Tech tycoon's superyacht lifted from water off Italy
Salvage experts have hauled UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht from the water and plan to take it to a Sicilian port for inspection, 10 months after it sank off the coast of Sicily, killing Lynch, his teenage daughter and five others.
Work had resumed at first light on Saturday, with one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe used to haul the 56-metre-long Bayesian from beneath the waves.
The Bayesian's upper decks appeared badly damaged while the blue hull was encrusted with mud after it had lain on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres.
Italian authorities in the nearby port of Termini Imerese will have a chance to inspect the luxury yacht next week as they seek clues into a tragedy that has puzzled maritime experts.
The Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August last year when it sank during a sudden storm.
The yacht was vulnerable to violent winds and was probably knocked over by gusts of more than 117 km/h, an interim United Kingdom report said last month.
The salvage team, led by UK company TMC Marine, pumped sea water out of the hull and the vessel was held in an elevated position, surrounded by pollution containment booms, while further checks were carried out.
"This was a complex and precise lifting operation to recover Bayesian, and followed a step-by-step program of salvage work," said Marcus Cave, a director of TMC Marine.
The plan is for the yacht to be carried to port on Sunday before it is lifted on Monday on to a specially manufactured steel cradle on the quayside.
The recovery process has been made easier after the vessel's 72-metre mast was detached using a remote-controlled cutting tool and placed on the seabed on Tuesday.
In addition to Lynch, founder of the software company Autonomy, his daughter Hannah, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and chef Recaldo Thomas were killed when the yacht sank.
Nine other crew members and six guests were rescued.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
4 hours ago
The recovered Bayesian superyacht takes its final journey to a Sicilian port
PORTICELLO, Italy -- A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, started its final trip Sunday, a day after recovery crews completed the complex operation to lift it out of the water. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian, covered with algae and mud, was kept elevated by the yellow floating crane barge off the port of Porticello, before starting its transfer to Termini Imerese, where a special steel cradle was waiting. The vessel will be made available for investigators for further examinations to help determine the cause of the sinking. The Bayesian sank Aug. 19 off Porticello, near Palermo, during a violent storm as Lynch was treating friends to a cruise to celebrate his acquittal two months earlier in the U.S. on fraud charges. Lynch, his daughter and five others died. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. The vessel was slowly raised from the seabed 50 meters (165 feet) deep over three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. The Bayesian is missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut off and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be raised. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report said the crew of the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds.
The Verge
4 hours ago
- The Verge
Tech billionaire's sunken superyacht raised from the sea.
Posted Jun 22, 2025 at 5:22 PM UTC Tech billionaire's sunken superyacht raised from the sea. The AP, CNN, and Reuters report that Italian authorities are continuing to investigate last year's sinking of Autonomy founder Mike Lynch's superyacht, Bayesian, during a storm last year that killed seven people, including Lynch. A salvage operation lifted the 184-foot from the seafloor this weekend, after first removing its 236-foot mast.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Prada CEO Gianfranco D'Attis to Exit the Brand
MILAN — Changes are afoot at Prada. WWD has learned that chief executive officer Gianfranco D'Attis is exiting the Italian luxury brand. More from WWD Coco Gauff Competes in Berlin Wearing Miu Miu x New Balance Kit and Co-branded Sneakers Prada Introduces Juicy 'Banana Yellow' Lip Balm Inspired by Archive Fruit Motif Priyanka Chopra Jonas Keeps It Classic on 'Jimmy Fallon' With Shiny Black Pumps Milan-based sources said disagreements over strategy caused D'Attis' relations with Prada's owners and with the top brass to become strained. D'Attis was not present at the men's spring 2026 show on Sunday in Milan, and, asked to comment, Prada confirmed the group is parting ways with the executive 'by mutual agreement,' effective June 30. Prada Group CEO Andrea Guerra will succeed him on an interim basis. D'Attis joined Prada in January 2022, reporting to Guerra. He arrived as the group — which also comprises Miu Miu, Church's and Car Shoe — was going through a managerial reorganization. He was the first executive outside of the family to hold the CEO role of Prada. Chairman Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada were previously co-CEOs of the group and of the signature brand. D'Attis was previously president of Christian Dior Couture Americas. Earlier, he was international managing director of Jaeger-LeCoultre. In an interview with WWD last year, D'Attis, who brought his experience in retail and knowledge of the American market to Prada, said that among the priorities for the brand was a focus on China and the U.S. He aimed to integrate new categories, home and jewelry made with recycled gold in the brand's flagships, and to attract new and younger consumers. He is said to have changed the merchandising and retail structure. Prada Group sales in the first quarter of the year were up 13 percent to 1.34 billion euros, mainly propelled by Miu Miu. The Prada brand's retail sales were relatively flat at 827 million euros compared with 826 million euros last year, while Miu Miu revenues climbed 60 percent at constant exchange rates to 377 million euros, growing across categories and regions. After months of speculation, Prada Group in April confirmed it was acquiring 100 percent of Versace from Capri Holdings for 1.25 billion euros. Best of WWD EXCLUSIVE: Maje Names Charlotte Tasset Ferrec CEO Nadja Swarovski Exits Family Company Amid Ongoing Corporate Shakeup Aeffe MD Exits Fashion Group
