful but is also exciting to sail.’

A great deal has changed in hull design since the advent of the famous Folkboat, some 50 years ago.

The advent of bolt-on keels has allowed bilges to be shallower, improving the yacht’s speed – especially off the wind.

Traditional long keels, with external and internal ballast, soften the motion at sea

Whereas a 50% ballast ratio used to be considered the norm for an offshore yacht, today fin keels often have the ballast placed deep down in a bulb at their tip, where it provides the greatest righting moment possible for the least amount of ballast, so it’s not uncommon to find the 
ratio is now more like 30-35%.

In addition, the keel’s short length reduces the wetted area and associated drag. Some insist that bolt-on keels are unseaworthy and indeed, accidents have happened where they have become detached. But these incidents are actually very rare and almost always the result of a hard grounding or poor maintenance.

Making the bilges too shallow made for 
a good deal of slamming when sailing to windward in many 1980-90s boats, but in later years this habit was eliminated with the introduction of finer bows with deeper entry.

Wider hulls

One downside of a wide, flat boat is that it can be almost as stable inverted as upright, so increasing the angle of heel at which the yacht’s stability vanishes (AVS) to the highest degree is very important.

Hull chines, which were originally introduced for plywood and steel boats to allow simple flat materials to be used in their construction, have made a widespread comeback over the past decade.

With sterns becoming wider and wider to improve accommodation below and cockpit space for twin wheels, any means of increasing a hull’s inherent form stability 
(the hull natural resistance to heeling and inversion) is welcome and hard chines appear to do just that – giving the hull defined ‘rails’ on which to run.

Modern: The Beneteau 46.1’s full-length chine and twin rudders. Credit: Guido Cantini / Beneteau

They also improve directional stability and help prevent the yacht rounding up when over-pressed.

More cruising yachts are disabled through loss of, or damage to their rudder by flotsam than almost anything else.

Traditionally, they were well protected either by a long keel or, more likely, a stout skeg at least half the depth of the rudder.

Classic: A long keel and a slender stern

The modern trend, however, appears to be for deep spade rudders with no such protection, and twin rudders are now becoming popular. Primarily they’re designed to keep steerage when the quarter of a very wide stern lifts clear of the water when heeled.

Some believe they provide redundancy in the event one is knocked off, but any amount of heel beyond 10° with a wide-sterned cruiser can cause 
the windward rudder to come out of the water. If you’ve lost a rudder, you are 
forced to remain on one tack or to sail dead downwind.

More importantly, unless you’re smart (like renowned circumnavigator Jimmy Cornell with his new Aventura ) and you ensure each rudder can be independently steered, damage to one rudder will very likely disable the entire steering system 
due to the linkage between them.

Although there’s a tendency these days 
for yacht designers to prioritise style over substance, the wide-open cockpits of the modern production cruiser can fulfil both 
the need for lounging space at anchor and safety at sea by making a few simple, relatively inexpensive modifications.

Before embarking on regular offshore passages, the owner needs to carry out a careful analysis of the likely risk areas and to retro-fit extra safety features such as grabrails and harness points where necessary.

The centre cockpit, made famous by 
Bill Dixon in his many Moody yachts, is still popular in many Swedish yachts, but like many aspects of yacht design it has its advantages and disadvantages.

The Amel 55 is designed to take her owners anywhere in the world in comfort. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Being higher up and forward in the boat means that water rarely gets near it and it often imparts a feeling of security in the crew being so far above the water.

However, it does restrict the helmsman’s view forward when the genoa’s flying and it can make those prone to seasickness feel worse 
due to the more pronounced side-to-side movement in a beam sea.

One real bonus, however, is the raised height allows for huge aft cabins – something for which Moody and Halberg-Rassy yachts are renowned.

An aft cockpit, though more vulnerable 
to a steep following sea, does make you 
feel more in touch with the boat somehow.

A high bridge deck or similar can greatly reduce the risk of down-flooding from the stern in stormy conditions.

Below decks

The seaworthiness of a yacht is not only affected by its hull design and rig, but also how sea kindly it is below.

For a start, those wanting to cruise overnight will need a decent bunk for the off-watch crew.

By that 
I mean one that’s preferably close to the middle of the boat and that can be converted to a comfy, secure single berth.

In most production cruisers this will mean the saloon berths, so if you’re looking to buy it’s worth just checking the length, width and suitability of these.

The raised coachroof of the Garcia 45 Exploration gives comfort below, while granny bars at the mast keep crew on deck secure. Credit: Morris Adant

If not, then double berths can often be converted using lee cloths or boards, which can be removed or folded away when at anchor or in port. The worst place for a sea berth is in the forepeak, as this is where the motion will be greatest.

You’ll often need to add a few handrails around the boat too, especially as you descend the companionway. A little clever repositioning or subtle padding of furniture can make a difference.

One of the most important aspects of boat safety is the through hull fittings. It’s a good idea to draw a sketch of where they all are and what they do so that crew unfamiliar with the boat could find them quickly in an emergency.

Also ensure all your seacocks are good quality marine devices (Bronze or DZR), not domestic plumbing ones (worryingly common on many new boats) and that you tie a suitable softwood bung to it.

Choosing a yacht

The very first question you should ask yourself when considering buying a yacht 
is ‘what do I intend to do on this boat?’

The answer should then steer you towards the type of yacht suitable for your endeavours, whether they be pootling along the coast 
on fair weather days and tying up in a marina berth at night or taking your family on long passages in open and unprotected offshore waters.

The former is catered for by myriad production boatbuilders and should be reasonably affordable. The latter not so.

A properly designed and constructed offshore yacht will cost much more – probably three to four times as much as a production cruiser – and rightly so.

All that extra investment will be reflected in the integrity of the design, the quality of the materials used and the standard of craftsmanship put into building her.

Saying that, it’s a myth that many pocket cruisers are inherently dangerous if sailed offshore.

Roger Taylor converted his Achilles 24 to sail to some of the most remote high latitudes imaginable

I’ve often felt happier sailing a 
well-found 26-footer across the English Channel in a near gale than I would have 
felt in a modern 50ft production cruiser set up for day sailing in fine conditions.

I know this rather makes a mockery of the RCD categorisation scheme (A-ocean; B-offshore etc), but often smaller boats are only Cat B 
or C because the builders can’t afford the more stringent testing for higher categories.

Any sailor worth their salt will know that 
a large portion of a vessel’s ability to sail safely offshore is in how you prepare your boat and crew beforehand and many adventurous sailors have ventured far afield without incident in small yachts.

Roger Taylor single-handedly overcome the vagaries of the northern latitude weather systems, covering thousands of miles safely in the same type boat in which Ellen MacArthur first circumnavigated Britain.

Shane Acton’s 18ft long Caprice, Shrimpy , would never get an RCD A (Ocean) rating whatever you did to it, but she proved seaworthy enough to get Acton around the world in one piece.

Without doubt, there have been numerous innovations over the past few decades that have made offshore sailing easier.

Effective self-steering made Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s life easier in the 2018 Golden Globe Race. The Rustler 36 was the boat of choice in the race, sailed by the first three finishers. Credit: Alain Zimeray/Golden Globe Race/PPL

A crew 
of two can now easily handle the latest 60ft yacht, thanks in particular to cockpit sail controls, electrically assisted deck gear and up-to-the-minute navigation technology.

Duncan Kent has tested hundreds of yachts and is the author of Choosing and Buying A Yacht

The greatest advantage a modern yacht has over an older, heavier boat is speed. A modern yacht’s ability to make headway fast is in fact one of its most seaworthy points as it allows the crew to navigate around a slow-moving storm or to sail off 
a dangerous lee shore in the event the engine dies or the anchor drags.

Problems encountered by many of the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) entrants were certainly aggravated by their inability to sail faster than a few knots away from threatening weather.

Instead, they had to sit it out, hoping their sluggish old classics would be tough enough to take the hammering of the Southern Ocean waves.

Most recently launched hulls are a huge improvement over the over-engineered 20th-Century designs, but changes in style mean compromises will have to be made to ensure your yacht is as seaworthy as it can be.

Wide, open cockpits require more clipping on points and extra handrails, and for those planning to go world cruising in 
a standard production boat, much of the 
kit supplied will need to be upgraded before you set off.

Top tips to improve seaworthiness before blue- water cruising

• Install watertight crash bulkheads forward and aft (forward of the rudder stock).
• Move heavy items such as batteries, tanks, spare anchors and tinned provisions as low and as close to the centre of the boat as possible and ensure they are strapped down.
• Make sure all locker lids, soleboards and washboards can be securely locked in place.
• Pre-build a workable emergency steering system and test it out in heavy seas before you depart.
• Create easy-launch stowage for the liferaft.
• Carry several heavy lines, a series drogue and a sea anchor.

Ensure the right size bungs are attached to your seacocks

• Make tough wooden shutters and easy attachments for vulnerable hatches and portlights.
• Any windows in the topsides should be non-opening and made from seriously reinforced glass.

Have a means of locking stowage shut. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

• Tie suitable bungs to every skin fitting for emergency use.
• Fit fire extinguishers of varying sorts near to where they might be needed and keep them regularly serviced.
• Fit a bilge alarm and dual electric bilge pumps plus a manual.

For all the latest from the sailing world, follow our social media channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram .

Have you thought about taking out a subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine?

Subscriptions are available in both print and digital editions through our official online shop Magazines Direct and all postage and delivery costs are included.

• Yachting Monthly is packed with all the information you need to help you get the most from your time on the water.
• Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our expert skippers and sailors
• Impartial in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment will ensure you buy the best whatever your budget
• If you are looking to cruise away with friends Yachting Monthly will give you plenty of ideas of where to sail and anchor

The maker of Mike Lynch's yacht says it took 16 minutes to sink and the crew should have had time to rescue passengers

• Mike Lynch and six others are dead after his superyacht sank off Sicily's coast.
• The Bayesian sank during a storm. The Italian Sea Group CEO said the yacht took 16 minutes to sink.
• Giovanni Costantino told the Financial Times the ship was "designed to be absolutely stable."

The maker of Mike Lynch's doomed superyacht said the luxury sailing vessel was "absolutely stable" and never should have sunk as he blamed the crew for an "incredible mistake."

The 183-foot ship — named the Bayesian — sank during stormy weather near Palermo, Italy, in the early hours of Monday local time.

Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife , were rescued, while seven others — including Lynch, a UK tech tycoon — have been confirmed dead.

Divers discovered the body of the final person missing from the superyacht on Friday, the Italian coast guard said, according to reports. The Washington Post and CNN both reported that the last body found was believed to be Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, the firm that built the Bayesian in 2008, said the ship was "designed to be absolutely stable" as it had the second-tallest mast in the world.

"The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said. It went down in 16 minutes," Costantino told the Financial Times . "You can see it from the charts, from the [Automatic Identification System] tracking chart."

Related stories

Business Insider could not independently verify his statement, and Costantino did not immediately return requests for comment.

Costantino added that the yacht's skipper "should have locked everything up, saying: "He should have gathered all passengers in the safe point. This is protocol. No one should have been in their cabin."

In an interview on Thursday with Reuters , Costantino placed the blame for the deadly tragedy on the yacht's crew members, saying that they made the "incredible mistake" of not being prepared for the powerful storm that rolled in.

"This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance," Costantino told Reuters, which reported that the storm was projected in shipping forecasts.

Maritime legal experts previously told BI that the operator of the sunken yacht should lawyer up in anticipation of claims from families of the dead or the survivors themselves.

"The boat suffered a series of indescribable, unreasonable errors; the impossible happened on that boat ... but it went down because it took on water. From where, the investigators will tell," Costantino told Reuters.

An investigation into the exact cause of the sinking is ongoing.

Authorities previously confirmed a strong storm had been in the area, though search-and-rescue experts have suggested that multiple factors could have contributed to the disaster.

One theory is that soaring temperatures in the area caused passengers and crew to leave windows and doors open, which would have allowed water to fill the ship quickly during the storm.

"The boat sank because it took on water," Costantino told the FT.

He added that a large opening just above the waterline on the stern could have been left open and become flooded.

Out of the 15 who escaped, nine were crew members. One of them, a chef named Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed dead Monday.

Stephen Askins, a lawyer specializing in maritime cases, told MailOnline that the crew was likely already awake before the ship sunk, while the passengers may have been sleeping below deck.

"The water came in from [hatchways] left open," Costantino told the FT. "There is no other possible explanation. If maneuvered properly, the boat would have comfortably handled the weather — comfortably."

Matthew Schanck, a maritime search-and-rescue consultant, previously told BI that the disaster was "shocking" because Lynch's vessel was a "modern, state-of-the-art superyacht" that would have been commercially certified with the appropriate safety regulations in place.

Witnesses told BBC News they saw a waterspout — an uncommon weather phenomenon consisting of tornadolike wind and water — before the ship went down.

"This tends to have been the accepted theory, that the vessel was hit by a waterspout and the crew didn't see it coming because it was nighttime and dark," Schanck said.

He added that this scenario made sense but questioned how witnesses would have noticed a waterspout if the crew hadn't seen it.

• Main content

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

• Human Interest
• Real People
• Real People Tragedy

Everything We Know About the Luxury Yacht Sinking in Sicily, Killing 7 on Celebratory Trip

The key unanswered question remains — how did this happen?

What started out as a celebration on a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily ended in tragedy on Monday, Aug. 19, when the craft — the 183-foot-long Bayesian — is said to have sunk quickly into the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea after what the Italian coast guard called a “violent storm.”  

Twenty-two people were aboard, including 12 passengers and 10 crew, authorities have said.

Fifteen people were soon rescued after the Bayesian sank. By Friday, Aug. 23, following complicated and protracted search and rescue efforts , the bodies of all seven victims had been found, sources told PEOPLE.

Among the dead were British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

Here’s what to know about the tragedy, as Sicilian officials are expected to share more information this weekend.

What is the Bayesian yacht?

Built in 2008 by Perini Navi, with a much lauded interior designed by Rémi Tessier and naval architecture by Ron Holland, the luxury vessel was refitted in 2020 and included six suites for as many as 12 passengers, plus quarters for 10 crew — the size of the traveling party this week when the yacht sank. 

It has previously gone by the name Salute . But Bayesian appears to be a nod to Lynch’s career, referring to a kind of mathematical modeling used in his software company Autonomy.

Notably, the Bayesian has been touted as having the world’s “largest aluminum mast” at some 246 feet.

Other features included specific design elements to “favor alfresco entertainment” outdoors, such as a large covered saloon, as one charter company put it. And the interior was intended to “create familiar, pure, and natural atmospheres,” according to the charter description. Past photos show rooms bedecked in warmly lit neutrals and cream colors.

PERINI NAVI PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Where was the Bayesian yacht when the storm hit?

According to the Italian coast guard, the Bayesian was off the coast of Porticello in Sicily, on the northern tip of the island, when disaster struck on Aug. 19.

A source close to the survivors previously told PEOPLE that the passengers were celebrating after Lynch, labeled in headlines as Britain's "Bill Gates," was acquitted in June in a financial fraud trial in the U.S. that was related to selling his software company Autonomy for $11 billion to Hewlett Packard in 2011.

“That's why he took his closest friends and colleagues on the trip,” the source said.

Lynch himself reflected on how his life had changed after coming out of the shadow of his legal troubles. He told The Sunday Times in the U.K. in late July that he felt like he'd been given a "second life."

But "the question is," he said then, "what do you want to do with it?”

Who was on the yacht before it sank?

The 12 passengers included Lynch, his daughter Hannah and his wife, Angela Bacares; Chairman of Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer and his wife , Judy Bloomer; New York City-based lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo; Charlotte Golunski , her partner, James, and daughter Sophie and Ayla Ronald , a colleague at Christopher Morvillo’s law firm. 

The BBC reports that Ronald was also with her partner.

The 10 crew members included cook Recaldo Thomas , who was among the seven victims who died, as well as the captain, reportedly named James Cutfield, and others. According to The New York Times , one of the deck stewards was a 19-year-old South African native on his first such voyage.

HANDOUT/Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty

Who was rescued from the yacht?

Bacares, Ronald and her partner, Golunski and her family and nine of the crew members survived the sinking. The coast guard has said that some of them were “initially rescued by a boat in the immediate vicinity.”

Karsten Borner was the captain of the nearby boat and said he saw the yacht sink quickly.

"It all happened in really little time," he told Italian news outlet Rai, according to the BBC.

“The storm was over. We noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Borner told the BBC. “And then we saw a red flare, so my first mate and I went to the position and we found this life raft drifting [with] 15 people inside."

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty

Who died in the sinking?

Italian authorities have not yet publicly named all seven victims, though a government official told Reuters that Lynch was among the dead and the chef’s body was also identified to PEOPLE and other outlets by local sources involved in the investigation. 

Five other passengers were initially described as missing, and five more bodies have since been found in the wreck, sources said: Lynch’s daughter Hannah; Jonathan and Judy Bloomer and Christopher and Neda Morvillo.

Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty

FAMILY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 

Why did the Bayesian sink?

This has emerged as perhaps the key question in the tragedy , and the answer remains unclear.

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

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

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

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

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

Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty 

Another factor that could have caused the yacht to lose stability was its movable keel, which is an underwater blade designed to help keep boats upright and prevent them from swaying back and forth, the source close to the investigation tells PEOPLE.

They say that the 30-foot keel was allegedly retracted to about 13 feet when the storm hit, while natural experts say it would have been strange to retract the keel at that location if the crew knew bad weather was approaching.

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

"This episode sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact," Giovanni Costantino — who leads The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the Bayesian in 2008 — said, according to CNN .

Speaking with PEOPLE, Costantino was more circumspect.

“I obviously can't say for certain [what happened],” he says, “but what I'm sure of is that the only reason a sailboat, especially one with Perini Navi technologies installed, could sink is if it fills with water."

Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.

Related Articles

Morning Rundown: Eli Lilly to lower price of weight loss drug, Harris seeks to flip the script on fiscal responsibility, and how trees could benefit heart health

Russian missile strike kills at least 2 in in Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France due to alleged criminal activities on the app

Russia launches major barrage on Ukraine, killing at least 4

Drone video shows site of deadly Iceland ice cave collapse

French president Macron says Telegram founder’s arrest was not politically motivated

Video shows victims and grief after tent camp shelled in Gaza

Video shows Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah evacuated after new Israeli warning

Russia unleashes deadly drone and missile attack targeting 'Ukrainian infrastructure'

Australians broadly welcome new law entitling them to 'disconnect' outside work hours

Biden briefed with developments in Israel and Lebanon, says spokesperson

Israel launches strike as Hezbollah retaliates with rocket attack

Telegram messaging app founder arrested at airport outside Paris

Explosions in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah exchange heavy fire

New robot will clean up dangerous ‘space junk’

Ukraine’s fight for survival on Independence Day

Hamas sends delegation to Cairo for new round of cease-fire talks

Final body recovered from sunken luxury yacht in Italy

Knife attack at a festival in western Germany kills 3, injures 4

Israeli strikes on Gaza tent camp kill women and children

Body recovered of last person missing from sunken superyacht off Sicily

Video shows moment italy yacht sinks during violent storm.

CCTV video appears to show the moment the "Bayesian" yacht disappears as it capsizes in Palermo, Italy. Aug. 20, 2024

Best of NBC News

NBC News NOW

Former pentagon insider shares details on ufos in new book.

Judge blocks Biden policy providing pathway to citizenship for immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens

A look at the emerging and dangerous drug 'pink cocaine'

Iconic Babe Ruth 'called shot' jersey sells at auction for $24 million

Star gymnast plunges to death while ‘taking a selfie' with German castle

Sunshine girl dannie, sunshine girl sierra, warmington: classic car owner latest to have legally registered vehicle seized, lilley: trudeau seems to be raring for fight when parliament resumes, yacht horror: how did billionaire's 'unsinkable' boat end up on sea bottom.

You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Article content

The man dubbed the British Bill Gates spent most of the past year under house arrest as he awaited his trial on fraud charges.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

• Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
• Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
• Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
• Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account.
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
• Enjoy additional articles per month.
• Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

YACHT HORROR: How did billionaire's 'unsinkable' boat end up on sea bottom? Back to video

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s cage was gilded to be sure but a cage nonetheless.

And when he was cleared, Lynch took pals for a Mediterranean cruise on his super yacht, the Bayesian, which he was mulling selling. That will never happen.

On Monday morning, the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah, 18, two couples and the yacht’s Canadian chef.

Now, investigators are trying to determine how — and why — the “unsinkable” 184-foot yacht sank 160 feet to the bottom of the sea. The yacht’s captain may be the only person who has the answers.

Here is the latest:

— Lynch’s daughter Hannah, 18, is still missing after five bodies were found in the wreck;

— His wife revealed she was awoken by a “tilt” as the yacht went down;

Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.

• There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

— Experts believe the yacht’s “tallest mast in the world” may have contributed to the tragedy after a freak “Black Swan” weather event;

— Frantic text messages from survivors who piled into a tiny raft revealed the chaos.

For two hours following the disaster, police questioned Kiwi captain James Cutfield, 51.

One major question is why the Bayesian sank so quickly.

“Every time a vessel sinks, there is never just one reason,” shipwreck researcher Bertrand Scibo told The UK Sun . “It could be that the keel was also inside or outside, because they can remove the keel [sic].”

He added: [There would be] no reason to remove the keel because they do that only when they go into harbour. Only the captain will be able to answer this special question.”

So far, five bodies — including Lynch’s — have been recovered with six being confirmed dead. There were 15 survivors.

Scibo was also concerned regarding the slow trickle of information and answers being released by officials. He said “all the information seems to be a bit secret.”

The CEO of the company that manufactured the yacht, Giovanni Costantino, claimed his boats are “unsinkable” and the “safest ever.” Instead, he told Italian TV that “human error” was to blame.

As the horror unfolded in Porticello Harbour on Monday morning, witnesses in a smaller boat claimed the mast was hammered by a waterspout causing the boat to capsize — and then vanish beneath the waves.

A British lawyer specializing in maritime law told the Daily Mail that officials will likely target the crew for answers.

“They will want to find out if the captain was at fault over anything,” lawyer Stephen Askins said. “If I was looking at this I’d be very interested in the weather report, what the captain was briefing the crew and what the captain was briefing the owner.”

He added: “It’s a case of looking at what happened and then asking yourself whether in all the circumstances what he did was reasonable.”

Shipwreck researcher Scibo said open windows and portholes could also be a recipe for disaster with the water flooding in “very quickly,” expediting the yacht’s demise.

“If you’ve got a combination of all these reasons, the keel, the mast, the portal, the windows and this very big tornado,” he said. “You find the reason of the sinking.”

The child of Irish immigrants, Lynch won a scholarship to a posh private school and then attended Cambridge.

Only two months ago he won a shocking landmark victory in the U.S. courts. Tech giant Hewlett Packard claimed Lynch artificially inflated the value of his software firm, Autonomy.

He had sold Autonomy to HP for a whopping $11.7 billion in 2011.

Prosecutors had accused Lynch, along with Autonomy’s finance executive Stephen Chamberlain — who died in a tragic car crash Saturday — padded Autonomy’s bottom line.

After being cleared, Lynch told The Times of London that he had feared dying in prison.

″If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense,” Lynch told the newspaper. “It’s bizarre, but now you have a second life — the question is, what do you want to do with it?”

[email protected]

@HunterTOSun

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

You've reached the 20 article limit.

You can manage saved articles in your account.

and save up to 100 articles!

Looks like you've reached your saved article limit!

You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

• Crime And Law
• State And Regional
• Election 2024
• WHIO YouTube (Opens in new window)
• Dayton Gets Real (Opens in new window)
• Nation And World
• Israel At War
• Making a Difference
• Beat The Stigma (Opens in new window)
• Lottery Results
• Entertainment
• WHIO-TV Closed Captioning
• Interactive Radar
• Hour by Hour Forecast
• Closings & Delays Participation Info
• #Skywitness7
• WHIO Weather 24/7 Stream
• Live Traffic Conditions
• Gas Prices: Pump Patrol (Opens in new window)
• WHIO 24/7 News
• The $pend $mart Stream
• Law & Crime
• Curiosity NOW
• Touchdown 7
• Orange Zone (Opens in new window)
• Cleveland Browns
• Dayton Flyers
• WHIO-TV 75 Years (Opens in new window)
• Back to School
• 7 Circle of Kindness
• About WHIO-TV
• Contests (Opens in new window)
• What's on WHIO-TV
• CBS Programming (Opens in new window)
• About Laff TV (Opens in new window)
• More Ways to Watch
• FAQ: WHIO TV & Radio
• FCC Applications
• Visitor Agreement
• Privacy Policy
• Program Lineup
• Advertise With Us
• Ask The Experts
• Contact WHIO Radio
• Official Contest Rules
• How to Listen To WHIO Radio
• Radio Staff
• Steals and Deals
• Share Your Pics!

Who is Mike Lynch? A look at the British tech tycoon killed when his yacht sank off Sicily

Italy Boaters Missing FILE - British tech magnate Mike Lynch walks into federal court in San Francisco, March 26, 2024, (AP Photo/Michael Liedtke, File) (Michael Liedtke/AP)

Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who died after his yacht sank off Sicily, had been trying to move past a Silicon Valley debacle that had tarnished his legacy as an icon of British ingenuity.

Lynch, 59, struck gold when he sold Autonomy, a software maker he founded in 1996, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011 . But the deal quickly turned into an albatross for him after he was accused of cooking the books to make the sale and fired by HP's then-CEO Meg Whitman.

His death, confirmed on Thursday by Italian officials after they recovered his body and five others from the sea, was a dramatic turn of events that came after he was cleared of criminal charges in the U.S. in June.

Before becoming entangled with HP, Lynch was widely hailed as a visionary who inspired descriptions casting him as the British version of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Lynch was science and technology adviser to two British prime ministers. He also founded Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm that was a founding investor of British cybersecurity company Darktrace, and Luminance, an artificial intelligence platform for the legal industry.

Lynch was “an instrumental figurehead from the Cambridge (England) technology scene," said friend Brent Hoberman, former CEO of travel website lastminute.com. Hoberman told the BBC that Lynch was "leading the path forward for U.K. entrepreneurs to commercialize their inventions at a global scale.”

A decade-long legal battle had resulted in Lynch's extradition from the U.K. to face criminal charges of engineering a massive fraud against HP, a company that helped shape Silicon Valley's zeitgeist after starting in a Palo Alto, California, garage in 1939.

Lynch steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was being made a scapegoat for HP's own bungling — a position he maintained while testifying before a jury during a 2 1/2 month trial in San Francisco earlier this year. U.S. Justice Department prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses in an attempt to prove allegations that Lynch engaged in accounting duplicity that bilked billions of dollars from HP.

The trial ended up vindicating Lynch and he pledged to return to the U.K. and explore new ways to innovate.

Although he avoided a possible prison sentence, Lynch still faced a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven't been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

Forbes pegged his wealth $1 billion in 2015, the only year he was on the magazine’s rich list. Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper estimated this year that Lynch and his wife Angela Bacares were worth 500 million pounds ($655 million).

Lynch, a Cambridge-educated mathematician, made his mark running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly. Autonomy's steady growth during its first decade resulted in Lynch being awarded one of the U.K's highest honors, the Office of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2006.

John Browne, chair of Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research institute, and former head of energy giant BP, said Lynch’s “ideas and his personal vision were a powerful contribution to science and technology in both Britain and globally.”

The Royal Academy of Engineering, where Lynch was a Fellow, said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of his death and that he played an “active role” as a mentor and donor.

In the months leading up to the deal that would go awry, HP valued Autonomy at $46 billion, according to evidence presented at Lynch's trial.

The trial also presented contrasting portraits of Lynch. Prosecutors painted him as an iron-fisted boss obsessed with hitting revenue targets, even if it meant resorting to duplicity. But his lawyers cast him as entrepreneur with integrity and a prototypical tech nerd who enjoyed eating cold pizza late at night while pondering new ways to innovate.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Schools closed today ahead of dangerous heat, 3 districts plan early release

UPDATE: All lanes closed after semi crash on WB I-70 in Preble Co.; 1 hospitalized

UD urges caution to students after 2 weekend incidents

School closed today ahead of dangerous heat, second district plans early release

‘Exciting time;’ Popular pub expanding in Miami Valley

See Mark Zuckerberg’s glossy new $300M, 287-foot superyacht ‘Launchpad’

All aboard S.S. Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly gifted himself a $300 million megayacht, dubbed “Launchpad,” ahead of his 40th birthday.

The staggering 387-foot-long vessel was seen floating at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after arriving at its berth earlier this week, The Sun reported Thursday.

The multi-layered luxury ship’s sleek exterior was designed by Espen Øino International and boasts a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, according to SuperYacht Times.

Reportedly ranking as the 45th largest yacht in the world, the interiors are just as aesthetically pleasing and reportedly executed by Zuretti Interior Design company, a France-based company specializing in unique and custom yacht design.

The breathtakingly beautiful floater stands out with a navy blue theme matching an American flag perched proudly on its wood-paneled stern.

There are several outdoor areas where the social media maven will be able to relax with his family and the indoor levels feature glass paneling allowing for tons of natural light.

For more Page Six you love…

• Listen to our weekly “We Hear” podcast
• Shop our exclusive merch

There also appears to be a helipad perfect for whenever the Facebook co-founder wants to travel to his vessel by air.

The Feadship-built yacht, built in 2022, can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard, requires a crew of 48, and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com .

Boatworld insiders have been buzzing with speculation that Zuckerberg is the owner of the newly minted mega-cruise ever since it made its main voyage from the Netherlands last week.

The tech titan was spotted touring the Russian-commissioned megayacht in early March, though the impressive boat didn’t arrive stateside until this week due to sanctions, according to The Sun.

The website reported that Zuckerberg purchased the pricey yacht – along with its own $30 million partner boat — most likely as an early 40th birthday present to himself.

The boat reportedly traveled to Florida after being granted special permission to be imported just weeks ahead of Zuckerberg’s birthday on May 14.

Zuckerberg’s yacht is just 30 feet shorter than the length of fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos’ 417-foot megayacht Koru, which the Amazon boss snagged for a whopping $500 million.

Zuckerberg’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Mike Lynch yacht latest: Captain of Bayesian ‘under investigation’ for manslaughter and shipwreck

Italian prosecutors investigate captain james cutfield over deaths of british tech tycoon, daughter hannah and five others, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails, thanks for signing up to the breaking news email.

The captain of the Bayesian is under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck, according to judicial sources.

The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday the earlier reports in Italian media that New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, was being investigated by Italian prosecutors after the superyacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily last Monday.

Magistrates spoke to the 51-year-old on Sunday for the second time in a week, the Italian daily la Repubblica reported, questioning him for more than two hours.

Speaking of the storm, Mr Catfield insisted on Tuesday: “We didn’t see it coming.”

Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow.

It comes amid tributes for the owner of the British-flagged vessel Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer , his wife Judith Bloomer , Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, who all died in the disaster.

Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the yacht , who is understood to have been among the 15 rescued from the boat, described Hannah as a “diamond in a sea of stars”.

Key questions for investigators of the Bayesian yacht tragedy in Sicily

• Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
• Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
• Why did the boat sink?
• Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
• What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?
• How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?

Ex-court appointed guard says Mike Lynch ‘became more like a family’

Join our commenting forum.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

• A 48 Hour Guide To...

A 48 Hour Guide to Astrakhan, Russia

Travellers who venture into Astrakhan will enjoy the historical charm and cultural vibrancy of this old Silk Route town. The otherworldly Lake Baskunchak and extensive Delta wetlands are just a day trip away.

Astrakhan lies close to the Kazakhstan border where the Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea. It used to be a town on the old Silk Route and is built on more than 10 islands. Meander along canals and over bridges to soak up ancient Tatar, Christian and Islamic history. Venture into the surrounding countryside to enjoy the splendour of the Volga Delta wetlands and the region’s natural beauty.

Day one – Acquaint yourself with the city

Morning – Explore local history

Start the day by taking a walk through the Kryusha Quarter. It’s the city’s former Tatar and Persian area, and it remains a predominantly Muslim area. As such, there are clusters of mosques in various states of neglect and repair.

Starting at Ulitsa Kirova, walk along Kazanskaya Ulitsa until you reach a Lenin bust. If you cross over the canal, you’ll come across a well-kept park, complete with sculptures and a lake. Continue past it, and you’ll end up at the foot of the hill where the city’s Kremlin sits on top. A UNESCO World Heritage site with inviting gardens and temporary exhibitions, the Kremlin is not to be missed.

Pro tip: The Kryusha Quarter is fascinating to walk through, but it is still a little rough. It is fine to walk through during the day, but it is best to avoid it at night.

Afternoon – Discover Astrakhan’s cool hidey-holes

Become a Culture Tripper!

Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $1,200 on our unique trips..

See privacy policy .

Once you’re finished at the Kremlin, cut through the Fraternal Gardens to the city’s hipster hangout, Rozmarin Cafe , and fill up on freshly cooked meals and refuel with strong coffee. Once revived, take a peek at the Museum of Military Glory, which is as patriotic as the name suggests. However, despite the museum’s nationalistic slant, it is a good place to learn about historical battles.

Afterwards, it is worth walking over to Moloko, a hip, modern canteen-style café, which is run by the same people as Rozmarin Cafe. Even if you’re still full from lunch, they are licensed. So, why not have a cheeky afternoon drink and a snack?

From Moloko , it’s another lazy stroll along the banks of the Kutum River to the banks of the Volga – the manicured riverfront is the city’s crowning glory. There are people to watch, sculptures to see, and sunsets to enjoy.

Evening – Enjoy riverside views

After all of that walking about, treat yourself to a delicious meal. Right on the waterfront, Yamato is an indulgent, top-notch Japanese restaurant. The menu offers Japanese dishes, sushi, pan-Asian and Asian-fusion meals, as well as a lot of classic European and Russian cuisine. And it’s not just the food that is good here – so is the decor, inspired by Japanese minimalism and traditional aesthetics.

Pro tip: Yamato is popular. Book a reservation or be prepared to wait for a little while.

Night – Embrace the local culture

For those who want to sample some high-brow culture, why not check out what ballet is showing? The Astrakhan State Theatre of Opera and Ballet may not have the same clout as other regional theatres, but like most ballet and opera in Russia, they are still done to an outstanding standard.

For those who want to kick on, take the short stroll over to Kul’tovyy Bar (Cult Bar) for dim lighting, live music and boozy drinks. It also serves reasonably priced food. After loading up on positive vibes, belt out a few tunes with new friends at any of the many karaoke bars in town, such as Chicago House.

Whatever time the night ends, rest your well-worn legs at the luxurious Novomoskovskaya Hotel , a 10-minute walk away from Kul’tovyy Bar. Sleeping options are limited in Astrakhan, but they are also affordable, which means this five-star hotel comes with a bargain price tag. It’s also right in the heart of the city, so the Kremlin and the central sights are all within walking distance.

Day two – Soak up the Astrakhan region’s beauty

Morning – Venture out to the great outdoors

Although the city still has plenty to offer, a trip to the surrounding countryside is a must. Around Astrakhan , the Volga River splinters off into thousands of streams and rivers, known as the Volga Delta Wetlands. The wetlands, filled with birds and animals, are lush and an adventure to explore.

Roads eventually peter out and make way for rivers and marshes. The further you explore the wetlands, the more likely you’ll need a boat. A trip into the wetlands is a day trip in itself, so don’t plan to cram too many countryside sights into your itinerary.

Pro tip: Many tour companies offer trips into the wetlands, so shop around to find a deal that you like. Parts of the area are protected, so tourists need a permit. Tourist agencies in Astrakhan can help you organise these. Procosta is a tour company that offers trips into the delta with a guide, and only Procosta tours can be taken without one of these permits.

Afternoon – Float in salty water

An alternative day trip is to Lake Baskunchak, near the Kazakhstan border. One of Russia’s major salt basins, it supplies the nation with approximately 80 percent of its salt. Back in the day, people used to flock here to reap the health benefits of the salty water and the clay, and legend has it that it is a place of healing. Despite, or because of, its otherworldly appearance and its far-flung locale, it remains a popular tourist destination, albeit an unusual one.

A swim in the lake is comparable to a dip in the Dead Sea , although many swimmers bring shoes because prickly salt covers the bottom of the lake-bed. The lake used to be an important stop on the Silk Route, as its seemingly endless supply of salt has long been a precious commodity.

Pro tip: Make sure you pack a picnic, plenty of fresh water and sunscreen because there aren’t any trees around the lake.

Evening – Feast on traditional dishes

All that country air will induce hunger that must be satiated. So, head straight to Mindal (which translates to Almond) to feast on steaming hot Georgian khachapuri and Uzbek pilaf and other drool-inducing dishes. A top restaurant in town, Mindal serves up hearty central Asian and Caucasian dishes in a casual, yet stylish setting – a perfect treat to end a long day spent on the road and in the great outdoors.

Night – Relax with a beer

Mindal has a licensed bar that also serves up hookahs, so if you are suffering from a post-pigout food coma, and are exhausted from the day, hang around and enjoy yourself for a little bit longer. But if you want a change of scenery, visit Akademiya Piva, (Beer Academy). This restaurant and brewery is not only a stumble away from the hotel, but it is an opportunity to try a local brew or two. Of their five house-made beers, one is brewed in the style of the iconic Soviet beer, Zhigulevskoye.

Pro tip: If you want to relax after dinner at Mindal, book a booth table and make yourself comfortable. Also, for those on a budget, Akademiya Piva serves pub grub at a reasonable price.

A Guide to Cautionary Russian Proverbs and What They Mean

History of a Painting: 'The Black Square' by Malevich

Russian Last Names and Their Meanings

Zhenotdel: The Soviet Union's Feminist Movement

The Mystery Behind Russia's Buddhist "Miracle"

See & Do

Russia's most remote holiday destinations.

Incredible Photos From the Longest Bike Race in the World

The Soviet Union’s Best Heart-Throbs and Pinups

Unusual Facts About the Soviet Union

Food & Drink

The best halal restaurants in kazan.

Restaurants

The best halal restaurants in kaliningrad.

A Soviet Pilot Went Missing in Afghanistan and Was Found 30 Years Later

Culture Trip Summer Sale

Save up to $1,200 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

• Post ID: 1000168864
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload