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The 8 Best New British Yachts on the Water, From Sunseeker to Fairline

Quality among the top u.k. builders is always a given. it's the range of yacht designs that may surprise you..

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As an island, boats have always been the lifeblood of Great Britain. And many British yacht builders continue to uphold the country’s proud naval and maritime traditions. While there are a handful of superyacht builders, the UK isn’t known for eye-wateringly huge megayachts or avant-garde design—though that has changed as its largest international brands compete with the style-obsessed Ferretti Group and Azimut brands.

But what you do find with the Brits is well engineered vessels with a high level of attention to detail in both the interior and exterior design. From semi-custom motoryacht builders like Princess and Sunseeker to the rarefied realm of a highly sought-after Pascoe limousine, there’s something here for nearly every yachtsman.

And thanks to enduring popularity, there is nearly always a British-built sailboat from the Oyster yard, somewhere just over the horizon. In fact, whether you’re cruising the waters of the Caribbean, New England, or the South of France, you’ll find U.K. brands along with the highest luxury offerings from Italy and Northern Europe.

Here are seven of Britain’s finest, newest, and most noteworthy vessels on the water.

Project Fox, Pendennis Shipyard

This 114-foot explorer yacht, overseen by project manager Burgess and in build at the Pendennis shipyard in Falmouth, was designed around the owner’s wishes. It has a rugged exterior that will be paired with a bright, contemporary interior by QLondon Design. The owner told Robb Report that he plans to cruise off-grid to remote areas like Norway for heli-skiing with his family and friends (thus necessitating five large staterooms). But he also wanted family-friendly features like a sun terrace, wine lobby, open-air barbecue, and DJ station. Of course, the real breakthrough here: The open stern, measuring more than 1,100 square feet can carry a large complement of toys and tenders, but also scientific equipment (the interior has space for a modular lab) for when the yacht is hosting research scientists. “Flexible cabins and connectivity are key,” said the owner.

The ubiquitous model of the Pearl lineup, the 72 received a creative new interior design earlier this year with the addition of a stateroom that gives it two master suites. The U.K. yard has always been high on haute design, offering different palettes by British interior designer Kelly Hoppen, but this double-master suite idea is a first for this size of motoryacht. The yard has recently won awards for the naval architecture of its 95, which approaches superyacht status, and it will be launching a new 85-foot flybridge next year.

Fairline Targa 40

Fairline is also among England’s internationally renowned yacht brands, famous for seaworthy hulls and top-tier creature comforts. It hasn’t built yachts as large as competitors Princess and Sunseeker but has been equally creative with the design. The new Targa 40’s cockpit is a case in point. It has an enticing exterior layout, with the cockpit featuring a foldout terrace to starboard and a U-shaped dining settee to port facing the rest of the deck, not to mention the two sun lounges on the stern. The 40 is effectively a dayboat, but with two staterooms, it also works as a family weekender. There’s a master in the forepeak and guest cabin amidships which is best suited for children. The galley below decks is also very functional. Top speed for the Targa is 36 knots with the optional Volvo Penta D6-380 upgrades.

Princess Y80

Along with Sunseeker, Princess Yachts is the other heavyweight of British yacht building. These cruisers and motoryachts have proven to be perennial favorites on both sides of the Atlantic. The Y80 debuting at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival looks to continue the tradition. The Y80 brings to the table an “infinity cockpit” with a glass transom and modular furniture for multiple setups. It also has a flybridge that spans about two-thirds of the yacht’s nearly 84-foot length, effectively creating a legitimate third deck. The Y80’s owner’s stateroom is amidships and full beam, while it has a VIP in the forepeak. Two other guest cabins are to port and starboard. The Y80 has an impressive top speed of 30 knots, but at 10 knots the range is an even more impressive 1,000 nautical miles.

Cockwells Duchy Sport

The 37-foot Duchy Sport from the Cockwells’ yard in Cornwall, famous internationally for its custom tenders, is designed for watersports enthusiasts. This Sport offers multiple towing points for waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing and tubing, with interior space for nine guests. Bow and cockpit sunpads will be popular spots for tanning, while a Bimini covers the amidships. Standout features include a wetbar, retractable swim ladder, bowthruster with joystick control, and of course ample water-toy stowage. The Duchy Sport comes with twin 370 hp Yanmar 8LVs which can get it up to a top speed of 42 knots—a speed befitting of this model’s name. Cockwells is also building a new Duchy 60, a stylized motoryacht that should rival Downeast offerings from U.S. builders Hinckley and Malaysian builder Grand Banks.

The Oyster 495 is a 52-foot, 8-inch sailing yacht that entered the U.S. market earlier this year. A new design from the keel up, the U.K. builder was thinking global circumnavigation, or at least serious offshore cruising, from the onset. The yacht is also meant to be able to be singlehanded by a capable sailor. The plumb bow and teak decks imbue the 495 with a definite saltiness with performance and aesthetics. The cabin is noteworthy for being both ergonomic and well-lit. Reported top speeds for the 495 crest the 10-knot mark under sail, while a 100 hp Yanmar diesel pushes it along happily at 9.5 knots.

Sunseeker Superhawk 55

Sunseeker is one of England’s brands that has a global following. For good reason. The Poole builder has a range of vessels that extend from 38 to 161 feet. Sunseeker is known for good oceangoing performance and creative design. The Superhawk 55 is a reimagining of the Superhawks that enjoyed popularity with performance enthusiasts in the 1990s and Aughts before being discontinued in 2009. Sunseeker introduced the Superhawk 38 in 2020, which had echoes of its go-fast past. This 55, however, is more of a performance cruiser than a day boat. With twin Volvo Penta IPS950s the new Superhawk has a very respectable top end of 38 knots and a feature even Miami Vice hot-boat aficionados will appreciate—slow-speed maneuverability offered by pod propulsion. An aggressively raked profile complemented by stiletto-sharp hullside windows augment the Superhawk’s sporty vibe.

Pascoe E-Limousine Electric Tender

Pascoe tenders reside in the garages of some of the world’s biggest and most glamorous superyachts, thanks to the yard’s dedication to customization. The E-Limousine is the builder’s first fully electric vessel, the result of six years of R&D. Top speed is reported to be an impressive 40 knots, with a range of 60 nautical miles at a fast cruise of 20 knots. The builder says not only is this boat greener than a traditional tender but will also offer a smoother, quieter ride thanks to the construction used to mitigate vibration.

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The Sunseeker story began in 1969 when entrepreneurial brothers Robert and John Braithwaite pursued their boat-building passion.

Today, we are the leading brand for luxury performance motor yachts. With seven yacht ranges, we offer the most diverse product portfolio in the world. Each with its own personality, our yachts are engineered with the owner in mind and standing at the helm. The Superyacht, Yacht, Ocean, Manhattan, Predator, Sport Yacht and Performance models all possess a uniqueness with one commonality. Every Sunseeker is the result of an uncompromising approach to design excellence. The pioneering spirit of our founders remains in our DNA with an unrelenting pursuit to surpass expectations.

THE NEW SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 55 LEADS THE LINE-UP AT CANNES YACHTING FESTIVAL 2024

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AMBITIOUS. SOPHISTICATED. BEAUTIFUL: THE SUNSEEKER OCEAN 156 TO DEBUT IN SOUTHAMPTON

Sunseeker Proudly Unveils the Ocean 156

SUNSEEKER OCEAN 182

When Robert Braithwaite started up the engine of a small, open-cockpit speedboat in 1969, it wasn’t just the Hostess 17 that roared into life. It was a new standard of yacht making.

Expert hands and extraordinary attention to detail. Passed from generation to generation, these are the most valuable skills required to make a Sunseeker.

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Great British craftsmanship

Oyster craftsmanship began in Norfolk in 1973. Oyster drew on the experience and craftsmanship of Landamores, who had been building wooden sailing yachts since 1923. They were soon joined by another Norfolk boat builder with an equally fine pedigree, Windboats, founded in 1920 by Graham Bunn – a master craftsman and yacht designer.

Merge and conquer

This team was responsible for building more than 700 Oyster yachts until Oyster took over Landamore’s new facility and brought the build in-house combining the workforce from both companies.

We have four main yacht construction centres: in Norfolk, there is Oyster Yachts Wroxham which is close to our new composite technology facility in Ashmanhaugh. The Oyster 565 and 595 are all brought to life here by our skilled teams. Our other construction centres are located in Southampton, where our Oyster 495 and larger models – the Oyster 675, 745 and 885 – are built and finished by hand to the highest standards. Our head quarters are at Saxon Wharf, Southampton and our newest construction centre at Hythe Marine Park is a state-of-the-art production facility where the new Oyster 495 is built.

British yacht builders

Everything about our boats and build process is focused on creating the world’s finest bluewater British yachts, from the quality of the materials to the exceptional skills of our craftsmen and women and precise project management. We believe a key part of owning an Oyster is understanding the craftsmanship and attention to detail that go into her. Passing down these time-honoured craft skills to the next generation of great British boatbuilders is a priority for Oyster – it is the reason we set up the Oyster Academy, where our apprentices learn from the very best.

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Princess Motor Yacht Sales

Established in 1964, Princess Motor Yacht Sales is globally recognised as the largest and most experienced Princess Yachts dealer and distributor. In partnership with Princess Yachts Limited, we currently offer the most highly developed, sophisticated range of world class luxury yachts for sale in the UK and across our European locations including Southampton, Plymouth, Germany, Spain and Mallorca. At Princess Motor Yacht Sales, we pride ourselves on providing an unparalleled range of new and used boats for sale, with friendly professional advice available from our industry experienced teams.

This includes the breath-taking Princess F Class with spacious cockpits, exceptionally luxurious saloons and outstanding spacious cabin designs. These beautiful Princess yachts for sale provide phenomenal pleasure, both at sea and in port. The Princess X Class series of ‘Superfly’ yachts present a new way of yachting with adventure in mind with the flagship Princess X95 and her sister the X80, whilst the Y Class provides luxury and sublime speed and handling combined.

Our S Class range of motor yachts provides everything needed for thrilling watersports along with truly luxurious, spacious interiors, ideal for entertaining. And our V Class Yachts offer an uncommon combination of phenomenal luxury with astonishing performance.

Our clients love being able to relax in the knowledge and confidence that their vessel is supported by unrivalled aftersales service around the globe. We are totally committed to providing the best possible level of service and support to Princess yachts owners, wherever they may be. Our technicians are both trained and directly employed by us which makes them reliable experts who can quickly resolve any issues or enquiries. And our many years of experience mean that we understand how important it is for you to be able to contact help whenever and wherever you need it, which is why we provide an out of hours helpline staffed by experienced Princess engineers. No matter what time of day, what day of the year or where you might be, a Princess trained engineer is ready to answer your call and provide you with complete peace of mind.

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W h e n   a   l e g e n d   m e e t s   a n   i c o n .  

T h e   n e w   t a r g a   4 0  , t h e   n e w   s q u a d r o n   5 8 :   a   f r e s h   l o o k .   s a m e   b e a t i n g   h e a r t .  , w h e r e   l u x u r y   &   e x h i l a r a t i o n   c o - e x i s t  , t h e   w o r l d   a t   y o u r   f i n g e r t i p s  , a n   e x c i t i n g   n e w   o u t l o o k   o n   l i f e  , t h e   s t r i k i n g   f / / l i n e   3 3  , f i n d   y o u r   p e r f e c t   f a i r l i n e  , f / / l i n e  .

The F//LINE has set the industry alight and hearts racing. Sleek, sporty and with searing performance, this is a modern weekender made for exhilarating, wind-in-the-hair adventure.

Designed in collaboration with celebrated Italian yacht designer, Alberto Mancini, the F//LINE delivers the full package – head-turning lines, an exceptional ride, sharp handling and breath-taking performance.

T a r g a  

Sophisticated styling meets the ultimate in power and performance. A Targa delivers an engaging driving experience alongside svelte exterior lines, generous living spaces and outstanding flexibility on and below deck.

Designed for life on the water, this iconic motor yacht range has been elevated by the designs of Alberto Mancini and our own in-house team, resulting in the perfect marriage of elegant Italian refinement and British craftsmanship.

Open-plan living provides Targa owners with spacious socialising and sunbathing areas and a seamless connection to the water. With deft use of glass above and below decks and versatile layouts, this class-leading range pushes the boundaries of modern sports cruiser design.

Targa has year-round appeal thanks to the standard fit sunroof across the range and the option to have an open or fully enclosed main deck.

P h a n t o m  

The iconic Phantom name is reimagined in Fairline’s first sportsbridge yacht, the stunning Phantom 65.

An exciting blend of flybridge accommodation with sportscruiser handling and style, the Phantom delivers triple-deck living spaces and razor-sharp looks with the on-water dynamics to match.

The Phantom offers motor yacht owners a game changing combination of Targa and Squadron attributes thanks to its beautifully proportioned upper deck and the addition of a glass sunroof above the main saloon.

A masterstroke in modern yacht design, the Phantom offers a huge array of al-fresco dining, entertaining and lounging spaces to soak up the sun alongside captivating, streamlined looks and thrilling performance.

S q u a d r o n  

Uncover a world of new possibilities. With numerous layout options and expansive flybridges, a Squadron is designed for the adventure-seeking family. Renowned for its alluring mix of luxurious accommodation and intelligent design, this iconic marque is light, spacious and open with beautifully integrated practical design features.

With expansive cockpits, luxurious saloons and sumptuous cabins with full-standing headroom, a Squadron affords owners exquisite open-plan living for life on the water. Enjoy sundowners on the sociable flybridge, relax on the foredeck sunpads or catch the morning sun on the submersible bathing platform.

The Squadron design maximises owner’s connection to the water thanks to light-filled interiors, huge windows, and generous deck spaces.

Sophisticated and elegant, a Squadron offers supreme comfort matched with contemporary style.

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Fairline has one of the most extensive dealer networks in the industry with over 50 customer-focused dealerships worldwide. Our knowledgeable partners offer outstanding customer service and experience.

Become part of the Fairline family today.

A pre-owned Fairline is ready to create new memories. Explore our listings of pre-owned Fairlines and find your perfect match. With boats located around the world and a wide selection of models available, your Fairline could be right around the corner. In your hands, the adventure will continue.

O u r   S t o r y  

Fairline has been at the beating heart of boatbuilding for more than half a century and has built a reputation for enduring designs, expert craftsmanship, superior luxury and unrivalled performance. 

From humble beginnings in Oundle, England, Fairline has become an iconic name in yachting worldwide with a range of boats spanning four model lines from 33-68ft (10-21m). 

The spirit of adventure drives everything we do.  With a team who are dedicated to their craft, we continue to bring fresh ideas, push boundaries and produce industry-leading marques, which marry the latest technical innovations with exceptional British craftsmanship, style and refinement.  

Our collaboration with celebrated Italian yacht designer Alberto Mancini combines contemporary style with a long-standing heritage and our award-winning range of designs have become synonymous with outstanding seakeeping, performance and luxury.  

Always remaining true to the Fairline DNA, we produce award-winning models that pair space with sophistication. Fairline’s brand legacy is one of carefree adventure for all who step aboard.

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SPIRIT YACHTS

MODERN CLASSIC YACHT DESIGN & BUILD

Based in Suffolk on the east coast of the UK, Spirit Yachts has a portfolio of custom, wooden sail and power yachts ranging from day sailers to superyachts.

From humble beginnings in the Suffolk countryside, Spirit Yachts now operates from a large waterside facility with a team of highly skilled designers, naval architects, boat builders, cabinet makers, electricians and engineers.

Our portfolio of luxury sailing yachts and elegant power boats win awards, as well as regattas.

TIMELESS ELEGANCE

Spirit Yachts’ contemporary, elegant design style is world-renowned. Subtle variations on 1930s classic yacht design with long overhangs, low profiles and smooth lines, married to contemporary underwater profiles and the latest technology, are synonymous with Spirit’s modern classic cruising, racing , and power yachts .

Spirit yachts are designed to be as beautiful in 100 years as they are today.

“THE SPIRIT TEAM IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE BEST IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO A UNIQUE BUILD EXPERIENCE AND A TIMELESSLY BEAUTIFUL YACHT.”

WORLD-CLASS WOODWORK

Spirit Yachts comprises a talented team of craftsmen and women who are passionate about and dedicated to the highest standards of boat building.

Using hand-selected timber sustainably sourced from responsibly managed forests, Spirit Yachts incorporate the beauty of wood with the latest modern technology for sailing performance and a luxury guest experience.

SUSTAINABILITY

WOOD IS AT THE HEART OF EVERY SPIRIT YACHT.

Wood is a natural, sustainably-sourced boat building material offering beauty, a favourable strength-to-weight ratio, and durability. Spirit Yachts is committed to the environmental sustainability of its wood and is meticulous in sourcing the highest quality timber from responsibly managed forests and regulated suppliers.

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HARDY MOTOR BOATS  QUALITY, COMFORT, STRENGTH AND EXCELLENT SEA-KEEPING

Hardy design and build the best of today for the boats of tomorrow.

Hardy 65 hull 02 with the interior design during the development stage

HARDY MOTOR YACHTS

The Hardy 32 was designed in response to requests from potential owners who wanted an aft cockpit design suitable for cruising the French canals, but also retaining the speed and sea-keeping ability to cruise across the English Channel or the North Sea in comfort and safety. The Hardy 32 fulfils all these requirements and more.

HARDY 36 | 36AD

A sea boat utilizing the ever popular design of the Commodore 36 with its eye catching classic lines and a proper sea-going hull. Now a version without a flybridge for those people that are looking to cruise the French Canals and also have a large sociable aft cockpit.

The first of the new ‘Next Generation’ models from Hardy, ensuring that the legendary sea keeping design of the Hardy range remains intact, the design of the Hardy 40DS remained in the capable hands of Hardy designer Andrew Wolstenholme.

Designed to build on the reputation of the Hardy 36, the Hardy 42 is a top quality sea-kindly cruising boat with lively performance. The latest Hardy 42’s are capable of nearly 28 knots in heavy weather in comfort.

HARDY 50 | 52DS

After the introduction of the Hardy 42 it became clear that a number of owners would welcome a larger luxury motor yacht with similar performance and sea-keeping to match. The new design has a size and layout that allows a larger family to cruise together, but be manageable by a couple for long periods and distances.

The Flag Ship of the Hardy range offers a sea kindly semi displacement hull built to withstand the vigour of the sea. The design is typical of the Hardy approach to cruising motor yachts. The interior may be styled in either a traditional manner or lifted to give a more modern feel.

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Inside the multi-award-winning Bayesian superyacht

• The Bayesian superyacht sank this morning following a tornado near Palermo
• The vessel was carrying British tycoon Mike Lynch and his family
• It had the largest aluminium mast in the world, and could carry 12 guests  

The doomed luxury superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily today while carrying British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his family was a multi-award-winning vessel which had the tallest aluminium mast in the world.  

The luxury sailboat, the Bayesian, was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a tornado hit the area just before 5am, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly disappear beneath the waves.

Lynch's wife Angela Bacares was among the fifteen people who were rescued from the yacht, which had been carrying ten crewmembers, the owner and 11 guests.

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a 56m long vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008. It was 11.51m at its widest point. 

The ship's interior, designed in a Japanese style, was crafted by the Remi Tessier design house, and was last refitted in 2020.

At 75m, the vessel's mast was the second tallest fitted to any vessel in the world, and the tallest made of aluminium. 

It won several awards for its styling when it was first made, taking home the Best Exterior prize at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009, and the Best Interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008. 

It was also a finalist in the World Superyacht Awards' Best Sailing Yacht in the 45m+ size range in 2009. 

The Bayesian could hold up to 12 guests in six cabins, one master, three doubles and two twin rooms, as well as 10 crew members. 

Both the hull and the superstructure, the part above the main deck, were made from aluminium. 

According to KM Yatchbuilders, a Dutch shipmaker, aluminium is three times lighter than steel. On top of this, aluminium alloys do not rust, and yachts made from them are 'easy to repair.'

On top of the sails, the Bayesian was powered by two 8-cylinder 965hp engines made by German manufacturer MTU that are capable of running at 210rpm. 

This allowed the vessel to reach a top speed of 15 knots (17mph). This, combined with the 57,000 litre fuel tanks, means it had a range of up to 3,600 nautical miles. 

A one-year-old baby and her parents were among those rescued by a nearby sailboat, but six of the passengers - who include British, American and Canadian citizens - remain unaccounted for.

Divers are desperately searching the wreck of the Bayesian, which is on the sea bed 160ft beneath the water. Tragically, the body of a man - believed to be the boat's chef - was found floating alongside the vessel earlier today.

There are fears that those who are still missing became trapped in their cabins, with divers earlier reporting that they saw 'bodies through the portholes' of the yacht, according to Italian media.

UK's Mike Lynch missing after yacht sinks off Sicily, source says

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Search Resumes for U.K. Mogul and 5 Others After Yacht Sinks Off Sicily

The body of the vessel’s cook was recovered while divers searched the hull of the Bayesian for passengers, including the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

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By Elisabetta Povoledo

Deep-sea divers with Italy’s firefighter corps resumed their search on Tuesday for six missing passengers — including a British software mogul and his daughter — of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily the previous day.

Twenty-two people were on board the 180-foot British-flagged sailing yacht, the Bayesian, which was anchored near the port of Porticello, when it was hit by what witnesses described as a waterspout, a small tornado on water, during a sudden and violent storm.

Fifteen people who managed to get to a raft were rescued by the captain of a nearby sailing cruise ship. The body of the yacht’s cook, identified by news outlets as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan, was recovered on Monday. But several people are still unaccounted for, according to Salvatore Cocina, an official with Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Those still missing are Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur; his daughter Hannah; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Christopher J. Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Mr. Lynch was acquitted of fraud in a U.S. trial in June, ending a high-profile, decadelong legal battle against accusations that he had defrauded Hewlett-Packard when he sold his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett for $11 billion.

Mr. Lynch and the others went missing days after Mr. Lynch’s co-defendant at the fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance at Autonomy, was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out for a run, his lawyer, Gary S. Lincenberg, said in a statement.

Prosecutors in the Italian city of Termini Imerese, east of where the yacht sank, are opening a formal investigation into the yacht’s sinking. Reached by telephone, the chief prosecutor declined to comment.

The search for the missing passengers began on Monday but was suspended late that night as crews found themselves limited to the bridge deck and items like furnishings “obstructing passage,” the firefighters’ corps wrote on social media .

When divers resumed the search on Tuesday, ships trawled the waters near the site, the corps said in a statement. The Italian Coast Guard also said in a statement that search operations were “continuing unabated,” with the deployment of helicopters. There was no evidence that gasoline was leaking from the yacht, the Coast Guard said.

The yacht was lying on its right side in about 165 feet of water, meaning that divers, working in pairs, could stay underwater for only about 12 minutes at a time, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the firefighters’ corps.

Divers were seeking a safe point of access to the vessel’s cabins. “Obviously, everything fell and the space is very tight,” Mr. Cari said, adding that the divers were having to remove obstacles, like furnishings and electrical wiring, that were “completely blocking passages.”

The firefighters’ corps said in a statement that it was impossible to verify whether people were inside the hull.

Mr. Cari said that several divers had been part of the search-and-rescue operations when the Costa Concordia, a cruise liner, capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio in 2012, killing 32 people. It is considered one of the worst maritime disasters in modern Italian history.

“It’s like the Costa Concordia, but much smaller,” Mr. Cari said in a telephone interview, comparing the search operations. “In the Costa Concordia, we came across many obstacles but we somehow were able to overcome them. Here, the obstacles block the passages and have to be removed.” He added, “This makes it more difficult.”

Crews were also trying to raise the yacht, which experts will examine to try to determine why it sank. Until then, experts can only hypothesize what happened.

Karsten Borner, the captain of a ship, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which picked up the Bayesian’s 15 survivors, said in an interview that when the wind picked up around 4 a.m. Monday, the Bayesian was about 490 feet behind his vessel. Once the wind wound down, he said, he could not see the yacht anymore.

“My theory was that she was capsized first and then went down over the stern,” Mr. Borner said.

Dario Boote, a ship structures and naval architecture professor at the University of Genoa, said: “Now I imagine that a whole series of lawsuits will be triggered, obviously to ascertain whether there is any responsibility, as always happens very unpleasantly in these situations.” He said, however, that in this case, responsibility might be hard to determine. “Clearly, only once the wreck is raised will we know more,” he added.

Several fishermen told Italian news outlets that they had witnessed a waterspout. Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said they were relatively common in the Mediterranean, though their occurrence and intensity are unpredictable.

“Until one actually forms, you can’t start telling people where it is,” Mr. Inness said, or “how to get out of the way.”

The inclement weather — with lightning intermittently streaking through the sky — made it hard to know exactly why the yacht sank. Col. Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said the agency had registered intense lightning activity and strong gusts of wind in the area at the time the boat sank.

The Bayesian had one of the tallest aluminum masts in the world, according to its builder, Perini Navi. “Having a tall aluminum mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm,” said Andrea Ratti, associate professor of nautical design and architecture technology the Politecnico di Milano. The type of intensity unleashed by a violent lightning storm “could have created a significant shock wave,” he added.

He, too, cautioned that “a lot of questions will remain until we have other elements at our disposal.”

Modern yachts are built to withstand meteorological events of reasonable intensity, and all international naval registers suggest that new ships be designed for higher waves and more frequent and extreme weather events.

But “this seems a case of an unreasonable extreme event,” said Emilio Fortunato Campana, an expert in Naval Hydrodynamics at Italy’s National Research Council. “In that case, no ship is 100 percent safe,” he added. “I think the Titanic showed that nothing is unsinkable.”

Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

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Search resumes for British tech magnate and 5 others after yacht sinks off Sicily

The Associated Press

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat Monday in Porticello Santa Flavia, Italy. Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/AP hide caption

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Rescue teams and divers were returning to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht off Sicily on Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater.

Divers were loading a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search Monday ended unsuccessfully. Fire rescue crews reported that divers were unable to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by debris that had shifted during the violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday.

Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?

Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, officials said.

“Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers’ passage,” the fire crews said in a statement.

The search was made particularly difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari. As a result, the search is expected to take time, he told The Associated Press early Tuesday.

The 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian luxury yacht had been moored about a half-mile off Ponticello when a storm rolled in around 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, which had passed over the area.

Fifteen of the Bayesian’s 22 passengers and crew managed to escape, first onto a lifeboat and then by a nearby sailboat, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, that had also been moored offshore to ride out the storm, Karsten Borner, the captain of the Baden Powell, told reporters at the scene.

One body, belonging to the Bayesian’s chef, was recovered nearby.

Among those missing was Lynch , who was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology. He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. His wife, Angela Bacares, survived.

The vacation appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal. Among those unaccounted for, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife. Also among the missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified at Lynch’s trial, and his wife.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it has been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and is notable for its massive 75-meter tall aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

Mike Lynch: British entrepreneur missing after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicilian coast

Sky News understands the yacht is owned by the family of Mr Lynch, a tycoon mathematician who has been called the UK's first tech billionaire and the British Bill Gates.

Tuesday 20 August 2024 01:04, UK

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch is missing off Sicily's coast after a yacht sank.

One person is dead and six others are missing after a UK-flagged superyacht named Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily in a storm .

Follow live: Superyacht sinks latest

Local media reports that Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter is among those missing - while his wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among the 15 people who were rescued.

Sky News also understands the yacht - which is believed to have been named after a mathematical equation - is owned by the family of Mr Lynch.

A recently freed man

It comes just weeks after Mr Lynch, 59, was in June cleared of all charges by a US jury in the high-profile fraud case related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Read more: Lynch's co-defendant dies after being hit by car days before yacht sinking We can learn from Lynch's extradition and unsuccessful prosecution

He had been accused of conspiracy and attempted fraud over the £8.3bn sale to HP - a deal that had been subject to costly legal action since. For more than a year he remained under house arrest while awaiting trial and spent a night in custody.

Politicians and business leaders alike protested vehemently at his extradition to the US to face charges arguing that, if there was a case to be heard, it should be heard in the UK as Autonomy was a UK-listed, UK-regulated and UK-audited company.

It was the biggest tech takeover of a FTSE 100 firm at the time - but HP wrote down £5.5bn of Autonomy's value within a year, claiming revenue streams were inflated.

A mathematician who specialised in probability, he would have been aware of the odds being stacked against him in the US trial. The vast majority of defendants agree to plead guilty to a lesser sentence.

Analysis by the Pew Research Centre thinktank suggested that, in 2022, just 0.4% of defendants in US federal criminal cases went to trial and were acquitted. Had he been convicted, he could have faced 20 years in jail.

Danny Fortson, US West Coast correspondent for The Sunday Times, who interviewed Mr Lynch just over a month ago told Sky News that after being found not guilty, the tycoon said he had been given a "second life".

"When I met him... the thing that struck me was he was in a state of shock," Mr Fortson said. "He was fighting fraud charges that threatened to put him in jail for the rest of his life for more than a decade, and he won against all the odds.

"He kept saying: 'I have a second life, I have a new lease of life' and 'I have won my freedom, and now I have got to figure out what to do with the rest of my life'.

"He was in a state of shock and real gratitude that he had put this huge case that had hung over his head behind him."

During his house arrest, My Lynch only had the company of a sheepdog called Faucet, who, Mr Fortson said, was almost "surgically attached" to the mathematician as they spent 24 hours a day together for more than a year.

"The dog was very protective of him and he obviously loved the dog very much," Mr Fortson said.

While he won the US case Mr Lynch did lose a multi-billion pound fraud action brought to the High Court by HP.

It found that HP had "substantially" succeeded in its civil case but indicated that the firm would get considerably less than the $5bn (£3.7bn) it had sought in damages.

Who is Mike Lynch?

The Serious Fraud Office looked into the acquisition but in 2015 dropped its investigation .

As a serial entrepreneur, Ilford-born Mr Lynch has been described as the British Bill Gates and the UK's first tech billionaire.

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His firefighter father was from County Cork and his mother was a nurse from County Tipperary in Ireland.

In 2023, The Sunday Times rich list valued him and his wife at £852m.

Ms Bacares is confirmed as being among the rescued.

He co-founded cyber-security business Darktrace, another former FTSE 100 company. But his connections to the company, at a time when he was facing serious charges, depressed its share price and made it vulnerable to a US private equity company takeover, Mr Lynch said.

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This prediction was proved right in April when US private equity firm Thoma Bravo agreed to a £4.2bn takeover of Darktrace.

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Latest: No one remembers the mast snapping before 56m superyacht Bayesian sunk, says crew

No one recalls seeing the mast snap on board the 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian which sunk yesterday (19 August) off the Italian island of Sicily. The eyewitness account of a crewmember on board the vessel, which was obtained by BOAT International , said that the boat was struck by a freak weather event which led to the yacht heeling at around 20 degrees to starboard. As crewmembers were securing items, the heeling angle began to increase rapidly until the yacht started sinking.

The crewmembers who were up on deck were able to evacuate the yacht with minor injuries. The yacht is understood to have sunk in just twelve minutes, and it is believed that a "major ingress" of water from the top down would have caused the sinking, according to a captain who wishes to remain anonymous. This is based on the fact that no breaches have been reported in the yacht's hull, and the fact that the yacht should have been able to remain afloat with two flooded compartments.

"Very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" says captain of sistership

The captain of the sistership to the sunken 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian has said it is "very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" and called the 56-metre Perini Navi series "bulletproof".

David Hutchinson, captain of Rosehearty , said he had taken the yacht around the world multiple times and he had "total faith in the boat".  "We've been to Antarctica and Chile, and we've had her in 70 knots of wind," he says, and the vessel had never put them in a situation that felt unmanageable.

However, Hutchinson noted there were differences between Bayesian and Rosehearty ; notably, Bayesian's  74-metre mast, which would have been heavier and added increased windage. The yacht's layout was also different, with guest accommodation on Bayesian located further forward.

Who's currently missing in the Bayesian disaster?

The yacht's sinking in Italy has resulted in one confirmed death, which is understood to be the chef, and six additional people missing.

The six missing individuals are:

• British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, once dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates'
• Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah
•  Morgan Stanley's chairman, Jonathan Bloomer
• Judy Bloomer, wife of Morgan Stanley chairman
• Chris Morvillo, a lawyer working for London-based law firm Clifford Chance
• Neda Morvillo, an American jewellery designer and Chris' wife

It is understood that the yacht was being used to celebrate Lynch's recent victory in a 13-year £8 billion fraud acquittal.

Live updates

• A search and rescue is currently underway for six people missing in the waters off Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily.
• Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur who co-founded Autonomy Corporation and founded Invoke Capital, is among the missing.
• Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old are among the fifteen people rescued along with Bayesian' s captain, James Catfield.
• The BBC has reported that the Palermo Coastguard has confirmed the body that has been recovered is that of the yacht's chef.
• Another sailing vessel in the area, the 42-metre Sir Robert Baden Powell ,  is understood to have stepped in to offer assistance in the initial rescue.
• Divers have been able to reach Bayesian' s sunken hull, which lies at 45 metres of depth about half a mile from the coast. The yacht had the largest aluminium masts of any sailing yacht on the water.
• Eyewitnesses in the area reported "hurricane" conditions off the coast but local weather websites did not indicate any severe squall, which suggests that the weather event was not forecast.
• At around 5am local time on 19 August, Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk.  The sailing yacht was anchored or idle at the time of the incident.

Built in Italy by renowned builder Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, the yacht's naval architecture was developed by Ron Holland Design while the interior design is by Rémi Tessier . She was formerly known as Salute and was last refitted in 2016. She was listed for sale earlier this year, according to BOATPro . The yacht had accommodation for nine guests and 12 crew.

BOAT International will update the story as it develops.

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British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch missing after superyacht sinks in storm off coast of Sicily

Topic: Maritime Accidents and Incidents

Video released by Italian authorities show the stretch of sea near Palermo, Sicily, where the superyacht Bayesian sank.   ( AP: via Vigili del Fuoco )

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his lawyer and four other people are missing after a superyacht carrying 22 people sank off the coast of Sicily, authorities say. 

Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, have been rescued after the boat was hit by a violent storm at sunrise, according to the Italian Coast Guard. 

What's next?

Divers had located the wreck 50 metres underwater and search operations are continuing. 

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his lawyer and four other people are missing after a superyacht carrying 22 people capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily due to bad weather.

Mr Lynch's wife and 14 other people were rescued, including a one-year-old girl, and one person has died.

A person familiar with the rescue operation confirmed to Reuters that Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah has not been accounted for.

The British-flagged, 56-metre Bayesian had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, representing British, American and Canadian nationalities, the Italian Coast Guard said.

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is reportedly among those missing. ( Reuters: Henry Nicholls )

Managers of the sailing yacht Bayesian, Camper & Nicholsons, confirmed to the ABC that the Bayesian encountered severe weather and subsequently sank near the Sicilian capital Palermo, Italy, at 4:30am Monday, local time. 

"Our priority is assisting with the ongoing search and providing all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew," they said. 

Fifteen people were rescued and taken to shore at Porticello, where eight were receiving treatment in hospital and remain in a stable condition, the Italian Coast Guard said.

One body has been recovered and police divers were trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters where it had been anchored.

British Bill Gates missing

Mr Lynch is often dubbed by UK media as "the British Bill Gates" and the BBC confirmed the luxury yacht was tied to his wife, Angela Bacares.

According to maritime data service Equasis, the owner of the the Bayesian is listed as Revtom Ltd, the BBC reported.

Additionally, the yacht's name would resonate with Mr Lynch because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on Bayesian theory.

Mr Lynch was acquitted in June by a jury in San Francisco of fraud charges linked to the sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard for $US11 billion ($16.4 billion) in 2011.

He said at the time that he was "elated" to be cleared in the criminal trial in which he denied any wrongdoing, and blamed HP for botching the integration of the two companies.

In a separate incident, Mr Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died on Monday after a road accident left him critically injured.

Mr Chamberlain — Autonomy's former vice-president of finance alongside Mr Lynch — had been placed on life support after being hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning.

Rescued baby held above waves 

The coast guard said that rescue efforts had located the wreck at a depth of 50 metres underwater. 

The Italian fire and rescue service agency said search operations at sea were continuing with the coordination of the Italian Coast Guard, in a translated post on the social media platform X. 

One of the survivors, identified only as Charlotte, said she had momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said they were providing support to British nationals.

"We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily, and are in contact with the local authorities"

Captain of nearby boat helped rescue passengers

The captain of a nearby boat that helped to rescue passengers from the Bayesian said that when the storm hit he turned his engine on to keep control of the vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian.

"We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone," Karsten Borner told Reuters.

He said that his crew then found 15 survivors on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

"There were 15 people inside," he said.

"Then we communicated with the Coast Guard and after some time, the Coast Guard came and later picked up injured people, and 2 hours later they picked up the other people."

Mr Borner said "a little baby and the wife of the owner" were among the survivors, while the owner of the sunken ship and another child were among those missing.

He described the conditions as "very strong" and said that his vessel was "heeling" but the Bayesian "went flat on the water and then down".

"There was a light and we saw that the ship was aside and then we saw a triangle," he said.

"So I think she went back down."

Storms and heavy rainfall swept Italy in recent days

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation to look into what had gone wrong.

The Bayesian, seen the night before it sank, has the tallest aluminium mast in the world. ( Reuters: Baia Santa Nicolicchia/Fabio La Bianca )

"The wind was very strong," a coast guard official in Palermo told Reuters.

"Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude."

After weeks of scorching heat, storms and heavy rainfall have swept down Italy in recent days — with floods and landslides causing major damage in the north of the country. 

Local media said a fierce storm, including water spouts, had battered the area overnight but skies were clear and seas calm by Monday morning.

The ANSA news agency said the yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, had been moored off the port at Porticello.

The yacht had won a string of awards for its design and can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites.

The Bayesian was known for its single 75-meter mast, one of the world’s tallest made of aluminium and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank.