wilsonhalligan yacht crew

• CHARTERING WITH EDMISTON
• Search Yachts to Charter
• Destinations
• Yacht Charter Management
• Our Charter Team
• BUYING WITH EDMISTON
• Search Yachts for Sale
• Search Berths for Sale
• Our Sales Team
• SELLING WITH EDMISTON
• Recent Sales
• BUILDING WITH EDMISTON
• Yacht Refits
• Our Management Team
• Yacht Management
• Management Team
• Charter Management
• DISCOVER OUR CONTENT
• About Edmiston
• Our Locations
• London Heliport
• Farnborough Airport

• Edmiston Presents

Introducing Edmiston’s crew recruitment partner: Wilsonhalligan

A yacht is nothing without its crew. They bring the vessel to life and ensure operations run smoothly, providing clients with experiences and memories they will cherish for life. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that the right crew is appointed. To ensure we provide our clients with the highest level of service, Edmiston partners with Wilsonhalligan for all our crew placement requirements.

Finding the right crew for private and charter yachts

Wilsonhalligan are an experienced recruitment consultancy, specialising in the placement of crew across both private and chartered yachts. Their yacht team has first-hand seagoing experience, providing them with essential knowledge of the roles, conditions and unique lifestyles of those who serve onboard yachts. Their services cover all departments including deck, interior, galley and engineering, and with their unmatched database of candidates, this ensures we are able to provide our clients people who we trust to deliver, be that new talent or experienced crew.

Through their services, Edmiston benefits from their candidate screening, enhanced background checks conducted through their partner Romeo Foxtrot, and a rigorous reference process which ensures that the very best candidates are selected and placed on our clients vessels.

As a brokerage, we are committed to protecting our clients’ interests and Wilsonhalligan offers discreet and trusted services which aligns with our requirements and expectations as an industry leader.

To learn more about Wilsonhalligan’s recruitment services with Edmiston, contact our Yacht Management team today.

23 May 2024

Written by:

Jack Hartley

Superyacht news

From the hottest yacht charter destinations to unbeatable offers and the latest news from the world of yachting, keep in touch and you won’t miss a beat.

By clicking on “Submit”, you agree to our privacy policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for joining our newsletter

Your details have been submitted.

Keep a look out in your inbox for the next issue of the Edmiston newsletter.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Magnam nobis quas quo voluptate voluptatibus.

The YachtCrewHelp website and resources are now part of ISWAN's website

• SeafarerHelp

YachtCrewHelp

• Relief funds
• News & articles
• News & articles

Contact us for emotional, wellbeing and practical support at any time:

1 active alert

Wherever you are in the world, we are here for you.

YachtCrewHelp is a free, confidential, multilingual helpline for yacht crew, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Help and support

Explore information, guidance and resources on a range of issues which may affect you as yacht crew.

ISWAN’s Maritime Mental Health Awareness training will help you recognise early signs of crew who may be struggling and develop the skills needed to respond effectively.

Health & wellbeing

Take care of your wellbeing on board with our free resources, specifically designed with the challenges you face as yacht crew in mind.

Get free support now

Connect with a member of our team for a real-time conversation.

Send us a message on WhatsApp.

Send us an e-mail with your question or concern.

Speak to a member of our team over the phone.

Request a call back

Tell us what date and time you would like us to call you (we can call you straight away).

Keep us with you

Download the ISWAN for Seafarers app for access to all our helpline contact channels and offline access to resources and useful information for seafarers.

Get in-person support

Have a look at the Seafarer Centre Directory if you’re entering a new port and want to find out where to access the nearest facilities. If you can’t find facilities wherever you are, contact us and we’ll try to find someone to help.

What to expect when you contact us

Call us, send us a message or connect with us on live chat, talk to us and we will listen, we will keep in touch for as long as you need us.

Seafarer stories

Discover how we have made a difference to seafarers' lives

Yacht crew safety

Unpaid wages and deteriorating conditions on board

Multilingual support

YachtCrewHelp is operated by the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)

ISWAN operates multiple helplines providing help and support to seafarers and their families around the world. As well as YachtCrewHelp, ISWAN operates SeafarerHelp, our helpline for all seafarers and their families.

Helpful free resources

Yacht Crew Help 2022 – a year in data

ISWAN Annual Review 2021-22

ISWAN Annual Review 2020-21

Wilsonhaligan

We look to make the yachting one of the safest and most attractive places to work. 

Sculpting or mentoring persons on their career path is highly rewarding. I feel wilsonhalligan is not just a crew agency but a consultancy service where we work in partnership with the crew-member and yacht for the long term. Actively encouraging crew to make personal contact with us and ask our highly experienced team for advice to ensure the right decision is made for your career.

Engaging with new and existing crew is a real pleasure for the team and I. Ensuring crew are well trained before joining yachting and then continue to develop personally and professionally by recommending the next step. We have signed this pledge so crew remain in yachting for a long career.

Who are they?

Wilsonhalligan is a leading professional recruitment service established in 2007.  We have the strongest recruitment team, highly trained in recruitment techniques with all recruiters have a long history on yachts or at sea making us best placed to truly aid careers and best assist yachts with the most suitable crew based on the yachts ethos and culture not just a crew members qualification.

liam dobbin

Managing director, assigned senior sponsor.

Liam Dobbin has a commercial shipping background, with experience on a 95m MY. After his successful career at sea he settled into wilsonhalligan in 2010 as Recruitment Manager, becoming Managing Director in 2015. Having been at sea himself, he is able to understand clients’ requirements for the right experience and correct qualifications. This enables him to nominate candidates professionally; in an honest and balanced view. Liam now specialises in Captains and Technical Shore Based Positions.

[email protected]

www.wilsonhalligan.com

Head of Service

• Share the job

80m+ Private Motor Yacht

Wilsonhalligan are looking for an Head of Service to join an 80m+ Private Motor Yacht 

The ideal candidate will have strong HOS experience on a similar sized vessel.

This is great opportunity to join a great team with a exciting program within the Indian Ocean.

Due to the boats program candidates based in Australia and New Zealand are preferable.  

Requirements:  STCW ENG1 Food & Hygiene Level II

Package:  Salary: 5000 USD Package: 3:1 rotation  Start: ASAP

Work Experience Requirements:

Language requirements:.

Good knowledge of the English language is required.

Certificates and Qualifications:

A valid STCW Basic Safety Training certificate is required from all applicants. Please sign up for an STCW course and obtain the certificate if you don't have it yet.

Share this job:

Jobs on Yachts

• Deck Jobs (331)
• Engineering Jobs (129)
• Galley Jobs (139)
• Interior Jobs (329)
• Specialist Jobs (55)
• Shore Based Jobs (121)
• Other Jobs (21)

Email address:

Remember me Forgotten password?

Password Reset

Enter your email address and we will email you a password reset link.

Email address:

By SuperyachtNews 21 Apr 2015

wilsonhalligan expands recruitment offerings

In april 2015 superyacht crew recruitment agency wilsonhalligan came under new management. we speak to liam dobbin, managing director, about how the company plans to become more visible to crew.….

Our mission statement – we haven’t chosen the exact wording yet – will be along the lines of really being there for the candidates.

Join the discussion.

To post comments please Sign in or Register

When commenting please follow our house rules

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here .

Sign up to the SuperyachtNews Bulletin

Receive unrivalled market intelligence, weekly headlines and the most relevant and insightful journalism directly to your inbox.

Sign up to the SuperyachtNews Bulletin

The superyachtnews app.

Follow us on

Media Pack Request

Please select exactly what you would like to receive from us by ticking the boxes below:

SuperyachtNews.com

Register to comment

Your Digital Employment Passport

• January 19, 2022

CrewPass partners with Wilsonhalligan

CrewPass announces a new partnership with the ‘Best Superyacht Agency 2021’ (ACrew, 2021) Wilsonhalligan. Wilsonhalligan offers the latest Superyacht job roles and provides shoreside jobs plus jobs in private households.

Wilsonhalligan sees the values CrewPass brings in furthering the profession of yachting and providing safety within the industry.

Crew members can easily search vacancies, get advice and download a CV template with Wilsonhalligan. The crew agency hosts a range of job types, including freelance, full-time, part-time, permanent, rotational, seasonal and temporary vessel positions. In return, the scope of job vacancies that Wilsonhalligan offers best suits any crew candidate looking to work onboard.

Anyone looking to get hired but struggling to stand out from the ever-growing industry, use CrewPass’ services and become a start candidate and be recognised by leading crew agencies like Wilsonhalligan. Kick start your dream yachting career today and register with Wilsonhalligan on their website: https://www.wilsonhalligan.com/search-yacht-crew-jobs/

Our ‘CrewPass Approved’ accreditation makes you one step ahead of the rest!

Wilsonhalligan Social Media links:

https://www.instagram.com/wilsonhalliganrecruit/ https://www.facebook.com/wilsonhalliganjobs https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilsonhalligan-large-yacht-recruitment/

For 10% off your 2-year subscription please use the discount code: Wilsonhalligan10

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Wilsonhalligan Yacht Recruitment

Exclusive Recruitment for Superyachts & Private Households.

Rate and write a review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your Review

Title of your review:

Looking For The Ultimate Crew Money Account? Open a Multi-Currency Wise account and save, wherever you are!

Verified Listing

Username or Email Address *

Remember me Lost your password?

Username or Email

Get New Password

What is known about the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily and those aboard

Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts are searching for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and ...

PORTICELLO, Sicily -- Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboat's hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Here's what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, the Italian news agency ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch , sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven’t been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife, Neda. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynch’s trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyd’s of London market.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event,” Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement.

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

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast — one of the world’s tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynch’s wife is listed as Revtom’s sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yacht's name is an apparent reference to “Bayesian inference,” one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts — fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts “have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning,” the service says on its website.

While scientists haven’t attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months . Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer , and the United Nations’ panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

Experts say it is extraordinarily rare for a luxury sailboat of this size to capsize due to weather events.

“This just doesn’t happen. You know, boats sink because things like keels fall off, or they run aground and breach the hull ... whereas just from a weather angle, a boat that big being pushed over on its side is absolutely extraordinary,” said Skip Novak, a lifelong sailor who has taken part in multiple round the world yacht races and written books about sailing.

Novak said he believed that strong gusts likely pushed the yacht over 90 degrees to its side, and the vessel did not recover because of the weight of the huge mast and because it was anchored. He suggested that internal doors were likely not closed, and water quickly poured in to sink the vessel.

“When you’re at anchor, even if it’s blowing with a storm in the Mediterranean, you rarely shut the whole boat down because nobody expects something like this to happen," Novak told The Associated Press. “So if the boat wasn’t completely watertight at the deck, you’d have flooding going in. It would take a couple minutes and that would be it."

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date, they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

Trending Reader Picks

Drone attacks exchanged between Moscow, Kyiv

• 3 hours ago

Man goes missing while on vacation

• Aug 20, 5:18 PM

Phil Donahue, former TV talk show host, dead at 88

• Aug 19, 5:55 PM

Harris is starting to rebuild the Biden coalition

• Aug 20, 11:46 AM

Airport conveyor belt cause of death revealed

• Aug 9, 8:42 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

Navigation for News Categories

Sicily yacht sinking: divers struggle to enter wreck to find six missing people.

Specialist divers launched a fresh search for six people missing since their yacht capsized off the Italian island of Sicily. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP

By Giselda Vagnoni, Reuters

Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicily's coast to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Tuesday.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long superyacht, was carrying 22 people and anchored off the port of Porticello when it was hit by the fierce, pre-dawn storm.

Fifteen people escaped before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered. That left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

"The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel," said Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily.

Mike Lynch and Ayla Ronald. Photo: AFP / Clifford Chance

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealander working in London as a lawyer survived the capsizing, her father Lin Ronald confirmed to RNZ.

MFAT confirmed a second New Zealander was on board. They were believed to be safe.

The BBC has reported the yacht's captain James Catfield is from New Zealand, and had told local media of the waterspount that engulfed the yacht, saying they "just didn't see it coming."

The boat was lying at a depth of 49 metres, giving divers only 8-10 minutes at the wreck site before they had to resurface. Entering the boat was also proving difficult, said the fire brigade, which is leading the search operation.

"Inside the sailing ship the spaces are very confined, and if you hit an obstacle it is very complicated to move forward, just as it is very difficult to find alternative routes," said fire spokesman Luca Cari.

Fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters the vessel appeared to be intact and was lying on its right side. Divers had not ascertained whether the 72-metre-long mast had snapped somewhere along its length during the tempest.

Karsten Borner, the skipper of a boat that had been moored alongside the Bayesian, said the yacht flipped on its side soon after the storm hit and sank within two minutes, giving those below deck little time to get to safety.

Lynch trial

Lynch, 59, is one of the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs. He built the country's largest software firm, Autonomy, and was referred to as Britain's Bill Gates.

He sold the firm to HP for US$11 billion in 2011, after which the deal spectacularly unravelled with the US tech giant accusing him of fraud, resulting in a lengthy trial. Lynch was eventually acquitted by a jury in San Francisco in June.

Morvillo represented Lynch in the case, while Bloomer had appeared as a character witness on his behalf.

In an extraordinary coincidence, Stephen Chamberlain, Mike Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, died following a road accident in Britain over the weekend, his lawyer said.

The Bayesian was owned by Lynch's wife, who survived the disaster, and other guests on the yacht included Lynch's colleagues. The only body so far retrieved was that of the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen.

The British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it sent four of its inspectors to Sicily to conduct a "preliminary assessment."

'Didn't see it coming'

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the official investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken, given the forecasts for bad weather overnight.

Borner, whose yacht was moored near the Bayesian, said that although there had been warnings of possible thunderstorms, there had been no indication they would be particularly violent.

"Thunderstorms can turn out good or bad and this one was a real violent squall ... very violent, very intense, a lot of water, and I think a turning system like a tornado," he told Reuters.

Storms and heavy rains have ravaged Italy in recent days, after weeks of scorching heat warmed the sea temperature to record highs, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, which is almost 3 degrees more than normal," said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

"We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect," he told Reuters.

- Reuters / RNZ

Copyright © 2024 , Radio New Zealand

Related Stories

Kiwis caught up in super yacht sinking, search on for british billionaire.

One person is dead and six are missing - including the man dubbed 'British Bill Gates' - after a yacht was caught in a storm off Sicily. Audio

• Deportee from Australia tried to start branch of Comancheros gang in Tonga, police say
• Four bodies retrieved from Mike Lynch's sunken yacht in Sicily
• Romanian police raid Andrew Tate's home amid human trafficking probe

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs

Top News stories

• Nicola Willis hits back at abuse, threats - 'Stuff off'
• Kylie Jenner did it: How hard is it to change your child's name in New Zealand?
• Volcanic cloud from Whakaari/White Island halts flights
• PM Christopher Luxon's speech on waste rubs councils the wrong way
• 'Exceedingly rare, extremely elusive': Baby whale identified after stranding near East Cape in May

Follow RNZ News

Superyacht sinks latest: Fifth body found in search today - six people now confirmed dead

Five bodies have been found in the search for several people missing after a yacht sank off the Sicily coast, bringing the total number of dead to six. Search efforts are in their third day, after the captain was reportedly questioned by Italian prosecutors over the sinking.

Wednesday 21 August 2024 22:03, UK

• Superyacht sinking

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Five bodies found in search for survivors, taking number of confirmed deaths in superyacht tragedy to six - with one person still missing
• Search ends for day as darkness falls
• Eyewitness: Onlookers wipe away tears as bodies hauled up
• Yacht's captain questioned for more than two hours - report
• Advanced underwater drone deployed
• Watch: CCTV captures yacht seconds before it sinks
• Explained: Inside the superyacht
• Live reporting by Mark Wyatt

We're pausing our coverage for tonight but here is a recap of what we know:

• Five bodies have been found in the wreckage of the sunken Bayesian;
• Four of the bodies have been retrieved and recovered to shore. Efforts to recover the fifth will resume tomorrow;
• One person is still unaccounted for;
• Divers employed the use of an upgraded remote-controlled underwater vehicle to help with the search;
• Emergency service staff and others involved in the search and rescue operations formed a "guard of honour" as bodies were brought ashore;
• The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) confirmed it is investigating the sinking;
• The Bayesian's captain, James Cutfield, was questioned for more than two hours by Italian prosecutors;
• An investigation might result in changes to how masts are constructed, according to a professor of transport law;
• Two crew members who survived the disaster reportedly said it is a "miracle" they are still alive;
• Another crew member who survived the disaster was confirmed as Dutch national Tjis Koopmans.

It's been a busy day for search and rescue teams as they continued their quest to find people unaccounted for from the Bayesian's sinking.

Divers found five bodies, leaving just one person still unaccounted for when the search resumes tomorrow.

Below, we have a look at some images of the day as it unfolded:

Karsten Borner, the captain of a boat that came to the Bayesian's aide, has described the moment he came across the life raft containing survivors.

The 69-year-old told Sky News he had been busy trying to secure his own vessel when the violent storm hit when he noticed the Bayesian had disappeared behind him.

 "We saw a flickering light and it turned out to be the life raft, a 12-person life raft with 15 people inside including one baby," he said.

The people "stepped on" to his vessel, where he "took care of them". 

He added: "We gave them dry clothes, towels, blankets, tea and coffee and so on.

"I was busy talking to the coastguard to get them an ambulance and to send a message to search and rescue."

Those involved in the search and rescue operation looking for bodies should receive mental health support, an expert has told Sky News.

Divers have been working tirelessly since Monday morning to find the passengers unaccounted for following the sinking of the Bayesian.

Since then, six bodies have been found, with one person still missing.

"There's been a lot of focus on the physical risks involved with diving for the vessel," says Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council.

"We've talked about debris and we've talked about the complex layout, but the lasting impacts on everybody involved is going to be on the mental health and we hope that the support is going to be there. 

"And I'm sure it will be for the emergency responders and also for the people who have survived and what is obviously been a very, very traumatic experience."

Searches have finished for the day and will resume tomorrow, the head of Sicily's civil protection agency has told the PA news agency.

Salvatore Cocina confirmed earlier that five bodies have been found today, but only four recovered.

One person remains missing.

A shipbuilding expert has said the Bayesian superyacht which sunk on Monday is among the "safest" available.

Giovanni Costantino is the chief executive of The Italian Sea Group, which now owns the firm that previously built the yacht.

He told Sky News this week's disaster off the coast of Sicily has put him "in a state of sadness on the one hand and of disbelief on the other".

He said: "Being the manufacturer of Perini [boats] I know very well how the boats have always been designed and built."

"The sailing ships, it is well known, are the safest in the most absolute sense," Mr Constantino added.

"First of all, because they have very little surface compared to a yacht facing the wind. Second, with the structure, the drift keel... they become unsinkable bodies."

The Bayesian sunk in the early hours of Monday morning off Palermo following a violent storm.

Investigators looking into the sinking of the Bayesian must work through evidence "methodically and meticulously", says the managing director of a maritime consulting group.

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has already confirmed it is investigating the incident. 

James Wilkes, a maritime investigator, told Sky News the investigation into the deaths of passengers will take time.

"The key thing for the investigators is to work methodically and meticulously through the evidence that they are able to get and make sure they're not missing something or not over interpreting something," he said.

Five bodies have been found today, bringing the number of confirmed deaths to six.

"They'll want to expedite it because if bodies are being recovered of British nationals, then it is very likely that an inquest will be opened into their deaths in the UK," added Mr Wilkes.

"There is no benefit to anybody rushing it. We need to arrive at the right conclusions with as little supposition and ambiguity as possible so that we actually make yachts safer in the future and actually understand what happened in detail."

Search and rescue teams have been working hard since Monday morning to find those unaccounted after the sinking of the Bayesian.

Specialists divers and experts have been called in, with coastguard helicopters and underwater remotely operated vehicles deployed to help.

Sky News correspondent Laura Bundock has been taking a closer look at the how the recovery operation unfolded...

A fifth body has been found today in the search for survivors of the sunken superyacht

The head of Sicily's civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina said four bodies have been recovered and that efforts to bring a fifth to shore are "ongoing". 

It brings the number of confirmed deaths to six, after the body of the yacht's on-board chef was recovered shortly after the incident on Monday.

By  Ashna Hurynag , news correspondent

The crowd on the harbourside has been growing since lunchtime. 

News that cave divers from Naples and Rome had joined the search came with more attention and interest. 

The search had entered its third day, and conservations were turning to fear about a lack of oxygen for those on board the sunken yacht. 

Radios were heard crackling across the water where a makeshift temporary search and rescue "centre" has been constructed. 

The white coastguard vessel and the search and rescue cream and red boat were coming in from the search site. 

As they docked, two divers dressed in orange wetsuits on the back of the boat lifted the first body bag.

The sight causing the crowd opposite to fall silent. The poignancy of the sombre moment bringing some watching on to tears.

Some looked away, whilst others filmed on their phones. 

The moment many had feared was unfolding before their eyes as the rescue mission only minutes ago quickly turned to recovery. 

The crowd watched on as another body was brought ashore too. 

A spontaneous guard of honour seemed to form as each body was brought to the harbourside - police officers, firefighters and search and rescue officials side by side, some with bowed heads - a moment of silence and respect. 

After hours of searching, this operation is coming to a close.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Get in contact with us to discuss a role, or if you have any questions about ongoing applications.

Elan House, 5a Little Park Farm Road, Fareham, Hampshire PO15 5SJ

This form is protected by Google Recaptcha