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Superyacht AIR is an impressive 81m (265'7'') steel and aluminium vessel, launched by Feadship in 2011 and refitted in 2017. Her exterior design and naval architecture were designed by De Voogt. Feadship motor yacht AIR has an interior designed by Remi Tessier Design and she was built at Koninklijke de Vries Scheepbouw with engineering design by De Vries and De Voogt. She accommodates her 12 guests in 7 roomy staterooms and all of her guest cabins have separate ensuite bathrooms.

AIR’s NOTABLE FEATURES: Great volume ~ fantastic outdoor and interior areas ~ light and sunny interiors ~ contemporary design ~ helicopter pad ~ cinema ~ gymnasiums ~ massage room ~ steam room ~ Jacuzzi ~ swimming pool ~ comprehensive selection of water toys

AIR Specifications

Luxury yacht AIR has her exterior designed by Remi Tessier in conjunction with the yacht’s owners. The artwork has been creatively used to decorate her interior, working harmoniously with the yacht's design.

Air yacht's interior is large and spacious, in the common areas such as saloon and dining room, and these flow naturally outside through the large window and open doorway to similarly generous outdoor entertainment areas on aft and sundeck. At 81 metres in length, and with a beam of 11,6 metres, there is plenty of space on this outstanding vessel.

Yacht Accommodation

Accommodation on board AIR comprises seven beautiful appointed staterooms. The main deck offers a master suite with a king-sized double bed, his and her bathroom with a shower and bath each, as well as his and her dressing room. On the same deck, there is the very spacious VIP suite with a double bed, en suite bathroom with a shower and a bath as well as a dressing area. The bridge deck features two guest staterooms; one to Portside and one to Starboard. The Portside stateroom has a double bed and a shower, while the starboard stateroom has a double bed with a bath and shower. The lower deck boasts further three guest staterooms, including two with a double bed and shower and bath, and one twin stateroom with a dressing area and a shower.

Amenities and Extras

Air disclaimer:.

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

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“The way we design, is we design fully custom, fully unique yachts, we start with a blank piece of paper and we start asking the client how they use the boat, what they want to do on board, what kind of experience they have but we also want input on what kind of styling they like... It’s about getting to learn about the owner and how they want to use the boat.” - Ronno Schouten, Design Manager of De Voogt Naval Architects

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Air has an exceptionally sleek and elegant exterior with modern lines, while also incorporating a distinctive Feadship flared bow. She is the first superyacht built under Annex 2 of LY2 to have a fully certified commercial helicopter pad. This requirement represented a major challenge in terms of styling, and the designers at De Voogt Naval Architects have achieved something very special indeed by ensuring that Air’s elongated aft deck remains in perfect proportion to the rest of the giant yacht. Meanwhile, her unique matt black hull has been painted with a specialised and environmentally friendly nano coating technique.

A highly sophisticated minimalistic design makes for a stunning interior. Main materials used include matt-finished sycamore, leather, matt-finished special paint, high gloss stainless steel, palladium leaf, back-lit white onyx, off-white & black limestone and a wealth of carve glass.

An undoubted highlight in terms of the luxury spaces is the owners’ observation lounge with a breathtaking vista over the eight-metre long pool on the vast main deck forward area. Great views are also assured from the magnificent sun deck, which offers many relaxation options such as a gym, lounging areas aft and forward with Jacuzzi, and a 102” pop-up television screen for outdoor movie viewing. Air carries two 9.8-metre tenders in dedicated and fully enclosed bays. There is also a large foldable swimming platform with bar from which to watch the world go by. Air is exclusively available for charter via IYR (International Yacht Register) and the Feadship charter division.

• Yacht Builder Feadship View profile
• Naval Architect De Voogt Naval Architects No profile available
• Exterior Designer De Voogt Naval Architects No profile available
• Interior Designer Remi Tessier No profile available

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AIR Yacht – Extraordinary $120M Luxury Superyacht

AIR yacht is a charter yacht that can be chartered for approximately $992,000 per week. She is an 81-meter behemoth designed for comfort and having fun times while out on the harsh seas.

With the concept of fun at the top of their priorities, you could have access to their jet skis, WaveRunners, and other toys onboard the AIR superyacht.

AIR yacht interior

The AIR yacht was interiorly designed by the famous Remi Tessier , who started his design career training as a cabinetmaker for over seven years.

Now, he has transitioned and applied all his learnings in yacht designing and has been the one responsible for some incredible yachts. 

One of these yachts is the Squall yacht; a 53-meter yacht delivered back in 2002; She can comfortably travel at cruising speeds of 10 knots and go up to 14 knots.

Another of these yachts is the PARSIFAL II, a charter yacht that can readily welcome up to 10 guests at a time and can be attended to by six qualified crew members.

Designed for entertainment, the AIR yacht lacks nothing in the amenities department. She has a full-blown gym, a swimming pool, a beauty room, an elevator, an impressive movie theatre, a jacuzzi, a spa room, and a commercial helipad.

She also has full air-conditioning and internet connection throughout the yacht.

Adding to this, she has access to tons of toys on board. Guests can choose from a plethora of activities they can do, such as riding in one of their jet skis, kayaks, scuba diving equipment, water skis, wave runners, and even inflatable water toys.

Specifications

The AIR yacht currently spans 265 feet or 81 meters, has a beam of 38 feet or 11.6 meters, and a draft of 11.8 feet or 3.55 meters. She is built with a steel hull, along with an aluminum superstructure. 

Although she weighs a hefty 1,893 tons, her powerful twin MTU engines partnered with her jaw-dropping 177,000-liter fuel tanks, she can easily cover a distance of over 5,000 nautical miles and can cruise at speeds of 15 knots, and can even go up to speeds of 17 knots.

AIR superyacht was engineered by famous designer Henri de Voogt, who started his passion for yachts by participating in races.

They are now famous for their creative exterior yacht designs and have been involved in several yachts such as Bliss and Viva.

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​​The World’s First “Air Yacht” Would Sail in the Sky and Sea (With Zero Emissions)

Yachts and private planes make for luxurious ways to zip from one place to another, but recently, a businessman based in Germany and Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini discovered what happens when they combine boats and jets: the ultra-sleek sky yacht. Equipped with eight counter-rotating electric engines powered by super-lightweight batteries and solar panels, the nearly 500-foot-long yacht can traverse the sky (and sea) at 60 knots for more than two days straight with zero emissions. Plus, aside from its full-electric mobility, the air yacht is sustainable in other ways too: It will be built entirely from carbon fiber, which is as high-strength as it is lightweight.

The 500-foot futuristic vessel comprises three main parts: a central compartment with a living room and dining area flanked by two inflatable helium blimps that house 10 suites.

Lazzarini’s design looks like something out of the future: a spacious living room and dining area housed within the sky yacht’s central torpedo-shaped structure that’s connected via eight carbon bridges (four on each side) to two 150-foot-long blimps. And the blimps that contain a whopping 14,125,867 cubic feet of helium that keep the vessel high in the sky, flanking the main compartment, aren’t just there to elevate the jet: Between the two, there are 10 guest suites, all of which boast 360-degree views.

The two balloon-like compartments on either side of the impressive vessel comprise an inflatable base that allows the innovative machine to float atop the water surface when the owner is in the mood to sail the sea versus the sky. Though being able to choose which medium makes the most sense for specific destinations sounds like an ideal way to travel, the sky yacht is, unfortunately, still quite a ways off from replacing typical ships and planes. 

The enormous sky yacht is too big to simply park at a marina while its guests climb aboard, so it comes equipped with a retractable staircase.  

For the private owner who commissioned the estimated $627,511,500 sky yacht, however, his new mode of transportation is the way of the future. In fact, Lazzarini has promised that a first-scale model prototype will lift into the air later this year, and a collection of slightly varying designs (of different lengths) is currently in the early phases of both engineering and prototyping. So, perhaps we’ll all be passengers onboard a boat that flies before the end of the decade.

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Meet the AirYacht, a Bonkers Superyacht-Blimp Hybrid Concept That Can Cruise Both Sea and Sky

The concept comprises a 197-foot superyacht and a 656-foot blimp that can be used together or separately., rachel cormack.

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AirYacht may not have the most original moniker, but the new concept is undeniably inventive.

Envisioned by Guillaume Hoddé and Matthieu Ozanne, the new two-in-one vessel comprises a luxe 197-foot superyacht and a giant 656-foot blimp that together enable cruising in either the skies or seas. The Swiss outfit that created it, which is also called AirYacht, says the two vessels can also be separated and used independently for even more versatility.

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The detachable balloon, known as the “airship,” is currently powered by a hybrid propulsion system, though the team hopes it will run exclusively on hydrogen in the future. With space for three crew, it can reportedly reach 50 knots at full tilt and fly up to roughly 9,800 feet above the ground. It also has an autonomous cruising time of around one week, according to the firm.

The AirYacht’s “lift” can deploy the superyacht without the airship needing to land (photo at top). When flying, the yacht is pulled into to the bottom of the blimp to become its passenger cabin.  Darnet Design/AirYacht

The adjoining superyacht, or “residence” as the designers call it, sports an aerodynamic hull crafted entirely from ultra-lightweight carbon to ensure it soars seamlessly through air or water. Spread across three levels, the living quarters span roughly 8,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 12 guests in a five or six-cabin layout. There are also amenities aplenty, including a Jacuzzi, pool, spa, gym, helipad and a garage for cars, toys and tenders.

Interestingly, the yacht itself doesn’t sport any engines as they add too much weight. As such, it will rely on the airship to get around. Hoddé told Robb Report the residence can be tugged by the airship when in water.

As for separating the two individual vessels, the AirYacht is equipped with an innovative launch system, or “lift”, which allows the superyacht to be gently lowered (or raised) without the airship ever needing to touch the ground.

The salon inside the superyacht.  Darnet Design/AirYacht

Penned by Franck Darnet of Darnet Design, the AirYacht is not to be confused with Lazzarini’s bonkers flying superyacht concept of the same name. (As we said, the moniker isn’t exactly original.) There are similarities, though; both yachts are powered by helium blimps and can take to the sky or sea.

AirYacht says orders are now open and the first delivery is planned for the end of 2026.

Check out more photos below:

Darnet Design/AirYacht

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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The Ten Most Amazing Superyacht Interiors

You'll be hard-pushed to find a superyacht with ugly interiors but then again, pinpointing which are the best is a challenging feat in itself. In the world of superyacht interiors, luxury is in abundance and we can really appreciate how designers maximise space and comfort in space-restricted vessels. 

From neutral colour palates to bold, opulent interiors, designers have had their fun over the years creating home-from-homes too beautiful to comprehend. Let's take a closer look at some of the more jaw-dropping yacht interiors that are sure to pique your interest. 

Cristina Gherardi Design carved out a space for everything when penning Savannah . From the cosy home office to the luxurious onboard gym, guest rooms enjoy vast open spaces and tall ceilings while a grand spiral staircase draws each level together. One of our favourite features on board the Feadship superyacht Savannah is the semi-submerged viewing lounge, providing views both above and below water. 

Take a look inside motor yacht Savannah here . 

Motor Yacht A

One of the world's most famous yachts, Motor Yacht A is the pinnacle of opulence. The 119 metre Blohm + Voss motor yacht is bright and airy on the inside the with light, neutral colours throughout. We're particularly keen on the bedroom Jacuzzi in the owner's suite and the deluxe day beds in the outdoor lounging area. 

Take a closer look at Motor Yacht A 's interiors here . 

White Rabbit 

The grand central staircase on 84 metre White Rabbit greets you on arrival, leading guests to a central lobby that splits into two lounges. The interiors boast comfort from the soft carpeting throughout to the raised, squash beds and wrap-around sofas. We're not sure anyone could find a corner on White Rabbit that isn't luxuriously comfortable. Better still, the yacht has a grand circular bar on the main deck and professional-grade home cinema on board. 

Take a closer look at White Rabbit here . 

The winter garden onboard the 106 metre Lürssen superyacht is one to rival the best on land. It's a tranquil orangery complete with water features, marble floors and plenty of indoor plants. Much like the rest of the yacht, it's classy and well-considered, a favourite of ours at BOAT International . 

Explore Amadea 's interiors here . 

Grand, circular ceiling accents feature heavily in MySky , bringing every social space into one focal point and ultimately bringing everyone seated in each together. The well-polished interiors were penned by Mojo-Stumer Associates, using muted colour palates in line with the dark lacquered interior panelling to contrast the exterior styling. 

Take a closer look at motor yacht MySky here . 

One of the most hotly anticipated releases it should come as no surprise to find BOLD on this list. 85.3 metre luxury motor yacht from SilverYachts uses colour to bring the interior spaces to life, the striking living room with its cobalt blue sofas and complementary patterned rug are so zeitgeist and on-trend we can't stop staring. The interiors were penned by SilverYachts, creating a contemporary, homely space. 

Take a look inside SilverYachts BOLD here . 

Dragon is like your perfect holiday home, tastefully decorated with sea-inspired materials, designed to make you feel right at home on the water. The 80 metre Palumbo superyacht takes advantage of the pools of natural light, using natural woods to complement the neutral colour palette. It's refined simplicity and we love it.   

Take a closer look at Dragon 's interiors, penned by Nuvolari Lenard here . 

The 60.35m luxury yacht, built by Feadship, has Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design to thank for its impressive interiors. With rich, cherry woods, plush sofas and a grand spiral staircase, the opulent interiors are reminiscent of more traditional-style yacht interiors with a contemporary edge.  

Take a closer look at Rock.It 's interiors here . 

Last, but certainly not least, is Elandess with her darker, moodier colour scheme. She boasts fantastic viewing points throughout including a partially submerged viewing room for visibility below the waterline. There are endless (excuse the pun) standout features, combining textures and colour as well as a number of DKT Artworks throughout.  

Take a closer look at Elandess 's interiors here . 

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We strive to design enjoyable and personalized signature interiors by exploring unconventional styling with unique luxury decorative accents and craftsmanship.  We approach each project with a fresh eye and start by listening to our client’s wishes in order to design their dream yacht.

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With an unwavering commitment to innovation, we forge bold and distinctive design narratives that embrace the client’s vision while infusing it with our expert touch.

From the spacious salons to the intimate cabins, our meticulous attention to detail extends to every facet of yacht design. We take pride in our ability to integrate state-of-the-art technologies with timeless design elements, ensuring a blend of modernity and sophistication.

Our approach to yacht design is both comprehensive and detail-oriented. We consistently aim to balance contemporary technologies with timeless design principles. This ensures that our clients receive functional, aesthetically pleasing, and durable interiors that meet their specific needs and preferences.

The design of a yacht is an art that should always be approached with a fresh, creative attitude and a readiness to make a bold statement.

Passengers could still be alive in air pockets inside the sunken superyacht. But it's a long shot and time is running out.

• Divers are searching for missing people from the sunken superyacht Bayesian near Porticello, Italy.
• An expert told Business Insider they're likely looking for air pockets in the vessel.
• But it's unlikely survivors will be found, the Italian coast guard said.

Divers are searching the sunken superyacht Bayesian for air pockets where survivors might be trapped, but experts and officials say the mission is hampered by dangers and limited time.

The search and rescue operation for the six people missing from the Bayesian is continuing, after it sank in a sudden storm while anchored off the Italian port of Porticello early Monday.

Among the missing is British tech billionaire Mike Lynch . One person has been found dead and 15 were rescued from the vessel.

Matthew Schanck, chairman of the UK's Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told Business Insider that with around 36 hours having passed since the sinking, it appeared likely the missing are still on the vessel.

He added that relatively calm conditions in the hours after the storm passed and weak sea currents meant they'd likely have been found by now if they were on the sea's surface.

Schanck said search and rescue team divers will search the vessel "to see if they can see any casualties through windows or anything like that. They'll assess the structure of the vessel. Are there any air pockets, you know? Is there any noise or any signs of life, and that will factor into their decision-making."

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, told Sky News rescue time is running out to find survivors.

"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," he said.

"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," he added.

Schanck added that search and rescue leaders would weigh the risk versus the potential for finding survivors in deciding whether to send teams on highly dangerous dives into the sunken vessel.

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"If you heard banging from inside you'd be able to take more risks to save a life. But if all the information is pointing towards the fact actually there's no evidence of air pockets, you've scoured the surface, and we think the casualties are in there, then it'd be very difficult for them justify divers entering the vessel to go and recover casualties," he said.

Vincenzo Zagarola, a spokesman for the Italian Coast Guard, told the PA news agency that the missing would unlikely be found alive.

"Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly," he said.

"We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat."

When asked if there was any hope of finding the missing alive, he reportedly said, "Never say never, but reasonably, the answer should be no."

Schanck said there's no strict timeline for assessing when a search and rescue operation should be called off; it's a call made by team leaders based on the evidence available.

Lynch was among the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs. In 2011, he sold his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

However, the deal led to a drawn-out legal battle, which resulted in Lynch's acquittal on fraud charges in the US in June.

His daughter, Hannah Lynch, is among the missing, while his wife, Angela Bacares, is among the survivors.

Watch: Sub taking tourists to see the Titanic goes missing

• Main content

Superyacht sinks latest: Investigators reveal where bodies were found as probe looks at 'crew's responsibility'

Italian officials revealed at a news conference there could be "a question of manslaughter" as they opened a shipwreck investigation and said the probe is also looking at the "crew's responsibility".

Saturday 24 August 2024 18:33, UK

• Superyacht sinking

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• Prosecutor: There 'could be a question of manslaughter'
• Probe 'concentrating' on crew's responsibility
• Seven bodies recovered after five-day search of superyacht wreckage off Sicily
• Saturday's papers pay tribute to youngest victim Hannah Lynch
• Hannah's sister pays tribute to 'my little angel'
• Explained: Inside the superyacht | What challenges have faced divers?
• Eyewitness: Sombre scenes greet rescue teams as final body is brought ashore
• Live reporting by Niamh Lynch

We're ending our live coverage for this evening but here is a recap of what we know:

• Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian sinking;
• Officials have revealed more details on their investigation and the difficult five-day rescue mission;
• The six bodies found during the search in recent days were all in cabins on the left-hand - and highest - side of the ship. Five were found in the first cabin and the sixth was found in the third;
• Prosecutors said the six passengers were most likely asleep when the boat sank;
• The probe is now focusing on the crew and their responsibilities, with the captain set to undergo more questioning.

Monday 19 August

The Bayesian yacht, flying a British flag, sinks at around 5am local time when the area was hit by a tornado.

Fifteen people are rescued from the 56 metre vessel - including a mother and baby - but another seven remain missing.

One body, later confirmed to be the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, is found near the wreck.

It emerges that British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among six people that remain missing.

Tuesday 20 August

The search continues for the six tourists missing.

It is reported that among those missing are Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Police divers try to reach the hull of the ship, resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Italy's fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco say early inspections of the wreck were "unsuccessful" because of limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

The operation is later described as "complex", with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Tributes pour in for Mr Thomas, with his friend Gareth Williams saying: "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit."

Wednesday 21 August

The search for the six people unaccounted for enters a third day, with crews carrying out inspections of the yacht's internal hull.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrive in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking.

A helicopter is drafted in to help with the search effort and remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search.

Five bodies are found inside the yacht on Wednesday afternoon. Only four of them are brought to shore.

Body bags are seen being taken to Porticello in the afternoon where dozens of emergency services staff wait.

Searches finish for the day just before 7.30pm.

Thursday 22 August

The search resumes for the remaining missing person.

The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.

The search is called off at around 8pm in Sicily, with divers expected to begin again at 6.30am on Friday.

Friday 23  August

The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, Hannah Lynch.

Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been "easy or quick", comparing the sunken yacht to an "18-storey building full of water".

The coastguard confirms in the late morning that her body has been found.

A green body bag is brought to the port of Porticello from the site of the sinking.

A spokesperson announces on behalf of the Lynch family that they are "devastated" and "in shock" after the deaths of Mike and Hannah.

Hannah's sister Esme pays tribute to her "little angel".

Saturday 24 August

A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town, Termini Imerese.

Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.

As the focus now turns to the manslaughter investigation, here's another reminder of the seven victims of the sinking and the 15 people who survived. 

A close friend of the Lynch family has added to the chorus of tributes for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who died in Monday's superyacht sinking.

Susannah Gurdun, who lives in Suffolk, recalled being "daunted" when she first met Mr Lynch at a dinner party, before discovering he was "so much more than the corporate cliche".

"He was riveting.  He was funny, and kind, and endlessly interesting; capable of talking about anything and everything," she said.

Ms Gardun said the businessman also had a "thrilling ability" to make complicated subjects "accessible to those of us less blessed with a science acumen".

"In particular, he was wonderful with children.  I will never forget hearing him explain to a group of them - including our ten year old son - the physics of why the sky went pink at sunset," she said.

She went on describe Mr Lynch as a "true genius" and "phenomenal creative".

Ms Gardun said his daughter Hannah was also showing "serious literary promise", and added that it was "beyond tragic that we will never know where her own particular brilliance might have led".

"I still feel blessed to have shared that time with them in Spain.  Not just because I witnessed Mike’s incredible storytelling; but because I was given a chance of understanding what that moment said about all four of them as a united vibrant loving family," she said.

"He was an extraordinary human being and it was - truly - a privilege to have known him."

A yacht crew member who survived the sinking has paid tribute to Hannah Lynch, calling her a "diamond in a sea of stars".

Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the Bayesian, has released a statement after divers recovered the final missing body from the wreckage, which is believed to be 18-year-old Hannah.

"Those who knew her will know that Hannah was a diamond in a sea of stars," she said.

"Bright, beautiful and always shining. What most people may not have seen was the extraordinarily strong, deep and loving relationship she shared with her parents, whom she adored more than anything. 

"While swimming with them she often said, if anything ever happened she would save them. 

"I have no doubt that the Irish, Latina fire that burns in her soul kept that spirited determination alive."

Ms Murray's statement comes as a new image of Hannah Lynch and her father Mike Lynch is released:

Prosecutors announced in this morning's news conference that they have opened a manslaughter and negligent shipwreck investigation.

Officials were unable to answer several queries from the media, saying they needed time to establish the facts, but what are the key questions facing prosecutors? 

Why weren't passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?

The prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested that some passengers may have been asleep when others were awake.

Asked why they were not woken up or alerted, he said that is something investigators are trying to work out from the statements of the survivors.

He called it an "essential" part of the inquiry.

Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?

The press conference heard several bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which was not theirs.

Mr Cammarano said investigators currently do not know the reason for them being discovered in the same cabin.

The chief of the Palermo fire service, Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the yacht pinned to the right and suggested people tried to go on the other side, taking refuge in cabins in the higher part of the wreck.

Why did the boat sink?

The vessel had been deemed "unsinkable" by its manufacturer - Italian shipyard Perini Navi.

The Bayesian was hit by a downburst, according to Mr Cammarano, which are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.

Officials will look into the safety equipment on the sunken vessel.

Mr Cammarano was asked about whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open.

He said investigators do not have exact information about the black box and that the first phase of the inquiry will look into it.

Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?

Another yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when extreme weather hit.

Its crew helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken vessel.

Italian officials said they would be looking at how the downburst could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels.

What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?

Maritime director of western Sicily, Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, said the weather at the time of the yacht's sinking was abnormal and there was nothing to suggest such an extreme situation would arise.

He said there were forecasts of winds and a storm alert, but there was no warning of a tornado.

"Given that the conditions were such, there wasn't anything to suggest there could be an extreme situation arising," he said.

"There are vessels that can monitor, after all, these events and one would have thought that the captain had taken precautions."

How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?

Mr Macauda could not confirm how long it would take to retrieve the shipwreck of the sunken yacht.

"Everything depends on the availability of the owners and the timeframe of the retrieval of the wreck and of course all that has to be submitted to the port authorities and in parallel of course there will be the inquiry results and it's only really then that we will be able to authorise the operation," he said.

"I can't say, like some experts who have already spoken on the subject, [said] that it will be eight weeks."

He made clear that the owners will bear the full cost of retrieval, although he could not estimate the figure.

Italian authorities detailed the challenging and meticulous rescue operation to recover the six missing people from the Bayesian wreck (see 9.18am post).

But why was the five-day search so difficult? 

Read more below...

More on this morning's press conference. 

One of the main updates from prosecutors was that they have opened manslaughter and shipwreck investigations after the deaths of seven people in the Bayesian sinking. 

Watch the announcement below...

Prosecutors have given a lengthy news conference this morning on their investigation into the sinking of the Bayesian. 

Read the full report on the prosecutors' probe below...

Marine investigator James Wilkes has been speaking to Sky News after this morning's press conference.

"Naturally, there are more questions than there are substantive answers at the moment - that's the nature of investigative work.

"Something forced that yacht to roll beyond its nominal stability limits, such that it wasn't able to right itself with the ingress of a certain amount of seawater that was coming into the yacht. 

"So the investigators are going to ask themselves one initial question - what must the conditions have been for this to happen? 

"Then they are going to look at the contributing factors to the yacht, sinking, and, and the unfortunate loss of life." 

Prosecutors said this morning that the future of the investigation is reliant on recovering the wreck. 

Mr Wilkes said the yacht is a "major piece of physical evidence in and of itself." 

"It's lying at 50 metres, which is a recoverable depth. 

"If it was significantly deeper, then I'm not sure they'd be considering salvage at this stage or certainly, the salvage question would be a lot more complicated to answer. 

"But if there was the ability to raise that yacht in one piece safely, then it gives the investigators physically more to look at."

Mr Wilkes said he was unsure if the yacht would have a "black box" - called a voyage data recorder in shipping. 

"It would record things like GPS position, heading speed, engine telemetry, whether the radars were on, what they were recording, alarms, communications from the yacht itself, any audio on the bridge.

"But more often than not, these are on merchant ships. The yacht was a commercial yacht in the sense that it could be chartered out so it's quite possible it has a voyage data recorder on, but I'm not sure that it does. I don't know that as a matter of fact," he said.

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Sicily yacht sinking LIVE: Survivors could be in air pockets, says engineer

LIVE – Updated at 07:01

Six people who went missing when a British superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily could still be alive in air pockets, an engineer has claimed.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18, are among six tourists missing a fter the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation in 2012, said that rescue divers had a “very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued”.

“You’ve got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical,” he said.

“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.”

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo are also confirmed among the missing. Mr Morvillo’s wife is also unaccounted for, the head of Sicily's Civil Protection said.

The 56m Bayesian was carrying 22 people including Brits, Americans and Canadians when it sank. Fifteen people were rescued including a mother and her one-year-old daughter.

Survivors said the trip had been organised by Lynch for his work colleagues.

Divers have warned that they are only able to search the wreckage for 10 minutes at a time.

See below for the latest updates.

• Morgan Stanley bank boss and his wife confirmed among the missing
• Mike Lynch co-defendant killed in separate car crash
• Six people still missing as search resumes
• Rescuers face difficulty accessing wreck

Search to resume

Good morning, and welcome to the Standard’s live blog.

The search for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter is set to resume this morning, after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily yesterday.

The pair are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates throughout the day.

Who are the six people still missing?

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter are among six people still unaccounted for after yesterday’s tragedy.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo are now also thought to be among the missing.

The Daily Mail reports Mr Bloomer’s wife is also unaccounted for, while a colleague of Mr Morvillo told Business Insider his wife is also missing.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox. The Daily Mail reports his wife is also unaccounted for.

A body, believed to be that of the vessel's cook, was discovered by search teams on Monday.

Italian news website la Repubblica reports that four of the missing passengers are British while the other two are American.

Who is tech billionaire Mike Lynch?

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are missing following yesterday’s luxury yacht sinking.

Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was also on board the yacht but survived the tragedy.

Born in Ilford in east London, Mr Lynch became one of Britain’s most influential entrepreneurs after founding software giant  Autonomy  in 1996.

He has been described at points as ‘the Bill Gates of  Britain ’, for founding the company which became one of the biggest enterprise software firms on the planet.He went on to negotiate an $11bn (£8.64bn) sale of Autonomy to Hewlett Packard  (HP), which generated him a more than $800m windfall (£616m).

But the sale also kicked off a 13-year legal saga, in which HP alleged he had inflated the value of Autonomy - which had turned out to be a costly take-on for the firm.

Mr Lynch was finally cleared of fraud and conspiracy in June this year. He said at the time that he was "elated".

The Times reported that he had previously spent 13 months under house arrest awaiting the trial.

Mr Lynch has a PhD from Cambridge University, where he carried out research in machine learning which he later applied to set up his software firms.

He is co-founder of Cambridge-based cybersecurity company Darktrace, and is a major figure in the tech belt around Cambridge known as Silicon Fen.

You can read more about Mike Lynch here .

Firefighters struggling to access wreck

Italian firefighters have reportedly been struggling to fully access the wreck of the Bayesian yacht because of the position in which it sank, and the way its contents have fallen.

Italy’s fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were “unsuccessful” due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo to help assess the situation.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage.

Mike Lynch's wife gives first account of tragedy

Angela Bacares, the wife of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, has revealed a “slight tilt” of the yacht Bayesian was the first sign it was about to sink.

Ms Bacares, 57, is among 15 people who were rescued from a lifeboat at the scene of the tragedy, but remains anxiously awaiting updates as her husband and 18-year-old daughter Hannah remain missing.

She and Mr Lynch were awoken around 4am on Monday after the 180ft superyacht suddenly “tilted” in a violent storm, she told Italian news outlet La Repubblica.

Though they had initially not been worried, she got out of bed to investigate what had happened.

Glass then suddenly shattered, reportedly causing confusion among those on board.

Ms Bacares is said to be in a wheelchair following the tragedy. She is understood to have suffered injuries to her feet, caused by walking on broken glass.

What we know about the Bayesian superyacht

The Bayesian, a British-registered superyacht, sank with 22 people onboard shortly before sunrise on Monday, said the Italian coastguard.

It said the wreck of the the 56-metre-long (184-ft) luxury sailboat is now lying on the sea floor at a depth of 49 metres.

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020. Its 75-metre mast is the tallest aluminium mast in the world, Perini said on its website.

The shipspotting.com website says the boat is owned by a firm called Revtom Limited. Mike Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who survived the sinking, is named as the sole shareholder of the firm on company documents.

The yacht's name is likely to have resonated with Mr Lynch, because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on Bayesian theory.

The ship 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.T

he boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14 and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, when it was "at anchor", according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.

Search and rescue operation resumes

The search and rescue mission appears to have resumed. Photos taken by Reuters appear to show a number of rescue boats including a Coastguard vessel at the scene, off the coast of Porticello near the Sicilian city of Palermo.

Mike Lynch fraud trial co-defendant dies after being hit by car, says lawyer

The co-defendant of missing tech tycoon  Mike Lynch  in his US fraud trial has died after being hit by a car on Saturday, his lawyer has said.

Mr Lynch has been confirmed as one of the six tourists missing after the Bayesian yacht sank on Monday.

Stephen Chamberlain was cleared earlier this year alongside Mr Lynch of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software company  Autonomy  to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlain’s lawyer, said in a statement: “Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

“He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

“Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.”

Read more here .

Recap: Key points we know so far

• Six people are missing after the British-flagged superyacht Bayesian sank in ferocious weather off the port of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, shortly before dawn on Monday
• On Monday, rescue teams recovered the body of the yacht's onboard chef, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas
• British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among the missing
• Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a long-standing trial in the US, are also among the missing. The wives of both men were also unaccounted for, Salvatore Cocina, head of Civil Protection in Sicily, told Italian media.
• Fifteen people had escaped before the boat went down, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who owned the boat, and a one-year-old girl who was saved by her mother
• Specialist divers had reached the ship on Monday at a depth of 49 metres, but access was limited due to objects in the way, the fire brigade said
• Search and rescue operations were beginning again on Tuesday morning

Yacht trip had been 'corporate holiday'

Survivors have said the ill-fated yacht trip was organised by British tech boss Mike Lynch, for his work colleagues and for lawyers who recently helped clear his name in a long-running fraud case.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at leading law firm Clifford Chance, is among 15 people who survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald told the Telegraph she had been invited aboard the superyacht as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynch's recent court case .

"Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case,” he said.

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Mr Lynch in his fraud trial, are also among the missing. Their wives are also unaccounted for, according to authorities.

Also among the survivors is Charlotte Golunski, who is understood to be a partner at Mr Lynch’s firm Invoke Capital. Her husband James and their one-year-old daughter Sofia were also on the trip. They all survived.

Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, also remain missing.

Rescuers at scene of search amid fears 'bodies trapped in vessel'

Photos taken this morning show rescue teams have returned to the scene where the Bayesian sank.

Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, as the search resumed.

They are to try accessing the wreck, which is lying on the sea bed at a depth of around 49m about half-a-mile from Porticello.

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

Specialist divers yesterday struggled to search the wreck, as objects had fallen in a way that obstructed access.

Jonatham Bloomer's wife confirmed to be among missing

Judy Bloomer, wife of Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, has been confirmed among the six people who are still missing.

It was already confirmed that Mr Bloomer is among those unaccounted for.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing," said Aki Hussain, of UK-based insurance firm Hiscox which is chaired by Mr Bloomer, in a statement to AFP news agency.

Who is missing Jonathan Bloomer?

Jonathan Bloomer is chairman of Morgan Stanley International bank, and non-executive chairman of insurance provider Hiscox.He is also an alumnus of Imperial College London, from which he graduated with a BSc in physics in 1974.

The Financial Times reported Mr Bloomer appeared as a defence witness for Mike Lynch at his trial that ended in June, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

He and his wife, Judy, have been confirmed as among the six people still missing from the Bayesian yacht.

Aki Hussain, the group chief executive of Hiscox, said this morning he is “deeply shocked and saddened” by the yacht tragedy.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation,” he said.

Bayesian captain breaks silence

The captain of the Bayesian has broken his silence following yesterday’s tragedy.

James Catfield is said to have been captaining the luxury yacht when it sank around 5am on Monday in severe weather.

“We didn't see it coming,” he told Italian news outlet La Repubblica this morning.

He uttered the one line statement from his room in a hospital in the town of Termini Imerese, near the city of Palermo.

Mr Catfield was reportedly one of the 15 people - a mixture of crew members and passengers - who was rescued from a lifeboat following the tragedy.

Map shows where search is being carried out

Family of stephen chamberlain pay tribute to 'amazing individual'.

The family of Stephen Chamberlain, who died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday, have paid tribute to him as “a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend”.

Mr Chamberlain was a co-defendant in the recent US trial of technology tycoon Mike Lynch, who is now among the six people missing following the separate sinking of the yacht Bayesian.

He was cleared, alongside Mr Lynch, of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. Mr Chamberlain was formerly vice-president of finance at Autonomy.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlain’s family said: “Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

“He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

“He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

“He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.”

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlain’s lawyer, also said: “Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

Photos show search and rescue teams at the scene this morning

Morgan stanley 'shocked and saddened by tragedy'.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley has said the bank is "shocked and saddened" by news non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer is among those missing.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy,” said the spokesperson.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation."

Earlier the group chief executive of insurance firm Hiscox, where Mr Bloomer is non-executive chairman, confirmed both Mr Bloomer and his wife Judy are missing following the sinking of Bayesian.

Bayesian 'was not moored in a safe place', claims journalist

A Sicilian journalist has claimed the Bayesian sank during Monday’s storm because of where it was moored.

Piero Messina told Sky News: "The boat went down because the boat was anchored 500m from the coast of the little port of Santa Flavia, and that means that it was not in a safe place.

"Some fishermen told me that they had never seen a storm like that, but that it was not a safe place to stay - so far from the coast.

"I think the authorities will need to clarify what's happened."

The cause of the sinking has not yet been confirmed. An investigation is expected to take place.

'I have never seen a vessel of this size go down so quickly' - eyewitness

A captain of a nearby sailboat that was beside the Bayesian when it sank says the doomed vessel disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes.

Karsten Borner, 69, told The Guardian he too was awoken by the raging storm, and immediately started his boat’s engine to help counteract the power of the wind and waves.

“The first thing I did was to start the engines of my sailboat to give more stability to the vessel. I don’t know if the Bayesian did the same,” he told The Guardian. “It seems like they were also suddenly caught by the storm.

“After securing our boat, we immediately approached the Bayesian. But it had already sunk.

“I have never seen a vessel of this size go down so quickly. Within a few minutes, there was nothing left. Then we saw the raft with the 15 passengers. It was a tragedy.”

Probe 'likely to examine whether Bayesian crew had time to close hatches'

One expert at the scene of the disaster, who declined to be named, told news agency Reuters an early focus of the investigation would be whether the Bayesian’s crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck in the early hours of Monday.

The British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent four inspectors to Sicily to conduct a "preliminary assessment”.

Severe weather 'amplified by global warming' has swept Italy in recent days

Storms and heavy rainfall have swept Italy in recent days, after weeks of scorching heat lifted the temperature of the Mediterranean sea to record levels, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts have said.

The Bayesian sank shortly before dawn on Monday after being caught in ferocious weather while anchored around half-a-mile off the coast of northern Sicily.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30C, which is almost three degrees more than normal. This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms," meteorologist Luca Mercalli told news agency Reuters.

He added: "We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect.”

The fierce weather that sank the Bayesian is believed to have struck relatively suddenly.

The captain of a boat that was next to the yacht - and who was also “suddenly caught by the storm” - earlier told how the Bayesian sank “within a few minutes. He added: “I have never seen a vessel of this size go down so quickly.”Italy’s fire service, The Vigili del Fuoco, says it has been called out to more than 100 incidents including flooding and road accidents across Italy’s Mediterranean islands in the last day, as bad weather has continued.

Depth is 'biggest difficulty' rescuers face as they vow to 'search centimetre by centimetre'

Fire department diver Marco Tilotta has told reporters: "The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention.

"We plan...to search centimetre by centimetre,” he added.

Mr Tilotta said the Bayesian appeared to be intact and was lying on its right side.

Missing Judy Bloomer hailed 'brilliant' women's health champion by charity

Judy Bloomer - who is missing from the Bayesian along with her husband Jonathan, chairman of Morgan Stanley International Bank - has been hailed a “brilliant champion for women’s health”.

Mrs Bloomer has been a trustee of UK gynaecological cancer research charity The Eve Appeal for more than 20 years.

CEO Athena Lamnisos told the BBC the charity is “deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan, are among those missing".

She described Mrs Bloomer as a "brilliant champion for women's health".

"Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan’s family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event,” she added.

Divers trying to find 'easier' way to access yacht

Italy’s fire service, the Vigili del Fuoco, has said its specialist divers are currently trying to find an easier way to enter the wreckage of the yacht.

“The entrance to the yacht was complex, planning is underway to open easier access and inspect the interior,” it said in a tweet on X.

It shared a video that appeared to show firefighters observing plans of the Bayesian, as they tried to work out the best way to enter.

Yesterday, divers reached the wreck where it is lying around 49m below surface level, but struggled to get inside and carry out a full search of the vessel, due to obstructions including furniture.

The yacht is said to be lying intact on its right side. A diver earlier said the depth of the wreck poses a problem, as divers have a limited amount of time under the water.

Fishermen 'saw tornado' near scene of tragedy

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu has said he saw a “tornado” close to the port of Porticello on Monday morning.

Mr Cefalu told the PA news agency through a translator that he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky around 5am, when the Bayesian sank.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water, 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.

British Ambassador supporting survivors in 'incredibly sad and difficult situation'

The British ambassador to Italy has expressed his sympathy for the families involved in the yacht sinking off the coast of Sicily.

Speaking outside a nearby hotel where he met survivors, Ed Llewellyn said: “My heart goes out to them.”

He added: “I’ve spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today — I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British Embassy for what’s happened.

“We’re doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.”

Divers have 10 minutes to search wreckage before having to resurface

Divers sent to search the wreckage of the yacht have said no bodies were found on the ship’s bridge, where the captain controls the vessel.

Luca Cari, the head of emergency communications of Italy's fire and rescue department, told Italian news agency Ansa the bridge was found full of electrical cables.

Mr Cari said divers have 10 minutes at a time to search the wreck before they have to resurface for air, the BBC reports.

Rescuers have been unable to see inside the yacht but entered the lounge through a ladder and are trying to find a route forward from there.

A three centimetre thick glass window is also being considered as a point of entry.

Why did the superyacht Bayesian sink?

Hatches and doors left open overnight on the superyacht Bayesian may have caused it to sink in  Italy , a sailing expert has said.

Sam Jefferson, editor of magazine Sailing Today, believes the vessel’s huge mast is also likely to have contributed to the deadly event.

Mr Jefferson told the PA news agency: “I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side.

“I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that.

“The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge.

“It acted almost like a sail. (It) pushed the boat hard over on its side.

“(The boat) filled with water before it could right.

“This is all speculation, but that’s the only logical explanation.”

You can read more about what Mr Jefferson had to say here .

Ship 'capsized within a few minutes' survivors tell doctor

A doctor who has been treating survivors after the yacht sank has been told the ship capsized “within a few minutes”.

Dr Domenico Cipolla, who was speaking from Di Cristina Children’s Hospital in Palermo, said: “They told me they found themselves in an incredible condition, let's say of physical and psychological upheaval of their lives, and that the boat capsized within a few minutes."

He explained a psychologist had been with some survivors including Charlotte Golunski, who held her baby above the waves as she desperately waited for help.

The doctor added: "Psychological support was constant and is constant even today, because basically it is the wounds of the soul are the most in need of healing in these cases."

He said the hospital provided "toys for the baby, cuddles, and fed them because they were frightened and hungry".

Divers carrying out 'very complicated searches' of wreckage

Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, has revealed the £30 million super yacht was lying on its side at around a depth of 48 metres.

He said divers were unable to gain access because of floating furnishings and other debris inside the vessel.

In his interview with Il Messaggero, he said: “It looked like a scenario similar to the Costa Concordia on a smaller scale. Unfortunately, these are very complicated searches.

“When we went down to the water around 5:30am, we found a yacht that was practically intact. It is resting on its side on the starboard side. It has no gashes, no signs of impact.’’

Mother leaves hospital with baby she heroically saved from sea

Mother Charlotte Golunski has left hospital with her one-year-old daughter, who she saved from drowning after the Bayesian sank.

Mrs Golunski was on board the vessel with her husband, James, and their baby daughter Sofia when the tragedy happened.

All three were discharged from the Di Cristina hospital in Palermo this afternoon. They were pictured leaving in a black private car.

“For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea then quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves,” Mrs Golunski told La Repubblica newspaper yesterday, recounting her heroism.

“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.”

Six missing people are believed to be inside boat, says Italian coastguard

The Italian coastguard believes the six missing people may still be inside the sunken superyacht.

Spokesperson Vincenzo Zagarola has told the PA news agency that this is the working theory of officials, because the Bayesian is believed to have sunk quickly, and those unaccounted for have not yet been found despite search and rescue efforts by sea and air.

"We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea,” said Mr Zagarola.

"Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

"Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

"We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat."

Divers working to reach the cabins of sunken yacht

Police divers searching for the six missing people are trying to access the sunken yacht’s cabins.

Italy's fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast of Sicily at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as "complex", with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Rescue crews said they assume the six missing tourists will be found in the cabins, which they were unable to enter on Monday due to debris.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Marco Tilotta, a firefighter who works as a specialist diver, previously Reuters news agency that entering the vessel is complicated by the fact it is lying on its right side, with "a world of objects" obstructing stairs that lead into the yacht’s cabins.

Photos show lifeboat in which 15 people escaped tragedy

Photos taken in Porticello Harbour on the Sicilian coast, around half-a-mile from where the Bayesian sank, show the rapid inflatable emergency lifeboat which carried 15 people to safety following the sinking of the luxury yacht on Monday.

Captain of nearby ship says vessel 'sank in two minutes'

The captain of a ship that rescued Bayesian passengers from the water before emergency services arrived has recalled watching the boat sink.

Captain Karsten Borner worked to keep his ship upright during the storm, before noticing the luxury yacht that had been near his vessel had disappeared.

He told Reuters: "I don't absolutely know what they did. I only know that they went flat with a mast on the water and that they sank in two minutes.”

He said the sea temperature was at around 30C - "way too hot for the Mediterranean, and this causes, for sure, heavy storms".

Staff at top London private school 'shocked' as ex-pupil among those missing

A prestigious west London school is “incredibly shocked” over news an 18-year-old former pupil is among those missing after the Bayesian superyacht sunk off the coast of Sicily.

Hannah Lynch was on the superyacht with her father  Mike Lynch and her mother Angela Bacares when it was struck by the violent storm in the early hours of Monday.

Hannah is a former pupil of £25,000-a-year Latymer Upper School in  Hammersmith  - a private school which counts Alan Rickman,  Hugh Grant  and Heston Blumenthal among alumni.Read about what the school said here .

Names of two more survivors confirmed

The Italian Coastguard has confirmed the names of two more survivors of the yacht sinking.

South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken worked as crew members on the Bayesian.

Coastguard confirms name of another crew member

The Italian Coastguard has confirmed the name of another crew member.

Spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said Leo Eppel was on board the yacht that sank.

Watch: 'Bill Gates of Britain’ Mike Lynch missing from superyacht Bayesian

Rescue teams 'could be listening for timed banging noise'.

Rescue teams trying to access the submerged Bayesian yacht could be listening out for a timed banging noise, a senior university lecturer has said.

Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, who teaches mechanical, biomedical and design engineering at Aston University, said: "A sign the rescuers may be looking for is a banging noise at regular intervals: this is common practice on submarines, and was one of the signs the search mission for the Titan submarine was looking for after it went missing last year."

He added the possibility of air pockets forming inside the vessel was "simply impossible to predict".

Neighbour describes Mike Lynch as 'very charitable man'

A neighbour of Mike Lynch has described the tycoon as a “very charitable man”.

Ruth Leigh, of Pettistree in Suffolk, said: "You'd see him driving about and he'd always wave and say hello and use your name.

"Once a year he'd host a party on the lawn and we'd all go to it.

"He's just a really nice person. I know that sounds a bit trite, but for a man in his position with every right he could have been quite lofty but he wasn't, he got involved.

"He used to come and speak at the church in the village on Remembrance Sunday.

"He was a very charitable man, he gave a lot of his time and effort which was good. We just had an incredibly high opinion of him."

Coastguard confirms name of body recovered from yacht

The body recovered from close to where the luxury yacht sank was that of Recaldo Thomas, the Italian coastguard told Sky News.

Gareth Williams a friend of the chef, who was reportedly Antiguan-Canadian, told the BBC: "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit."

A spokesperson for the Canadian foreign ministry said they were "aware of reports that a Canadian citizen has died" and said consular officials were in contact with local authorities but declined to offer any further information.

Mr Thomas had previously been named in reports as Ricardo Thomas.

Emergency teams will need to make 'big choice', says expert

Emergency teams trying to access the submerged Bayesian yacht will have to make "a big choice" as the rescue efforts intensify, a maritime diving and wreckage expert has said.

Bertrand Sciboz told BBC News: "I think 50 metres is a limit to dive with a certain category of professional divers, so you will need to dive with some kind of helmet and pipe and (be) connected to the surface for oxygen, and also for for speaking and hearing and telling what you see and and do.

"It's always very difficult, and especially with a sailing vessel, because you've got rope everywhere, you've got a sail which is floating in the current, because we are in Mediterranean Sea and not in the English Channel.

"But the main thing, you know, it's the fact that in those kind of conditions, it's very hard to go inside the wreck, and they will have to have to make a big choice at one moment, of salvaging the whole wreck or rescuing the bodies."

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Biden takes first ride in new Marine One as Sikorsky wraps delivery

The U.S. Marine Corps received the final batch of its 23 new VH-92A Patriot presidential transport helicopters last week, an air frame most famously known as Marine One when carrying America’s commander-in-chief.

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, delivered the final VH-92A Patriot helicopter in a ceremony at the company’s Owego, N.Y., facility on Aug. 14, Lockheed and Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, said Monday.

“This delivery represents a significant milestone and new chapter in the rich, 67-year history of Marines providing helicopter transport of the president of the United States,” Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation, said in a statement. “The VH-92A Patriot brings increased capabilities for this no-fail mission supporting the commander-in-chief around the world.”

The VH-92A carries the same iconic dark green and white livery as past Marine One helicopters, and will carry the same “White Top” nickname as the older ones.

President Joe Biden on Monday took his first flight aboard the newest Marine One after years of delays to the program to replace the aging aircraft that carry the president and vice president.

Biden boarded the helicopter after arriving on Air Force One in Chicago where he is speaking Monday evening at the Democratic National Convention. The maiden presidential voyage carried him from O’Hare International Airport to the parking lot of Chicago’s Soldier Field, often used as a landing zone for presidential travel.

It marked a crucial milestone in a two-decade-long process to replace the Vietnam-era helicopters that have been in use carrying presidents, in some cases, since the 1970s.

An initial effort to purchase new helicopters was kicked off by the Bush administration in an effort to improve communications and mission capabilities in the post-September 11, 2001 environment, but it was scrapped by President Barack Obama after rampant cost overruns.

NAVAIR said the new helicopters will provide better performance and be able to carry a greater payload than the VH-3D and VH-60N, while sporting improved crew coordination and communication systems.

Two of the 23 VH-92A helicopters will be used for testing, NAVAIR said, and the rest will be used for operations. This will provide enough helicopters to transport the president, undergo necessary maintenance and allow pilots and aircrew to train.

The new program was started by the Obama administration, and the helicopter, branded the “Patriot,” made its public debut during the Trump administration. But issues with the secure communications system on board — required so that the president can carry out classified conversations and make military decisions in an emergency — as well as a tendency to scorch the White House South Lawn led to years of delays to the program.

The Marine Corps reported last year that the communications issues had been resolved, but it was not clear whether modifications to the exhaust system have eliminated the threat to the White House grass.

The Marines have been using the VH-92 helicopters for several years in regular service, including test flights around Washington, D.C. and to carry White House staff and security personnel.

The new helicopters are based on the commercially-available Sikorsky S-92 and are larger and have longer range than the older VH-3D and VH-60N models.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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