super yacht w

weekly rates from $450,000

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W Yacht for Charter

The 189-foot (57.6m) charter yacht W offers on-water living at its finest. From her Feadship quality to her copious deck spaces and inviting interior, charter guests will be dazzled by everything this superyacht has to offer. Receiving an extensive 10-month refit at Feadship in 2020, W is in “as new” condition and showcases impressive new amenities and a striking grey hull.

Charter yacht W’s awe-inspiring interior, designed by Bannenberg & Rowell with touches by A La Mer during her refit, boasts chic modern elegance with a relaxing ambiance. Guest will be captivated by the superyacht’s stunning use of wood and stylish furniture. Both the main salon and bridge deck offer guests excellent areas to gather socially as well as relax. The bridge deck has an impressive flexible dining space that blurs the lines between inside and out with fully retractable doors for indoor/outdoor dining.

Superyacht W welcomes up to 10 guests in the comfort of five sumptuous staterooms. The main deck master stateroom is a haven complete with its own private balcony. It is the perfect private retreat for morning coffee or a book. The expansive suite also features a lounge, a large walk-in closet with a dressing room, a plush king-size bed and a lavish en-suite bath. Below deck, the superyacht features two VIP staterooms with king beds and two convertible twin staterooms. An additional stateroom on the bridge deck can accommodate two guests on a queen murphy bed.

Featuring vast outdoor living areas, charter guests will enjoy living the alfresco lifestyle while aboard W. The superyacht’s 68-foot (21m) long sundeck is the hub of the yacht. Perfect for spending days soaking in the sunshine and relaxing, the sundeck features several sunbathing spaces, a large Jacuzzi, a shaded bar and alfresco dining. On both the bridge deck aft and main deck aft, charter yacht W showcases lounging areas ideal for socializing. Charter yacht W is also equipped with a large array of water toys that will have guests having fun all day long.

• Extensive refit and redesign completed in 2020 at Feadship, Holland
• Offering the very latest in Feadship engineering and AV/IT technology
• Modern chic interior
• Huge Owner’s suite complete with private balcony, lounge and expansive dressing area
• Oversized sundeck with large hot tub
• Huge array of toys
• Charter-savvy crew lead by the excellent Marc Wellnitz
• EURO 9 million refit completed in 2020

Charter Details

• Kaleidescape
• Stabilizers
• Tender Garage

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please inquire.

Accommodations

Specifications

Toys & Tenders

• 38' Targa Protector 2022 w/ twin 450R's
• 18’ (5.4m) Rescue tender
• Giant waterslide
• 2x Fliteboard
• 2x three-person GTX Limited Sea-Doo Jet skis (2020)
• 4x two-person hobie pedal kayak
• 2x stand up Paddle Board
• 4x seabobs F5S
• 2x laser sailboats
• 4x go-cycle bikes
• Snorkel gear, adults and children
• Fishing Equipment
• Aqua-Banas - oversized inflatable party cabana
• SCUBA – RENDEZVOUS DIVING ONLY

Summer Rates

2024 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

Cruising Regions

• The Bahamas
• Harbour Island
• Abacos Islands
• Out Islands
• Exuma Islands
• Eleuthera Islands
• Nassau and Paradise Island

Winter Rates

2024/2025 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

• Leeward Islands
• British Virgin Islands
• US Virgin Islands

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W YACHT CHARTER

23.99m  /  78'8   yyachts   2023.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Built in 2023
• Interior design from Design Unlimited
• Sleeps 8 guests
• Williams Jet Tenders Tender

Prepare for a charter vacation of lifetime aboard YYachts luxury yacht W

The 23.99m/78'8" sail yacht 'W' is an excellent new superyacht for the luxury charter market. Delivered by shipyard YYachts and featuring interior styling by British designer Design Unlimited she can comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 cabins.

Offering outstanding sailing performance, W offers comfortable deck space for magical outdoor living.

Guest Accommodation

Built in 2023, W offers guest accommodation for up to 8 guests in 4 suites comprising four double cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 2 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

W benefits from some excellent features to improve your charter such as air conditioning to keep your comfortable throughout your charter.

Performance & Range

W is built with a composite hull and composite superstructure. Powered by 1 x Yanmar engines, she comfortably cruises at 7 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 12 knots.

Onboard W has a range of toys and accessories to keep you and your guests entertained on the water throughout your stay. Principle among these are waterskis that are hugely entertaining whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro. In addition there are SEABOBs, offering a truly remarkable experience that lets you skim along the surface or swim with the fishes quietly and safely. Additionally, there are wakeboards so guests can show off at speed. If that isn't enough W also features scuba diving equipment, beach games, inflatable water toys and paddleboards. When it's time to travel from land to see, it couldn't be easier with a Williams Jet Tenders Tender.

Book your next the Mediterranean luxury yacht charter aboard W this summer. She is also accepting bookings this winter on request.

W is a unique sail yacht and the ideal platform for an adventure charter that will guarantee unforgettable memories.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for W, please provide .

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment W has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

W is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• More Scuba Jet
• 1 x Williams Jet Tenders 395 Tender

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'W' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€35,000 p/week + expenses Approx $39,000

High Season

€41,000 p/week + expenses Approx $45,500

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean France, Italy, Monaco

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Ibiza, Sardinia, The Balearics

Winter Season

October - April

HOT SPOTS:   Ibiza, The Balearics

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker or

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'W' Feadship

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If you have any questions about the 'W' information page below please contact us .

Launched in 2013, the luxury motor yacht 'W' (ex Larisa) is a beautiful 57,60-metre twin-screw vessel, custom-built by the prestigious Dutch manufacturer, Feadship. With naval architecture and exterior styling by Feadship De Voogt, Larisa superyacht boasts lovely interior design by award-winning Bannenberg & Rowell. She was refitted in 2020 by Feadship.

NOTABLE FEATURES OF 'W': ~ sober modern luxury interiors ~ great deck spaces ~ plenty of areas to unwind ~ alfresco dining options ~ Jacuzzi ~ main deck master suite ~ at anchor stabilisers ~ underway stabilisers ~ gym equipment ~ elevator/lift ~ air-conditioning ~ WiFi

'W' Specifications

Accommodation is provided in a spacious and magnificent Owner's stateroom complete with a private balcony and fitted with separate bathroom and dressing room. Lower Guest accommodation offers two large VIP Cabins w/ King beds aft and then two Twin Convertible cabins up forward An additional sleeping option is located in the Bridge Deck Salon - a queen murphy bed is located on the port side, and the area boasts full en-suite facilities inc. shower. The yacht is managed by a professional crew of 13.. There is also a captain's cabin, laundry and storage rooms, all situated on the lower deck. Motor yacht W is fitted with a wide range of water toys.

Built from steel and aluminium, she is powered by twin MTU12V4000M53R diesel engines, reaching a top speed of 15,5 knots. Her beam is of 10,55m (34'4''), while her draft is of 3,25m (10'8'').

Yacht Accommodation

Feadship luxury yacht W comfortably sleep her guests in a large Owner's stateroom, one VIP stateroom, as well as two guest cabins. Her 13 professional crew sleep in 6 crew cabins.

Amenities and Extras

Tenders & Toys: ~38' Targa Protector 2022 w/ twin 450R's ~18’ (5.4m) Rescue tender ~Giant waterslide ~2x Fliteboard ~2x three-person GTX Limited Sea-Doo Jet skis (2020) ~4x two-person hobie pedal kayak ~2x stand up Paddle Board ~4x seabobs F5S ~2x laser sailboats ~4x go-cycle bikes ~Snorkel gear, adults and children ~Wakeboard ~Beach Toys ~Fishing Equipment ~Beach toys ~Aqua-Banas - oversized inflatable party cabana ~SCUBA – RENDEZVOUS DIVING ONLY ///Gym equipment: ~1x Peloton Bike

'W' Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht 'W' 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.

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'...total originality in yacht design has become more difficult to attain following Jon Bannenberg’s masterful levels of creative daring.' - “I don’t want to lead everything back to my dad — but it’s well known and accepted that, whether it’s his big round windows, or certain lines, or a way of treating wings on a superstructure, they all inspired many people and I think that’s fair game. I think all people’s design processes, whether subliminal or not, are recalling something — whether it’s something that’s stirred, or triggered something, or sparked an idea, or an unintentional homage to someone.” - Dickie Bannenberg talks of yacht design and his father Jon Bannenberg's groundbreaking work.

QUEEN MARE | From EUR€ 180,000/wk Special

CAPRI | From EUR€ 260,000/wk

58m Custom Superyacht 2014 | From EUR€ 350,000/wk

we advise on the NEWBUILD PURCHASE SALE and CHARTER of superyachts

Kayaking in river shambhavi

Kayaking during sunset

Kayaking watching sunrise

Kayaking doing chitchat

Kayaking & camping

Kayakers group Karnataka

Family on Kayak

Friends at palimar dam

River shambhavi

Kayakers camping

BBQ at kayakers camp

We specialise in yacht charters on fully crewed yachts in a size range from 30M to +100M. Yachts can vary significantly in their layout and features, even amongst those of a similar size, but also notably in their condition and the quality of their crews. We view as many of the charter fleet as we possibly can, and meet as many of their crews as regularly as we can. That way we are able to ensure that we are presenting our clients with the best yachts, in the best condition, with the best crews, for the best charter. We provide the highest level of service in all that we do. For charter, this means ensuring that everything from the itinerary to the food onboard, to the watertoys, is specific to your exact requirements and meets the highest expectations.

We represent your interests and act on your behalf in searching for a yacht that can meet your exact requirements. There are a large number of idiosyncrasies in this market. At times, with the significant number of yachts for sale at any one moment, it can be complex and overwhelming. Our knowledge and expertise allow us to quickly shortlist those yachts which meet your requirements, along with information on aspects such as their condition, charter potential and valuation. Once a suitable yacht is identified, we can facilitate viewings and if it progresses, handle the negotiation and successful closing of the purchase. This is an area in particular where we add significant value. We ensure a smooth transition into your Ownership, handling all matters including registry, crewing and ongoing management. Owning a yacht, as many Owners will testify, can be hugely rewarding and enjoyable. The vast majority of yacht Owners continue ownership throughout their lifetime.

We have a significant amount of experience in brokering, project managing and successfully delivering newbuild yachts. Many Owners choose to build, not just because they want a brand new yacht, but because they want it to be specific to their very exact requirements. For those that do it, building is an experience which they remember and enjoy for their whole lifetime as they continue to explore the world year after year once delivered. ‍ There are many different routes to building. At its simplest it is a choice between semi-custom and fully custom. We offer a range of services depending on the route taken. We assist in identifying and contracting the appropriate exterior and interior designers, who may be the same, and the most suitable naval architect for your type of project. Thereafter, we assist with developing and refining designs, arrangements and technical specifications. There are a wide number of yards to tender to. Each is suited for different projects, budgets and customers. The final stage is negotiating the contract and project managing the build to ensure the yacht is built as it was designed and specified to be, and meets the very high expectations of our clients.

Selling a yacht should be simple for the most part. It is about ensuring she is presented well with excellent photography, videography and brochures. It needs a clear, concise and detailed specification and works list. We illustrate and simplify the yacht’s general arrangement diagram to ensure it is clear and the key features of the layout can be quickly identified by buyers. The not so simple part, is that like any luxury product, how that product is marketed is critical. For this reason, we develop unique branding and a distinct marketing approach for every yacht we represent. They are all different and to get the best price for your yacht, we need to show what makes her distinct from the others on the market and the right yacht for that buyer. We need to get our case across concisely and quickly to grab the attention of potential purchasers. Our approach does this very effectively. Thereafter, it is a case of ensuring that anyone who might be looking for a yacht of similar size or style cannot miss her. We respond very quickly to any enquiries, ensuring interested parties have all the information on the yacht as soon as possible.

W was founded in 2021 by William Yates. Having worked at a large yachting company for many years, the time was right to setup on his own with the aim of delivering an exceptionally personal, dedicated, open and transparent, and discreet service to a focused group of clients who were looking for this type of approach.

Our mission: provide an intimate, transparent, bespoke service. Specialising in yacht sales, we navigate a diverse range from 30M to +100M, ensuring optimal quality and layout.

Crafting Memorable Voyages with Unrivaled Luxury , Service, and Expertise. Discover Your Journey Today!

Sinking of a super yacht adds to questions billionaire Mike Lynch wanted to put behind him

I t was a sunny August morning when software entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, gathered ten of his closest friends along with his wife and daughter on the dock of Porto di Milazzo, on the Northern coast of Sicily. They had come to celebrate his freedom. Only months before, several of the guests played crucial roles in persuading a San Francisco jury to acquit Lynch of federal charges related to the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion. 

Five days after the yacht left port, Lynch, his daughter, four guests, and a hired chef were dead in the Mediterranean Sea after a storm flooded the ship. The drowned included the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, a star witness at Lynch’s trial, as well as one of Lynch’s lead defense attorneys. Among the survivors were a former Autonomy exec who went on to become a partner at Lynch’s venture capital firm, a second member of his defense team, and his wife, who reportedly owns nearly all his fortune. The same day of the drowning, U.K. news outlets reported that Lynch’s co-defendant in the fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, who had also been acquitted, had been fatally run over by a car as he was out jogging—a shocking coincidence.

Less than a week after the tragedy, there are far more questions than answers. Did the yacht named Bayesian—an homage to a statistical theorem for predicting future outcomes—simply fall victim to a terrible storm? How did most of the crew and a few passengers escape, and why couldn’t they reach Lynch and the six others who did not make it out? Italian officials are looking into manslaughter charges, but it’s not yet clear who they may have in their crosshairs. Giovanni Costantino, who runs The Italian Sea Group that owns Perini Navi, the Italian maker of the yacht, had harsh words for the crew, who he blames. "This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance," he told Reuters .

There are also huge questions swirling around the business ventures of the man dubbed the “British Bill Gates.” While the Bayesian excursion was to serve as a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal on all charges in the U.S.—where he had spent months under house arrest—the reality is that his legal troubles were far from over. In a January 2022 civil trial, the UK’s High Court found that HPE had “substantially succeeded” in proving that Autonomy leaders had fraudulently made it look like the company was earning more revenue than it was. In 2019 Autonomy’s CFO was convicted of 16 counts and sentenced to five years in prison. At this time, the UK case is in a holding pattern as the judge determines what damages are owed to HPE. (The company’s spokesperson Adam Bauer says HPE is, “saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives.”)

But Lynch’s passing also looms over Invoke Capital, the venture firm he founded in 2011 and whose managing partner—Charlotte Golunski—survived the yacht disaster and saved her 1-year old baby. One of Invoke’s most prominent bets was a 2013 seed stage investment in Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm on whose board Lynch sat until 2018. Darktrace has developed a reputation as a sleek AI cybersecurity startup with ties to spy agencies like MI5 and the U.S. National Security Agency. It also became the target of short-sellers who in 2023 expressed doubt over Darktrace’s financial filings—the same sort of allegations that plagued Lynch’s Autonomy. 

Darktrace insists that the shortseller’s allegations were baseless, and they say an EY audit it commissioned showed this to be the case. In April Darktrace received a $5.3 billion acquisition offer from the giant private equity firm, Thoma Bravo. The deal, which Fortune reported will likely go forward despite Lynch’s death, stood to help rehabilitate Lynch’s business reputation. As of August 14, he and his wife collectively owned 3.21% of the company, which would be worth some $170 million upon the deal’s completion. Invoke Capital has not responded to multiple requests for comment and Darktrace declined comment.

Following his U.S. acquittal, Lynch was pleased enough with the state of things that he had begun celebrating weeks before the yacht party. In the days following the not-guilty verdict, Lynch, his wife, Stephen Chamberlain and his wife, the attorney Chris Morvillo—who drowned on Bayesian—and 20 other lawyers gathered at a restaurant at a hotel near the San Francisco courthouse.

Brian Heberlig, an attorney at Steptoe who gave the closing argument in Lynch’s trial, recalls that Morvillo gave a moving toast, telling those assembled that the trial was more than just a job, but one of their life’s works. “He really was a brilliant man,” Heberlig told Fortune , fighting back tears as he remembered Lynch. “And he ran his legal defense the same way I imagine he ran Autonomy. He let the experts do their jobs, while still having a strong grasp on the material. As he used to say, ‘Let the brain surgeons do the surgery.’”

That night was the last time Heberlig ever saw Lynch or Morvillo.

A 'virtually unsinkable' boat

The sailing party departed August 14—five days before the storm—and was comprised of 12 guests and 10 crew. The Bayesian was one of the biggest yachts of its kind. Its first stop was a cluster of small islands off the coast of Sicily. Then it jetted across the sea to the Sicilian town of Cefalu, before putting down anchor for the final time on the coast of Palermo, a favorite getaway for the rich and famous, and a former haunt for the mafia.

Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who reportedly held the couple’s entire $1.1 billion fortune, was jolted awake on August 18 as the boat began to tilt. Glass from a shattered window exploded across the deck, according to reports, cutting her feet as she ran to investigate.

Black and white security  footage  appears to show the outline of what is believed to be the 184-foot sailing yacht, which used call sign 2ICB8, slowly disappearing behind a thicker and thicker veil of rain. Nearby villagers and fishermen say they saw a sea tornado, called a waterspout. Soon after, the yacht lay on the ocean floor.

Theories are swirling about why the yacht sank. One holds that a bay door was left open in the storm, causing the ship to flood and sink in minutes. Another holds that the Bayesian’s 246-foot tall aluminum mast—one of the tallest in the world— broke in the wind and took the boat down with it.

Most news reports say the yacht sank almost instantly, but the CEO of the company that bought the boat’s maker after it went bankrupt in 2021 disputes that. In a Financial Times report, he called the boat “virtually unsinkable,” and says that it dragged its anchor for 16 minutes before it sank. 

During those fateful moments, a far older nearby yacht, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, built in 1957, was drifting on a similar course as the Bayesian and not only survived, but came to help. Some onboard saw a red flare shooting across the rainy sky—an emergency signal from those who had fled the doomed yacht, drawing the attention to a life raft filled with 15 of the 22 passengers.

Passenger Golunski, 35, who helped run Autonomy the first year it was at HP, described holding her one-year old daughter Sophia, as she screamed for help. One of Lynch’s most trusted employees, Golunski was a founding partner at Invoke Capital, the London-based firm that backed Darktrace. Lynch’s wife Bacares was also in the life raft along with Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who reportedly texted to her father: “there are deaths.”

The lifeboat survivors were soon plucked from the sea while the Bayesian came to its current resting place 50 meters below the surface. Over the course of the next 72 hours, a team of scuba divers from the Guardia Costiera and specially trained cave divers from the Vigili del Fuoco, the local fire department, used boats and a helicopter to triangulate the yacht’s position. The divers, working in bursts of 8 to 12 minutes, searched the Bayesian’s six guest suites, master suite, multiple living areas, and dining room.

The body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was the first to be found, floating on the water’s surface. On Wednesday, two days after the wreck, four more bodies were discovered, and on Thursday a fifth. Among them were Lynch and Chris Morvillo of the prestigious law firm Clifford Chance, who had made the controversial decision to have Lynch testify, and questioned him on the stand right before he was acquitted. The others discovered were Morvillo’s wife, Neda, as well as the Morgan Stanley banker and key witness, Jonathan Bloomer, who had been a former executive director at Autonomy, and his wife Judy. The body of Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was pulled from the sea on Friday.

The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency tells Fortune it is in contact with the Italian authorities but would not provide further information. The UK’s Foreign Office told Fortune it is providing “consular support to a number of British nationals and their families…and are in contact with the local authorities.”

More questions than answers

Even as loved ones and the survivors begin to come to terms with the human toll of the tragedy, the business world has begun assessing Lynch’s complicated past, and his many business dealings. 

Lynch was born of modest means to a nurse and firefighter in a suburb of London. From an early age he showed a proclivity towards technology and a fiery determination. He studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge, then returned for a PhD in artificial neural networks, the building blocks of artificial intelligence. When he was still studying for his PhD, he started his first venture, Cambridge Neurodynamics, monetizing computerized fingerprint recognition, eventually evolving into Autonomy. 

Founded in 1996 with David Tabizel and Richard Gaunt, Autonomy used an early version of artificial intelligence to quickly scan what’s known as “unstructured data,” especially including language. Autonomy quickly became a darling of the UK’s fledgling tech scene, and it was seen as a crowning achievement when, in 2011, the company struck an $11 billion deal to be purchased by HP, now HPE. The deal, however, was quickly engulfed in scandal when a year later the new owner alleged accounting fraud and wrote down its investment by $8.8 billion.

Despite the baggage around Autonomy, Lynch continued to ride high in the tech world through his venture firm, Invoke Capital, which he founded in 2012. One of its most profitable investments was Darktrace, which he backed in 2013 and joined as a board member. By 2016 he told TechCrunch 60 employees from Autonomy were working at Invoke, that he’d raised a billion dollars to invest in startups, and that Darktrace was worth $500 million.

While fighting the legal battle over Autonomy and building Invoke, Lynch enjoyed the trappings of a mogul. The same year he announced his billion-dollar startup fund, he was sailing the Bayesian, worth an estimated $25 million. He reportedly also owned a $6 million, 69-acre Georgian manor.

By early 2020 Darktrace shared deep connections with Autonomy, including half of Darktrace’s board and six of its eight top executives. The following year Darktrace went public, soaring 40% above its pre-market value. But the victory lap was brief. In September 2022, an acquisition talk between private equity firm Thoma Bravo and Darktrace fell through , sending share prices tumbling. In early 2023, the short-selling firm Quintessential Capital Management published a 70-page report accusing Darktrace of similar misconduct that had sunk Autonomy.

“We are deeply skeptical about the validity of Darktrace’s financial statements,” the report read. Darktrace’s shares plunged as much as 17% after the report was published, though the company said at the time that the management team and board had “rigorous controls in place.” Darktrace hired EY to perform an audit, which stabilized its share price after the accounting firm found the company's earlier financial results did not need to be restated. Darktrace never publicly released the report, however, with a spokesperson saying at the time that it contained “commercially sensitive information.”

More recently, Darktrace’s CEO Poppy Gustafsson wrote in the firm’s Q4 trading report of “shareholders voting overwhelmingly in favour” of the acquisition, and added the company is “awaiting the conclusion of the remaining regulatory processes.”

Until very recently, Darktrace had sought to distance itself from Lynch and his VC firm. In December, shareholders passed a resolution that rejected Invoke executive Patrick Jacob's reappointment to its board. This April, Invoke lost the right to that same board seat when it was discovered its shares had fallen below the required 10% threshold. Nonetheless, in a memorial to Lynch, Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson wrote : “Without Mike, there would be no Darktrace. We owe him so much.”

While the Italian authorities continue to investigate the crash site, one thing is certain: the swirl of legal and business battles that surrounded Lynch during his lifetime are likely to continue after his death. A local Italian news site reports that the public prosecutor's office in a nearby town, Termini Imerese, is looking into allegations of manslaughter surrounding the sunken boat. And two months before Lynch died, former UK secretary of state David Davis reportedly said he was working with Lynch to scrap U.S./U.K extradition agreements that allowed Lynch’s trial to happen in the first place. 

On Wednesday, August 21, Davis told GB News he would continue that fight in memory of Lynch. “We need to get a grip of this,” said Davis. “Mike, when he’d won his case, almost the first thing he did was ring me up and say, ‘we’re going to have to defeat this treaty, we’re going to have to overcome this treaty and get it changed for the better.'"

“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,” Lynch said after the verdict.

Lynch’s desire to extend the legal fight even after his not-guilty verdict reflects the scrappiness he displayed throughout his life. This helped him ascend to the highest rungs of business and moguldom—but the success also came with a tenuous quality as questions about his business dealings dogged him for years. The not-guilty verdict and the pending Darktrace sale meant Lynch was in position to finally cast off that shadow. But now his ultimate legacy is poised to be tied forever to a mysterious and tragic hour on the Mediterranean Sea.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Experts puzzle over why Bayesian yacht sank. Was it a 'black swan event'?

The Bayesian set off on a leisurely cruise around Italy's southern coast on a sunny day in late July.

The luxurious super yacht − which boasted one of the largest masts in the world and carried a crew of business moguls, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his family and a chair of Morgan Stanley − set sail from the Amalfi Coast, bound for Sicily.

Less than a month later, the ship had sunk 160 feet under the water , leaving its cook dead and six of its passengers, including at least two Americans, missing and prompting a massive search that has drawn international attention.

Now, experts are trying to piece together why in the early hours Monday the Bayesian was quickly pulled under the waves amid a storm that saw at least one tornado spin up over the water.

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A perfect storm led to Bayesian sinking, experts say

The combination of unlikely factors that could have contributed to the ship's fate constituted a "black swan event," Matthew Schanck, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told USA TODAY.

The Bayesian was well-built: A 2008 product of Italian ship maker Perini, it was constructed in accordance with international maritime standards and commercially certified by the U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, according to Schanck.

The bout of bad weather that swept the area when the ship went down was also out of the ordinary in the northern Mediterranean, "which isn't renowned for prolonged, significant stormy weather," he said.

"The fact that those two elements have then resulted in the foundering of a super yacht is pretty extraordinary," Schanck said. "These things don't happen every day."

After the ship sank just before 5 a.m. local time, 15 people, including a 1-year-old, were pulled from the water. Some were rescued from a life raft by the crew of a ship docked nearby.

Ricardo Thomas, the ship's cook and a native of Antigua, was found dead, according to authorities.

As of Tuesday, six people were missing, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. Several missing passengers were involved in Lynch's trial on fraud charges, including Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley chair who served as his character witness, and one of Lynch's attorneys. Lynch, accused of fraud after he sold his company to electronics giant Hewlett-Packard, was acquitted of all charges weeks ago.

Who is Mike Lynch? UK entrepreneur among those missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily

Tornado formed over unusually hot water

Storms in the area that night may have whipped up a water spout, a tornado over the water , according to local meteorologists.

It was likely triggered by the water's unusual warmth, said Rick Shema, a certified consulting meteorologist who served in the Navy.

"The water spout was an uncommon occurrence," he said. "But again, these things happen, especially in warmer water."

At 83.7 degrees, water in the area was more than 3 degrees hotter than average on the day the Bayesian sank, likely the result of climate change, Shema said.

"Hurricanes can form at 80 degrees. This was almost four degrees higher than that," he said.

The water spout may have spun up when cooler air dropped from mountainous places nearby onto the hot water, he said. "A water spout is a vortex, basically like a tornado, spinning real fast, sucking up water and moisture as the column rises," he said.

Although water spouts only reach around 120 mph, as compared with tornadoes on land, which can reach up to 300 mph, "you don't need 200 mph to sink a ship," he said.

"Even an average tornado, 120 miles an hour, that's a lot of wind," he said, "which would heel the boat over for sure."

Water spouts spring up suddenly, Shema said. Before they strike, winds can be slow, but "once the water spout comes over, bam, it's on," he said.

Before sunrise, the ship's crew may not have seen the water spout coming. "The visibility was probably a big factor," he said.

With the windows of the yacht opened, as they likely were in the hot weather, the water spout could have triggered water that flooded through the portholes, Shema said, causing the ship to sink.

Tragedy strikes: Scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

Search continues, but shift to recovery phase approaches

Italian authorities said the Bayesian was probably at anchor when the storm struck, meaning it couldn't maneuver and ride the waves, according to Mitchell Stoller, a captain and maritime expert witness. Other ships in the area that turned on their engines rode out the storm, he said.

"When you're at anchor and you see weather, you start your engine and you put the wind on the bow. You don't let it get on the side," he said.

Schanck said another key question concerns the position of the keel, a heavy weight underneath the boat that acts as a counterbalance to keep it upright, when the ship sank. When lifted, "that's going to affect the stability of the vessel, because, obviously, you've now raised the center of gravity of that vessel," he said.

The Bayesian was floating over 160 feet of water at the time, deep enough that the keel would likely be deployed. But the fact that "the vessel heeled over so heavily makes me question that," Schanck said.

The cause of the disaster may not be known until the ship can be examined in more detail, experts say. Prosecutors in a nearby town have already opened an investigation.

Schanck said investigators will have plenty to work with once the operation moves into a recovery phase.

"The vessel is intact and in good condition on the seabed," he said. "There's a lot of eyewitness accounts from other vessels in the area and the shore."

As the search entered its second day on Tuesday, the rescue effort may shift in that direction soon. "I suspect, later on, today or tomorrow, we'll probably see some mention of a recovery operation being stated," Schanck said.

The decision to would depend on whether rescuers find signs of life in the ship and air pockets or survivable spaces, Schanck said. At this point, survivors on the water's surface looks unlikely. "My professional opinion is that the casualties will be located within the vessel," he said.

"There is a risk versus benefit in all maritime search and rescue incidents," he said. "Where we start transitioning to a recovery phase, that line shifts."

Contributing: Reuters

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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Liverpool FC owner’s £66 million superyacht docks in Aberdeen

The 66-metre-long vessel, which has an outdoor swimming pool and a helipad, has arrived in the Granite City.

A £66 million yacht belonging to the owner of Liverpool FC has docked in Aberdeen.

Elysian, a 66-metre-long vessel owned by John W Henry – majority shareholder for the Anfield club – appeared at Aberdeen Harbour on Saturday.

The vessel, which sails under the Cayman Islands flag, had departed from Leith in Edinburgh earlier in the day.

It is not known how long the yacht will stay in Aberdeen.

It comes after one of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s yachts docked in Aberdeen earlier this year.

Elysian was built in Germany by Bremen-based company Lurssen Yachts.

Previously named Ester III, the luxury yacht was owned by Russian entrepreneur Georgy Bedzhamov.

However, Henry acquired it in 2016.

Superyacht has swimming pool, gym and helipad

Elysian ranks among the top five per cent of the world’s largest yachts, according to Boat International .

The superyacht has an outdoor swimming pool, a spa centre, a gym and a helipad among its features.

Mr Henry’s gem can accommodate up to 12 guests in six staterooms, and 17 crew members in separate quarters.

Who is Elysian superyacht owner John W Henry?

Henry is the founder of investment management firm John W Henry & Company.

The 74-year-old has been Liverpool FC’s majority shareholder since 2010, when Fenway Sports Group took over the club.

He’s also the principal owner of baseball club Boston Red Sox, hockey team Pittsburgh Penguins and American daily newspaper The Boston Globe.

According to Forbes, he has an estimated net worth of £3.86 billion.

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Liverpool FC owner’s £66 million superyacht spotted off Broughty Ferry

Elysian, owned American businessman John W Henry, has a helipad and heated pool.

A £66 million superyacht belonging to Liverpool FC owner John W Henry has been spotted off Broughty Ferry.

Elysian, a 66-metre-long vessel, docked in the Tay – between Broughty Ferry and Tayport – on Monday morning.

It travelled to the Tay from Aberdeen, where it was berthed over the weekend.

Locals said those on board the luxury yacht appeared to be using a smaller boat to reach the shore.

Superyacht Elysian visits the Tay

It is understood Henry was among them.

The yacht has since moved out towards Barry Buddon.

One onlooker said: “I think it belongs to the owner of a Premier League football team as I’d read it was up in Aberdeen yesterday .

“We were walking along the beach this morning when we spotted it.

“You think they’d rather be in the Mediterranean at this time of year with a boat like that.”

Elysian’s arrival in the Tay was mentioned by  Liverpool fan group KopTalkTV on YouTube .

In the video, the host said: “Don’t assume that he is in the UK just because the yacht’s in the UK.

John Henry’s superyacht spotted off Broughty Ferry after Liverpool game

“Maybe if you see him at the game then he’s obviously there, and what happened – he turned up at the game .”

The reason for the visit has not been confirmed but some locals have speculated Henry may be heading to the Old Course in St Andrews.

The yacht, which sails under the Cayman Islands flag, was built in Germany.

With a top speed of 16.5 knots, it has an outdoor swimming pool, helipad, spa centre and gym and glass lift.

There is room on board for up to 12 guests and 17 crew.

Previously named Ester III, the yacht was once owned by Russian entrepreneur Georgy Bedzhamov.

American businessman Henry – who also owns the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins – bought the ship in 2016.

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Luxury yacht sinks: Last body, believed to be tech mogul's 18-year-old daughter, is found

The body is likely that of hannah lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of british tech magnate mike lynch.

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

The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-foot mast which was lit up at night just hours before it sank. (Credit: Youtube/eSysman SuperYachts)

Search and rescue teams recovered the final missing person from a luxury superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily, the Italian coast guard has said. 

The woman's body was discovered in the wreckage and brought ashore on Friday. She has not been identified. 

However, Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, was previously reportedly unaccounted for, and the body is likely hers. 

MOMENT LUXURY YACHT SINKS OFF COAST OF ITALY CAUGHT ON CAMERA, WITH 6 PRESUMED DEAD

Rescue personnel transport what is believed to be the body of Hannah Lynch, daughter of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, at the scene where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, on Aug. 23, 2024. (REUTERS/Louiza Vradi)

The Lynch family was aboard the Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged yacht that sank after capsizing while anchored off the coast of northern Sicily on Monday.

Bayesian had 22 people on board — 12 passengers and 10 crew — when it capsized and sank within minutes of being hit by a predawn storm. 

Seven people died in the incident. 

ITALIAN DIVERS FIND 5 MORE BODIES, 1 STILL MISSING AFTER SUPERYACHT DISASTER SURVIVOR'S OMINOUS TEXT MESSAGE

Mike Lynch’s body was recovered Thursday, and he was apparently aboard the vessel to celebrate his recent acquittal in a U.S. fraud case with associates who helped him through the trial. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors.

Christopher Morvillo, an American lawyer with Clifford Chance who defended Lynch in the fraud case, also died, as did Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, who testified in Lynch’s defense.

Morvillo’s wife, Neda, and Bloomer’s wife, Judy, were also among the dead. The body of onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, was recovered Monday.

A nearby sailboat rescued 15 people, including a 1-year-old girl. 

Billionaire British tech titan Mike Lynch's body was among those recovered from the luxury superyacht. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Divers have been searching for the missing in the hull of the Bayesian, which now rests on the seabed 164 feet underwater.

Civil protection officials said they believe the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, sometime around 5 a.m. Monday near the port of Porticello, where it was anchored and then sank quickly. 

Investigators are seeking to learn why the superyacht sank so quickly.

The CEO of a manufacturing company responsible for building the yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily this week blamed a series of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" by the crew for the vessel’s demise.

Reuters reported that Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which includes Perini Navi, the Italian high-end yacht maker that built the British-flagged Bayesian in 2008, directed blame at the crew.

"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 said in an interview.

Scuba divers on the scene of the search on Tuesday. (Italian Firefighters via AP, HO)

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Costantino ruled out design or construction flaws as reasons the ship sank, saying it was unlikely after 16 years of trouble-free navigation, including in more severe weather than Bayesian encountered this week.

Instead, he blamed the yacht’s crew for the "incredible mistake" of not being prepared for the storm, which was included in shipping forecasts. The passengers should have been called out of their cabins and assembled at a safety point as the ship was preparing for the storm by pulling up the anchor, the CEO said.

Additionally, doors and hatches should have been closed, and the keel should have been lowered to increase stability, among other safety measures, Costantino declared.

Fox News' Stephen Sorace and Greg Wehner, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

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