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SAN DIEGO HARBOR CRUISES

Take In the Beauty of San Diego Bay on the Brand New Triton Catamaran

Cruise San Diego Harbor on Triton Charters

Table of contents:.

• What is included in the Harbor Cruise?
• What are the Landmarks we will see?
• Who is this cruise for?
• Why choose a catamaran?
• Harbor Cruise Itinerary
• Pricing, Parking, and FAQ’s

A visit to America’s Finest City isn’t complete until you spend some time enjoying the San Diego Harbor. There is no better way to do that than aboard a luxury catamaran harbor cruise. Bring your family, your friends, your co-workers or come solo and experience the gorgeous San Diego Harbor views while listening to the fascinating history of The Big Bay. 

You’ll get beautiful shots of the downtown San Diego Skyline and travel under the Coronado Bay Bridge in luxurious comfort. You’ll likely meet some of San Diego’s most beloved friends, the seals and sea lions who like to sunbathe on the docks. If you’re lucky, you might even catch sight of a dolphin or two swimming alongside the Triton catamaran.

To keep you refreshed on our two-hour sightseeing sail, we offer an onboard bar serving soda, beer, wine and cocktails. 

There really is no better way to experience the scenic beauty of San Diego than from the water. Relax, sunbathe, sightsee, learn, mingle and unwind with us on the Triton cat. We can’t wait to see you!

TAKE OUR 360° TOUR

As a Guest Aboard the Triton Harbor Cruise You’ll Be Treated to:

• A 2.5 hour tour of The Big Bay
• Luxury catamaran sailing without the expense of a private charter
• Open-air, spacious seating on a 75-ft luxury catamaran 
• Onboard cocktails and beverages
• A full bar with seating
• Live music 
• USCG Certified Captain and Crew

Notable Landmarks and Sites We’ll See 

As you soak in the sun, we’ll sail past some of San Diego’s most spectacular coastal sites introducing (or reacquainting) you with the:

• USS Midway Aircraft Carrier – The USS Midway was commissioned one week after the end of World War II, was the largest ship in the world until 1955 and was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. The Midway was so large it could carry 120 planes on its armored flight deck and was the first aircraft carrier unable to cruise the Panama Canal due to its sheer size. While you are visiting San Diego, be sure to check out the USS Midway Museum to learn more about this iconic ship. 
• Star of India – Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She is an iron ship with a long and storied past that includes collisions, mutiny and cyclones. She worked as a cargo ship and then spent half a century bringing emigrants to New Zealand. You can tour the Star of India at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. 
• North Island Military Base – Dubbed the official birthplace of aviation, the North Island Military Base is an active military base home to two aircraft carriers and 23 fixed and rotary wing squadrons.
• Cabrillo National Museum – T he Cabrillo National Monument and museum mark the location where the first European set foot on the western US. There is a lot to take in at Cabrillo park including the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the rocky intertidal zone. 
• Hotel del Coronado – The Hotel Del is a historic beachfront luxury hotel situated in the city of Coronado, just over the bridge from downtown San Diego. It opened in 1888 as the largest resort hotel in the world and today is the second-largest wooden structure in the US. If you are visiting San Diego, it is definitely worth spending a couple of hours at The Del — grab lunch or stroll the pristine beach. 

Who is This Harbor Cruise Right For?

• Families – Bring the kids, bring the grandparents! The Triton Catamaran offers an unforgettable experience for the whole family. 
• San Diego Visitors –  There is no better way to acquaint yourself with San Diego than from the sea. This is one experience you definitely don’t want to miss while you’re in town. 
• San Diego Locals – Lived here all your life but still a little shaky on your San Diego history? Join us for a relaxing afternoon on the bay;  we’ll catch you up. 
• Groups – We love hosting groups and can cater to parties as large as 75. Learn more about our group chartering options here. 

Why Choose a Catamaran Harbor Cruise?

If you’re looking for a San Diego harbor cruise, you have options; we aren’t going to pretend to be the only boat in the bay. But, if you have ever experienced a sail on a cat, you’ll know why we are a bit biased. 

• Catamarans offer much more space than monohull boats making them the perfect choice for groups; on a catamaran there really is no bad seat. 
• Catamarans also offer more stability with less rocking back and forth than monohull boats, which can help with sea sickness. 
• Thanks to their shallow draft, catamarans can access areas of the bay too shallow for most boats. 

Triton is the largest Catamaran in The Big Bay and one of the only options in San Diego if you want to experience a ride on a luxury cat, but don’t want to spend the extra money for a private charter. 

The Triton Catamaran made her maiden voyage to San Diego in January 2020. She is a brand new, GC70, 75 ft Day Charter Catamaran that boasts:

• Capacity for 100 passengers (we typically limit this to 70 people so you can spread out and relax)
• A dance floor
• Large deck with outdoor seating

The Triton San Diego Harbor Cruise Itinerary

We’ll embark from 2700 Shelter Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92106 and make our way into San Diego Bay from America’s Cup Harbor. The Triton will then hoist it’s sails and sail toward Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego Naval Base, the Star of India, USS Midway, Coronado Bridge and back! 

Harbor Cruise Dates and Times

We Sail Wednesday – Sunday Departures are 12:30pm and 4pm Each Harbor Cruise is 2.5 hours in duration. Too see our schedule, book here.

Tickets are $55 for adults and $15 for children. 

Where to Park and What to Bring

Parking Directions:

Please click   HERE   for the map of where to park. For free parking, please park in the rear of the parking lot as there are no meters. We do not have assigned parking, so please be sure to come at least 30 minutes early.

Walking Directions:

Once parked, please use this   LINK   for walking directions. You must arrive AT LEAST 30 minutes before your ticketed charter time. Please fill out your waivers and be prepared to present your waiver via QR code, and have your ID handy before you arrive!

Our Charter will not wait for anyone who is late and you will not receive a refund if you do not call before the charter departure informing us that you will not be arriving.

Looking for a More Intimate Option?

Our sister ship, The Malarky, is available for smaller charters of up to 12 people. The Malarky Catamaran is a luxury 47’ performance sailing catamaran that can be chartered for a few hours on the bay or for a multi-day trip.  Whatever you decide, we’ll make sure The Malarky feels like your yacht and your crew. You can learn more about The Malarky here.

Triton Charters is definitely the largest catamaran yacht rental I’ve done in San Diego. Crew was super awesome and the Captain provided us with a smooth sail start to finish. Wonderful! 

We were looking for a large boat rental in San Diego and found Triton Charters. We had almost 100 people and there was plenty of seating and space. We will be back!

Needed a party boat in san diego and came across Triton Charters from one of their facebook ads. We got a great deal and definitely will be back. Drinks were on-point and the bartender rocked! 

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Yacht Rental and Catamaran Charters

Prepare to be amazed sail into the sea of cortez and live the baja experience a fully tailored trip just for you, welcome to baja by sea the best yacht rental and catamaran charter in la paz - sea of cortez.

Baja By Sea is a company specialized in private charters and excursions at the Sea of Cortez. We provide a private yacht, sailboat and catamaran experiences with first class service and amenities. Our guests are our priority.

We will take you to beautiful isolated beaches and coves. Ours are all inclusive experiences cruising to remote coves and beaches on different islands at the Sea of Cortez. This is the area famously known as the World’s Aquarium, the Sea of Cortez is the second most biologically diverse marine environment on the planet. Each private charter features snorkeling with an array of tropical fish over shallow tropical reefs, strolling remote beaches, exploring, trekking, paddle boarding, kayaking, or just relaxing and enjoying the breathtaking scenery. We can arrange tours such as  swimming with sea lions, or whale sharks in season.

Baja By Sea provides quality chef-prepared meals on board with menus selected previously by you and your guests. We include all amenities for your enjoyment. Let us pamper you and tend to all your needs while you enjoy every minute of your trip.

Meet Our Fleet

Fully crewed and ready to take you to extraordinary places

Yachts and Sailboats

An all-inclusive experience where we tailor everything just for you. five star service with top of the line chefs..

We offer you a wide range of options to choose from our International-Mexican cuisine menu before your trip, adapting to any dietary needs or food allergies if necessary. Our chefs will do their best to prepare delicious and abundant meals for you and your guests.

Things To Do

Whether you want a day full of water activities or just relax and enjoy the scenery, our yachts and catamarans are equipped with everything you need to have an incredible experience.

Welcome to the Baja By Sea Experience where we are proud to give you a Five-Star Service throughout your trip and tailor every part of it down to the last detail: menus, itineraries and schedules can be accommodated to your needs, we can arrange for transport, tours and all you may want for your experience to be flawless.

Our crew will make sure you and your guests have the Best Service to make your Vacation at the Sea of Cortez memorable, with every moment full of Adventure, Fun and Relaxation. Charter a Yacht, Catamaran or Sailboat with us and live an Experience you will never forget!

Baja by Sea Yacht and Catamaran Charters

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• Power Yacht Charter

Discover our islands... Dream sailing vacations in french polynesia

Customize Your Tahiti Sailing Charter Today!

Discover Bora Bora & The Sailing Trip of a Lifetime...

Tahiti Sailing Adventures

Tahiti Sailing Adventures is the #1 choice among Americans for catamaran charters in French Polynesia. In direct partnership with Poe Charter Tahiti, we specialize in turning your dream vacation in French Polynesia into a reality!  At Tahiti Sailing Adventures our focus is creating custom-tailored vacations that suit you perfectly. Whether you're seeking a romantic honeymoon, an adventurous family escape, or a peaceful solo retreat, we have you covered. Our catamarans are equipped with all the amenities you need for a comfortable and carefree voyage. 

Professional Crew

Our highly skilled and knowledgeable crew members are here to ensure your journey is nothing short of perfection. From great local cuisine prepared onboard to expert guidance on where to snorkel or which hidden beaches to explore, they'll take care of all the details, so you can focus on enjoying the beauty that surrounds you.

Booking is Easy

Booking your dream vacation with us is simple. Just get in touch with our friendly team and we'll guide you through the process. You can choose from a range of catamarans, cabin configurations, and trip durations, ensuring that your vacation fits your preferences and budget. 

Custom Itinerary

Are you ready for an unforgettable journey through the crystal-clear waters and stunning landscapes of Bora Bora. Great! Click below and let's make it happen. We'll work closely with you to create a personalized itinerary that includes your favorite activities and destinations. From swimming with sharks and rays to exploring lush tropical gardens, we've got the inside scoop on the best experiences in Bora Bora and beyond. 

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Tahiti to Bora Bora

7-12 Night trips to explore the beauty of the Society Islands from Moorea to Raiatea and finally arriving in the turquoise lagoons of Bora Bora.

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Tetiaroa & Moorea

Don't have a lot of time? Stay close to Tahiti and explore the beautiful paradise of Tetiaroa ( Marlon Brando's island) and the crystal clear lagoons of Moorea. 

Photo Gallery

Get to know our team, experienced planning.

Carter White, director of Tahiti Sailing Adventures, is an American living in Tahiti since 2009. He is happy to share his knowledge of the islands and ensure you have an unforgettable trip. 

Dedicated Team

Friendly and Knowledgeable team members here to help you every step of the way with your dream sailing vacation. 

Great Catamarans

Our Catamarans are upgraded every few years to ensure our customers the best in quality, comfort, and safety.  A great trip starts with a great, quality boat. 

Dream Location, Somewhere in French Polynesia...

Something for everyone.

There are endless activities as you sail through the Polynesian islands. If you love snorkeling and scuba diving than you have found paradise. Dream of catching big fish or big waves... we've got you covered. If you just want to kayak and explore beaches and the local culture along the way then we can offer that as well. Or if you just want to chill out on deck that is always a great option too.

 French Polynesia is an adventure seeker and  ocean lovers dream destination. You will find your happiness during a sailing vacation, we guarantee it. Our mission is to make sure you experience these islands to the fullest and by chartering one of our top of the line catamarans you will certainly find your paradise. 

* Pro Tip :   Embrace the local expertise of your crew and you will have a richer experience throughout the islands.  

Why Choose US?

Experience- We have years of experience in creating exceptional French Polynesian vacations, making us the experts in this slice of paradise. 

Customization- Your trip is as unique as you are. We take your preferences and turn them into a vacation you'll cherish forever.

Quality- Our catamarans are top-notch, providing comfort, luxury, and the perfect vantage point for enjoying the beauty of our islands.  

Contact Us Today

Let's chat.

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Let's Set Sail!

We are here to answer any questions you may have. Tell us all about your dream sailing vacation in French Polynesia. How many nights? Favorite islands? Special requests? Give us all the details you can think of so we can give you an accurate quotation and a sample itinerary for your trip. We look forward to guiding you through our tropical paradise and providing you with an exceptional vacation.

P.K. 3.5 Arue, Tahiti, French Polynesia 98712

Email: [email protected]

Thank You For Choosing Tahiti Sailing Adventures!

 For clients who have already contacted us by phone or mail and confirmed their trip availability, you can make your deposit or full trip payment online via our secure link payment, PAYZEN. 

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Depending on availability, you can rent anything from a pontoon boat to a motor yacht. Getmyboat has rental options for every type of boater. We have sailboats, wakeboarding boats, yachts, and party boats all for rent through our easy-to-use platform.

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Renting a boat is simple and quick with Getmyboat. You first search for the type of boat you would like to rent by location. You review the boats available for rent in that location and then submit a rental inquiry to the owner of the boat you want to rent. You specify the dates, group size, and duration of the rental. After you submit the inquiry, the owner will respond with a customized rental offer for you to review. Once you agree on the rental terms, you pay for the rental in full via credit card through Getmyboat to secure your rental reservation.

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No 1 CATAMARAN CHARTER IN CROATIA

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Experience sailing adventure

Croatia Catamaran is the only place you need for your dreams to come true. We have the largest fleet of charter catamarans in Croatia, coming in all types and sizes, allowing you to sail in complete comfort around world’s most beautiful islands, cities and natural beauties. Booking a private cruise is our answer for the perfect holidays with your family and friends who share the same passion for sailing. Book your catamaran with the help of our professional team and get the best yachting experience.

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Croatia catamaran charter offers you the ultimate enjoyment and a sense of privacy unlike any other type of holiday. The moment you step on board a sailing catamaran you will be able to enjoy a unique sense of freedom and luxury.

The Best choice of catamarans in Croatia

Catamaran charter in Croatia is fun with CroatiaCatamaran.com! We offer more than 150 catamarans for charter, from 30 marinas in Croatia.

Early booking discount! Catamarans for rent in Croatia – 2023

Secure your sailing holidays now!

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• Deals and Offers

The Bahamas is a popular destination for sailing enthusiasts, with its clear waters, gorgeous islands, and warm weather. Each company offers different types of charters, boat options, and routes, so it's important to do your research and choose the one that best fits your needs and preferences.

catamaran Charters in bahamas

Gold Coast 65' Catamaran

Nassau, Bahamas

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New Providence, Bahamas

popular sailing charters in the Bahamas

The Moorings is a well-known charter company that offers sailing vacations in the Bahamas, including bareboat charters, crewed charters, and all-inclusive packages. Their fleet includes a range of sailboats and powerboats, from 38 to 54 feet in length.

Dream Yacht Charter is another popular option for sailing in the Bahamas, offering a variety of sailboats, catamarans, and powerboats for rent. They have a base in Nassau, as well as on the nearby island of Abaco.

Navtours offers bareboat charters in the Bahamas, with a fleet of monohulls and catamarans ranging from 30 to 48 feet. Their base is located in Marsh Harbour, on the island of Great Abaco.

Sunsail is a global charter company that offers sailing vacations in the Bahamas, including bareboat and skippered charters. Their fleet includes monohulls and catamarans ranging from 32 to 52 feet, with bases in Nassau and Abaco.

Yacht Charter Fleet is an online platform that allows you to search for and compare various charter options in the Bahamas, including sailboats, catamarans, and powerboats. They offer charters from a variety of companies and bases throughout the Bahamas.

BVI Yacht Charters is a sailing charter company that operates in the Bahamas. They offer a variety of catamarans for bareboat and crewed charters, with sizes ranging from 40 to 50 feet.

TMM Yacht Charters is a sailing charter company that offers catamaran charters in the Bahamas. They have a range of catamarans available for bareboat and crewed charters, with sizes ranging from 38 to 50 feet.

Sail the Abacos is a sailing charter company that specializes in catamaran charters in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. They have a range of catamarans available for bareboat and crewed charters.

When selecting a catamaran rental company in the Bahamas, be sure to read reviews and compare prices and services to find the best fit for your needs and budget. It's always a good idea to compare the options and services provided by different companies before making a final decision.

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But how real is the reality show? I spent five nights on a yacht in Croatia to find out.

A tip on tipping

My suitcase wasn’t bursting with Benjamins. An agency at your final destination provides cash for the crew’s tip money. While you’re expected to tip $30,000 for a two-night cruise on “Below Deck,” in real life you only have to tip 10% to 15% of your charter fee. That’s about $10,000 for a two-night cruise on a 180-foot charter yacht like Mustique (from $250,000 a week), which stars in the new season.

According to Zvonimir Androić, president of the yacht charter company Via Croatia, more often than not, the tip comes from what’s left over after provisioning.

So, shun the Dom Pérignon and skip the beluga caviar, and you’ll have money to spare.

What’s up, dock?

In real life, “Below Deck’s” favorite commercial-break cliff-hanger isn’t nearly as dramatic. Docking in our yacht, Via Croatia’s five-cabin, 100-foot Adriatic Escape (from $52,800 a week), was breezy.

I asked the crew if they hated setting up the slide — a tortuous, Herculean task if you believe what you see on TV.

“It’s not that bad,” a twentysomething Croatian deckhand, as cute as his on-screen counterparts, told me. “That said, we’re definitely not sad if you don’t ask for it.”

Play it cool

Despite being served meat on more than one occasion, my vegetarian co-guests on board weren’t divas when it came to cuisine — a major source of chef-related stress on the show.

Tantrums aren’t the norm Barbie Pascual, the “Below Deck” stewardess famous for putting up with former “RHONY” star Jill Zarin’s demands for the perfect Diet Coke in the “Real Housewives of Grenada” episode, tells me. “Guests know they are being filmed so their reactions are more extreme than they’d be if the cameras weren’t around,” she says.

Pascual’s biggest tip for first-time yachters? Don’t go skinny dipping, like they do on the show, after dark.

“People forget about currents, sharks, etc.,” she says. “Jumping in the water should always be with the captain’s consent!”

Our humorless Croatian yacht captain was a far cry from “Below Deck Mediterranean’s” affable Captain Sandy Yawn. I think we only saw him twice over the course of four days, and he definitely didn’t join us for dinner.

That was fine by us because the stews and deckhands were always handy with anything we needed — including at chat.

Asking for it

“No” is a word you’ll never hear on a yacht, unless there is a safety issue, Pascual says.

While we didn’t ask our crew to do a striptease or decorate for ‘70s night (two recurring requests on the show), out-there demands aren’t out of the question, as long as you’re willing to pay for it.

For example, Via Croatia is currently retrofitting one of its multimillion-dollar superyachts for an upcoming charter booked by a multigenerational Jewish family from Florida.

“In addition to paying the charter fee, the client is literally buying everything new: pots, pans, silverware, et cetera,” said Androić. “They’re even spending $30,000 on a new tender for the elderly mother-in-law.”

Now, I’m no reality show producer, but a picky primary trying to keep his wife, her elderly mom and their kosher kids happy at sea has the makings of an Emmy Award-winning episode.

Yachting on a budget

Charters are cheapest at the beginning and end of a destination’s season. Via Croatia’s yuppiest yacht, the 160-foot, 12-cabin Agape Rose , fetches $200,000 a week in July and August. But it’s just $164,000 a week in April and October. Divide that by 24 of your closest friends and family and it’s just $6,800 a person.

If that’s still too much, consider booking a yacht club suite on one of MSC Cruises ’ Mediterranean voyages.

Sure, you’ll be on a cruise liner, but for $1,659 a person you’ll be treated to seven nights of private butler service with a private pool and restaurant that the pleb passengers don’t even know exists.

Advertisement

Video shows moments before superyacht went down in storm off Sicily

Newly released video captures a luxury superyacht being battered by a violent storm before it suddenly sank off Sicily with 22 people aboard Monday.

The grainy images obtained by NBC News and other outlets were recorded on closed-circuit television not far from where the Bayesian was anchored, about a half-mile from the port of Porticello, on Sicily’s northern coast .

The yacht's 250-foot mast, illuminated with lights and lashed by the storm, appears to bend to one side before it finally disappears and is replaced by darkness.

The speed with which a yacht built to handle the roughest seas capsized stunned maritime experts.  

“I can’t remember the last time I read about a vessel going down quickly like that, you know, completely capsizing and going down that quickly, a vessel of that nature, a yacht of that size,” said Stephen Richter of SAR Marine Consulting.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and five of the 22 other people who were aboard the 184-foot vessel remain unaccounted for and are believed to be trapped in the Bayesian’s hull, nearly 170 feet underwater.

Officials confirmed Monday that at least one person, the ship’s cook, had died.  

Superyachts like the Bayesian, which had been available for charters at a rate of $215,000 a week, are designed to stay afloat even as they are taking on water to give the people aboard a chance to escape, Richter said. 

“Boats of this size, they’re taking passengers on an excursion or a holiday,” Richter said. “They are not going to put them in situations where it may be dangerous or it may be uncomfortable, so this storm that popped up was obviously an anomaly. These vessels that carry passengers, they’re typically very well-maintained, very well-appointed.”

Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered Bayesian could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters. 

On Tuesday, Italian rescue workers resumed the search for Lynch and the five other passengers still missing: Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife.

“The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel,” Salvatore Cocina, the head of civil protection in Sicily, told Reuters .

The Bayesian is owned by a firm linked to Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was one of the 15 people rescued Monday after it capsized.

“It’s extremely rare for a boat of this size to sink,” Richter said.

What’s not rare is the kind of storm that sank it , said Simon Boxall, senior lecturer in oceanography at Britain’s University of Southampton.

“People assume the Mediterranean is this rather calm and passive place that never gets storms and always blue skies,” Boxall said. “In fact, you get some quite horrendous storms that are not uncommon at this time of year.”

The president of Italy’s meteorological society has said Monday’s violent storm may have involved a waterspout, essentially a tornado over water, or a downburst, which occurs more frequently but doesn’t involve the rotation of the air.

Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorology Society, also said recent temperatures may have been a factor. 

“The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius [86 Fahrenheit], which is almost 3 degrees more than normal,” Mercalli told Reuters. “This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms.”

The Mediterranean sailing vacation was designed to be a celebration for Lynch, who two months ago was acquitted by a San Francisco jury of fraud charges stemming from the 2011 sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

Prosecutors alleged that Lynch, dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates,” and Autonomy’s vice president for finance, Stephen Chamberlain, had padded the firm’s finances ahead of the sale. Lynch’s lawyers argued that HP was so eager to acquire Autonomy that it failed to adequately check the books .

Lynch had taken Morvill, who was one of his defense attorneys, on the luxury trip. 

Chamberlain was not on the Bayesian.

In what appears to be a tragic coincidence, a car struck and killed Chamberlain on Saturday as he was jogging in a village about 68 miles north of London, local police said.

“Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family,” Chamberlain’s lawyer, Gary Lincenberg, said in a statement .

Henry Austin reported from London and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.

Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

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

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

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By Emma Bubola and Michael J. de la Merced

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Pallanza, Italy.

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

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

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Blackbox sheds light on tragic final minutes of billionaire’s superyacht trip

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Louise Thomas

It was supposed to be a summer celebration.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch had gathered his tried and trusted lawyers who had been with him every step of the way helping him emerge unscathed from a gruelling 13-year legal battle. Twelve guests had flown into the picturesque Italian port of Porticello, near Palermo from the UK, the US,  Canada , New Zealand and Ireland, to mark the end of the fraud trial that had consumed much of their lives.

But now a manslaughter investigation  has been launched as Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who died after the vessel capsized during bad weather in the early hours of Monday morning.

Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.

Italian public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, from nearby town Termini Imerese said his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent  shipwreck .

The group had been welcomed on board the six luxurious suites of Bayesian, a 56-metre-long £30 million superyacht , by the ten crew. Boasting the tallest aluminium mast in the world - higher than Nelson’s Column - experts now speculate it may have caused her to topple and become pinned underwater in an unpredictable, ferocious storm.

The ship was named after the statistical method, the Bayesian inference, an 18th-century theory that helps forecasters predict outcomes more reliably. Mr Lynch based his entire PHD thesis around it, later amassing his huge fortune after selling his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

He had improbably beaten the odds in a bitter US legal dispute with the technology giant, convincing a jury that he was not guilty of claims of massive fraud after a long legal fight that finally came to an end in June. Two months ago he emerged from court with tears in his eyes a free man he pledged to restructure extradition laws that brought him to the US in cuffs.

Disaster struck at around 5am when a freak tornado over the sea known as a waterspout rocked the superyacht, according to Sicily ’s civil protection agency. The crew fired off disaster flares causing local fishermen and others to navigate the storm to come to the aid of survivors.

The captain of a nearby boat said that when the winds surged, he had turned on the engine to keep control of his vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, which had been anchored alongside him.

“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 said.

The other boat “went flat on the water, and then down,” he added. He said his crew then found some of the survivors on a life raft and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

This included a one-year-old girl named Sophie one of the 16 survivors, so far.

Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, 36, told how she battled to keep her child above the dark and raging Mediterranean while calling for help amid the awful piercing screams of other struggling guests and crew.

“For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately held her again in the fury of the waves,” she told Giornale di Sicilia. “I held her tightly, tightly to me, while the sea was raging. So many were screaming. Fortunately, the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on it.”

This left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International non-executive chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their wives Judy and Neda.

The worn-out Captain of the yacht , James Catfield said simply: “We didn’t see it coming.”

“The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude,” a coast guard official in the Sicilian capital Palermo said the next day.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told how he saw a “tornado” close to the port on Monday morning. Mr Cefalu said he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht vanished beneath the waves, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were “fierce”, with “very strong” wind and rain.

The luxury superyacht is “practically intact” on the seabed despite sinking, Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, has told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

He said in an interview that the multi-million yacht was lying on its side at a depth of 48 metres, but that divers were unable to gain access because of floating furnishings and other debris inside the yacht.

“The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel,” which was lying 49 metres deep, Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily , added.

“The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention,” fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters. “We plan ... to search centimetre by centimetre.”

Now they enter a critical 24 hours according to Nick Sloane, a lead diver in the Costa Concordia wreck. He told Sky News that survivors might be trapped in air pockets inside the ship, but that time is running out fast to rescue them.

“They’ve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.

“If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it’s upright. She’s got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I’m sure.”

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How sinking of luxury yacht off Sicily unfolded

One man has died and six people are missing after a luxury yacht sank in freak weather conditions off the coast of Sicily.

The 56m British-flagged Bayesian was carrying 22 people - 12 passengers and 10 crew - when a heavy storm that created waterspouts struck early on Monday.

Fifteen people were rescued and a search operation for those unaccounted for - who include the British tech tycoon Mike Lynch - is continuing.

Here is what we know about the tragedy so far and how it unfolded.

What happened to the yacht?

The Bayesian was struck by a sudden and powerful storm in the early hours of Monday morning, witnesses say.

It was reportedly anchored to the sea bed outside the harbour at Porticello, a small fishing village to the east of Palermo, when what the Italian coastguard described as a "violent storm" hit.

The storm was so fierce that it caused waterspouts, or rotating columns of air and mist, to appear over the sea.

The vessel disappeared beneath the water at about 05:00 local time (04:00 BST).

A doctor treating survivors said the ship "capsized within a few minutes".

• Follow live updates here
• 'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea' - yacht survivor
• Who are the missing and rescued?
• What might have caused yacht to sink
• Divers battle 10-minute dive window and debris in yacht search

Witnesses told Italian news agency Ansa that the Bayesian’s anchor was down when the storm struck, causing the 72m (236ft) aluminium mast to break in half and the ship to lose its balance and sink.

However, divers on the search and rescue team have said the ship was "practically intact" on the seabed, raising questions as to whether the mast was broken.

The ship's unusually tall mast may have contributed to its sinking, according to Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the mast acted almost like a sail in the strong wind "especially with it being so high".

The extreme winds could have caught the mast and pushed the yacht over, he said.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, said after the storm had passed, the crew noticed the yacht that had been behind them had disappeared.

"We saw a red flare, so my first mate and I went to the position, and we found this life raft drifting," he told Reuters.

His crew took on board some survivors, including three who were seriously injured.

Another witness, Fabio Cefalù, captain of a trawler, said he was about to go out on a fishing trip when he saw flashes of lightning so he stayed in the harbour.

"At about 04:15 we saw a flare in the sea," he said, according to the EVN news agency reports.

"We waited for this waterspout to pass. After 10 minutes we went out to the sea and we saw cushions and all the rest of the boat [that had sunk], and everything which was on the deck, at sea. However, we did not see any people in the sea.”

Another fisherman described seeing the yacht sinking "with my own eyes".

Speaking to the newspaper Giornale di Sicilia, the witness said he was at home when the tornado hit.

"Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very big," he said.

Shortly afterwards he went down to the Santa Nicolicchia bay in Porticello to get a better look at what was happening.

He added: "The boat was still floating, then all of a sudden it disappeared. I saw it sinking with my own eyes."

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Golunski, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica how she held up her one-year-old daughter Sofia to stop her from drowning.

She said the two of them and her partner James survived only because they were up on deck when the yacht sank.

They were woken by “thunder, lightning and waves that made our boat dance”, and it felt like "the end of the world" before they were thrown into the water.

Charlotte said: "For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea, then quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves."

She added: "I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

"It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help, but all I could hear around me was the screams of others."

What is the latest with the search?

Six passengers remain missing and the Palermo coastguard says the search and rescue operation is continuing "incessantly".

The search began on Monday and specialist divers have been working at the site since early on Tuesday morning.

One diver told Italian media the yacht was "practically intact" on its side at the ocean's basin, about 50m below the surface.

The ship's hull is obstructed with furniture and various objects, the Italian fire and rescue service has said.

Divers are looking for ways to access the yacht's cabins, but they have just 10 minutes to search on each dive before they need to return to the surface, the Italian news agency Ansa has reported.

A 1cm thick glass window is also being considered as an entry point.

Francesco Venuto, a spokesperson for Sicily's civil protection agency, told the BBC on Monday rescue teams fear the bodies of those missing "must be" in the boat.

"We've been searching all day with helicopters and boats, we've found nothing. That wouldn't make sense. In these conditions, we should have found something by now," he added.

A specialist caving search and rescue diving team arrived from Rome on Monday, hoping to "achieve results" either during the night or by Tuesday morning at the latest, the director general of Sicily's civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, said.

On Monday, the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch sent a team of four investigators to carry out a preliminary assessment of the Bayesian's sinking, the BBC understands.

Who was on board?

There were 22 people on board when the storm hit, including 12 passengers and 10 crew.

The body of one man has been recovered. He has not been formally identified, but the Palermo coastguard said he was the ship's cook. His nationality has not been confirmed.

Among the six people still missing is 59-year-old tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, known by some as the "British Bill Gates".

Mr Lynch founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11bn (£8.64bn) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Afterwards, he told the BBC in an interview he had been able to prove his innocence only because he had the wealth to pay the enormous legal fees required.

The other missing people include Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares is among the 15 people to have been rescued, with eight of those receiving treatment in hospital, the Italian coastguard said.

Charlotte Golunski, her husband and daughter Sofia were also rescued and were unharmed, but taken to hospital for check-ups.

She said they had been on the yacht with a group of colleagues.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

A doctor based in Palermo said the "very tired" survivors were "constantly asking about the missing people".

Dr Domenico Cipolla told Reuters that one woman he treated described the trip as a "corporate holiday", with some of those on board "very young".

"There were a lot of work colleagues, friends, a few husbands, wives, or a couple of friends who had joined in," he adds.

What is a waterspout and why do they form?

A waterspout is similar to a tornado and can form over oceans, seas or large lakes.

The western half of the Mediterranean has experienced severe storms since the middle of last week.

Through Sunday night and into Monday morning, a zone of bad weather passed by the north coast of Sicily.

BBC Weather forecaster Matt Taylor said: "A waterspout is a tornado that has occurred over water rather than land.

"They can form during intense storms, on the base of cumulonimbus/thunder clouds.

"Turbulence, and the wind blowing in slightly different directions around the cloud, can cause rotation under the base of the cloud and the spout to form.

"Like tornadoes, they bring powerful winds, but instead of picking up dust and debris they cause a water mist around the column of rotating air."

What is the Bayesian, and who owns it?

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week.

It was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

The Bayesian's registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

The yacht's name is understood to derive from the Bayesian theory, which Mr Lynch's PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on.

Mr Lynch's wife Ms Bacares is named as the sole legal owner of Revtom, which is registered in the Isle of Man.

The Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

A spokesperson for Camper and Nicholsons International, the firm that manages the 2008-built boat, told BBC Verify: "Our priority is assisting with the ongoing search and providing all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew."