who owns the starship yacht

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STARDUST yacht NOT for charter*

62.5m  /  205'1 | amels | 2020.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Impressive 5,000nm range
• Two VIP cabins
• Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1, SSC Yacht mono G6 ✠ LMC, UMS, SCM, Green passport classification
• Interior design from Laura Sessa Romboli
• Intimate beach club

The 62.5m/205'1" motor yacht 'Stardust' was built by Amels in the Netherlands at their Vissingen shipyard. Her interior is styled by Italian designer design house Laura Sessa Romboli and she was delivered to her owner in November 2020. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Tim Heywood Design.

Guest Accommodation

Stardust has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 suites comprising two VIP cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 13 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include beach club and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Stardust is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by twin diesel Caterpillar (3512C) 2,011hp engines, she comfortably cruises at 13 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 16 knots with a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles from her 139,000 litre fuel tanks at 13 knots. Stardust features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. Her water tanks store around 37,600 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1, SSC Yacht mono G6 ✠ LMC, UMS, SCM, Green passport classification society rules.

*Charter Stardust Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Stardust is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Stardust Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Stardust Photos

Stardust Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2021 Displacement Motor Yachts Between 1000GT and 1499GT Nomination

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Stardust

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Who Owns Superyacht Stardust? (Uncovering the Mystery)

From the glimmering waters off the coast of Monaco to the Mediterranean Sea, Superyacht Stardust captivates onlookers with its breathtaking beauty.

But who owns this luxurious vessel? Uncovering the mystery of Stardusts ownership takes us on an incredible journey deep into the world of the super-rich, and the fascinating life of its owner, Andrey Melnichenko.

In this article, we’ll explore Melnichenkos extraordinary fleet of yachts, the incredible features and amenities of Stardust, and the popular destinations the vessel has been known to frequent.

Read on to find out who owns Superyacht Stardust!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

The owner of the superyacht Stardust is unknown.

However, it is rumored to be owned by a Russian billionaire, with speculation that it was purchased by a member of the Alisher Usmanov family.

The yacht is reportedly worth over $200 million and measures over 132 meters in length.

It is considered to be one of the most luxurious yachts in the world.

Who is Andrey Melnichenko?

Andrey Melnichenko is a Russian billionaire who is the owner of the luxury superyacht Stardust.

He is an extremely successful entrepreneur and investor who has made his fortune in the energy, banking, and fertilizer industries.

He is the founder and chairman of EuroChem, one of the world’s largest fertilizer companies, and is the co-founder and chairman of MDM Bank, one of Russia’s largest banks.

Melnichenko is also the founder of the A-Group, a business empire which includes the A-Line, a clothing line; the A-Realty, a real estate company; the A-Club, a charity club; and the A-Technology, a technology firm.

Melnichenko has a long history of luxury yacht ownership.

His first yacht was the A, a 377-foot vessel which was built in 2008.

He then commissioned the Sailing Yacht A, a sail-assisted motor yacht which was launched in 2015.

His latest yacht is the Stardust, a 394-foot vessel which was built in 2019 by German shipyard Nobiskrug.

The Stardust is reported to have cost $450 million to construct and features eight decks, an infinity pool, and its own nightclub.

It is the latest addition to the Melnichenko’s fleet of luxury yachts, which also includes the A, the Sailing Yacht A, and the Motor Yacht A.

Melnichenko is known for his opulent lifestyle and is often seen enjoying his yachts with his glamorous wife, Russian model Aleksandra Melnichenko.

He is also known for his charitable works and is a major donor to the United Nations and other organizations.

What are the Features of Superyacht Stardust?

The luxurious Superyacht Stardust, owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, is 394-foot vessel that was built in 2019 by German shipyard Nobiskrug.

The cost of building the yacht is estimated to be around $450 million.

It features eight decks, an infinity pool, and its own nightclub, making it the perfect place to relax and entertain guests.

The Stardust is equipped with a range of state-of-the-art amenities, from a helipad to a gym, spa, and even a submarine.

Its exterior is made of steel and the interior is designed with a modern aesthetic, featuring marble floors, white leather furniture, and a grand staircase.

The yacht has one master suite and seven guest cabins, all of which are luxurious and comfortable.

The yacht also features a large sun deck, complete with a Jacuzzi and day beds, as well as a swimming pool with a slide.

The Stardust is also equipped with two tenders, two Jet Skis, and a wide range of water toys.

For entertainment, the yacht has a movie theater, a DJ booth, and a nightclub.

To make sure the guests are safe and secure, the yacht is also equipped with an advanced security system.

The Stardust is the latest in a series of luxurious yachts owned by Melnichenko, who also owns the A, the Sailing Yacht A, and the Motor Yacht A.

These yachts feature a range of amenities that make them the perfect vessels for cruising in style and comfort.

How Much Did the Stardust Cost to Construct?

The luxury superyacht Stardust is owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and it was built by the German shipyard Nobiskrug in 2019.

Reports suggest that the Stardust cost an astonishing $450 million to construct, making it one of the most expensive yachts ever built.

The 394-foot vessel is truly a sight to behold, featuring eight decks, an infinity pool, and its own nightclub.

All of these luxurious amenities come with a hefty price tag, and the Stardust is no exception.

Melnichenko spared no expense when it came to the construction of the Stardust, and it shows.

The Stardust is the latest in a series of luxurious yachts owned by Melnichenko.

He also owns the A, the Sailing Yacht A, and the Motor Yacht A, all of which are equally as impressive as the Stardust.

Melnichenko is known for his extravagant lifestyle and his taste for the finer things in life, and the Stardust is an example of this.

The Stardust is a testament to Melnichenko’s wealth and power, and it’s easy to see why it cost so much to construct.

From its intricate design to its luxurious amenities, the Stardust is a statement of Melnichenko’s success and a symbol of his power.

For those of us who can’t afford to build a yacht of this caliber, we can only dream of the kind of luxury that comes with owning a superyacht like the Stardust. It’s a mystery why Melnichenko chose to build such an extravagant vessel, but one thing is for sure: it cost a pretty penny to construct.

The Other Yachts in Melnichenko’s Fleet

When it comes to luxury superyachts, Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is no stranger.

The latest addition to his portfolio is the 394-foot Stardust, which was built in 2019 by German shipyard Nobiskrug and reportedly cost $450 million to construct.

But this isn’t the first luxury vessel Melnichenko has owned.

Before the Stardust, Melnichenko owned the A, a luxury motor yacht designed by Philippe Starck.

It was constructed in 2008 by Blohm + Voss in Hamburg and featured a 300-foot main deck, seven guest suites, and a helipad.

It was reported to have cost $323 million.

Following the A was the Sailing Yacht A, a majestic 436-foot vessel built in 2017 by Nobiskrug.

This luxurious yacht features an unprecedented eight decks and a breathtaking infinity pool.

It also has its own nightclub, an underwater observation deck, and a helipad.

The Sailing Yacht A was reported to have cost a whopping $400 million.

Finally, Melnichenko owns the Motor Yacht A, which was also built by Nobiskrug in 2016.

This vessel is said to be the largest and most expensive yacht in the world, measuring in at a whopping 468 feet in length.

The Motor Yacht A features a helipad, a spa, a gym, and an outdoor cinema.

It reportedly cost $500 million to build.

So, while the Stardust is the latest in Melnichenko’s series of luxurious yachts, it is far from the first.

The Russian billionaire has been collecting luxurious vessels for years, and each one is more stunning than the next.

It’s clear that Melnichenko has a passion for luxury yachts, and his collection is certainly impressive.

The Luxury Amenities of the Stardust

When it comes to luxury amenities, the Stardust is in a class of its own.

From its eight decks to its infinity pool and nightclub, the Stardust offers luxury features and amenities that are unparalleled.

At 394 feet long, the Stardust is the largest and most opulent yacht in the fleet of superyachts owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

The Stardust was built in 2019 by the German shipyard Nobiskrug and is reported to have cost $450 million to construct.

It features eight decks, each designed to provide a unique experience.

The main deck is the grandest of them all, featuring an infinity pool, a jacuzzi, an outdoor bar, and an outdoor cinema.

The pool is lined with a special glass and can be filled with either fresh or salt water.

It is also illuminated with LED lights, allowing for a unique nighttime experience.

In addition to the main deck, the Stardust also features a sundeck, a beach club, a spa, and a gym.

The beach club features a pool, lounge chairs, and a private beach area.

The spa is complete with a sauna and steam room, while the gym offers state-of-the-art equipment.

The Stardust also has a nightclub, which features an LED dance floor and a fully stocked bar.

The club is designed to host events and parties, with a live DJ spinning tunes into the wee hours of the night.

The Stardust is a testament to Melnichenkos dedication to luxury.

From its eight decks to its infinity pool and nightclub, the Stardust is a stunning example of luxury and opulence.

The Mystery Surrounding Stardust’s Ownership

The mystery surrounding the ownership of Stardust, the 394-foot luxury superyacht, has been a topic of intrigue since its construction in 2019.

Built by the German shipyard Nobiskrug, the vessel is estimated to have cost $450 million to construct.

Its eight decks, infinity pool, and nighclub have made it a topic of envy amongst the wealthy elite.

Although the superyacht is owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, the exact details of its ownership remain shrouded in mystery.

This is because Melnichenko is known for his penchant for privacy, and it is believed that he may have employed a variety of techniques to keep the ownership of Stardust a closely guarded secret.

One possible explanation is that the yacht is registered under a third-party trust or company.

This would mean that the vessel’s true ownership is not publicly available, making it difficult to ascertain who exactly owns the Stardust.

It is also possible that Melnichenko has employed a variety of other methods to veil the ownership of the yacht, such as transferring ownership to a family member or close associate.

Whatever the case, the mystery surrounding Stardust’s ownership is an intriguing one.

This is amplified by the fact that Melnichenko also owns the A, the Sailing Yacht A, and the Motor Yacht A – all of which are equally luxurious and expensive vessels.

It is clear that the Russian billionaire has a penchant for luxury, and it is no surprise that he has chosen to keep the ownership of Stardust a closely guarded secret.

Popular Yacht Destinations Visited by the Stardust

When it comes to luxury yachts, the Stardust is one of the most impressive vessels on the high seas.

Owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, the 394-foot superyacht was built by German shipyard Nobiskrug in 2019 and is said to have cost an estimated $450 million to construct.

Boasting eight decks, an infinity pool, and its own nightclub, its no surprise that the Stardust attracts plenty of attention.

The Stardust has been a fixture of the luxury yachting scene since it was launched, and it has already visited some of the most exclusive and sought-after yacht destinations around the world.

In 2020, the Stardust was spotted in the Mediterranean, where it visited the French Riviera, the Balearic Islands, and the Italian coast.

The yacht was also seen in the Caribbean, where it moored in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Cuba.

The Stardust has also been spotted in some of the worlds most remote and exotic locations.

In 2021, the yacht was seen in French Polynesia, where it sailed past the picturesque islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora.

The Stardust also traveled to the Seychelles, a group of islands located off the east coast of Africa.

From there, the yacht made its way up the Red Sea, where it visited some of the Middle Easts most luxurious marinas.

The Stardust is a true global traveler, and its no wonder why it has become such a popular sight in some of the worlds most exclusive yacht destinations.

No matter where it goes, the Stardust is sure to turn heads and capture imaginations.

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that the Stardust is a magnificent piece of engineering, boasting luxurious amenities and features that cost Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko a whopping $450 million to construct.

Now, we can finally put the mystery surrounding its ownership to rest.

The Stardust is just one of four yachts owned by Melnichenko, each of them luxurious in their own right.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable vacation experience, why not consider visiting some of the popular yacht destinations visited by the Stardust? With this newfound knowledge, you’ll be sure to have the trip of a lifetime!

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Yacht Sank in Sicily Due to ‘Endless Chain of Errors,' Ship Maker's Owner Speculates: ‘Everything Was Predictable’

"A series of activities should have been done to avoid finding oneself in that situation," argues Giovanni Costantino, who owns the firm that built the vessel in 2008

• Giovanni Costantino — who is the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the  Bayesian  in 2008 — blames an "endless chain of errors" for the luxury yacht’s sinking on Monday, Aug. 19
• "Everything was predictable. I have the weather charts in front of me here," Constantino told Italian newspaper  Corriere della Sera  of the storm the boat was caught in
• "An unsinkable ship but from the crew an endless chain of errors," the CEO claimed to the outlet

The sinking of the luxury Bayesian  yacht off the coast of Sicily this week  resulted from an "endless chain of errors" by the crew, the ship maker's CEO is speculating.

"This episode sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact," Giovanni Costantino — who leads The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the  Bayesian  in 2008 — said,  according to CNN .

While speaking to  Italian newspaper  Corriere della Sera , Costantino said he believes those on board should not have been in their cabins, as he claims they were, when the Bayesian sank in the early hours of Monday, Aug. 19. 

Many details of why the yacht went into the water so quickly remain unclear and it's not yet known what the passengers and crew were doing before tragedy struck.

PERINI NAVI PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The 183-foot British vessel sank around 5 a.m. local time on Monday after a "violent storm" while near Porticello, the Italian coast guard said in a statement that was previously obtained by PEOPLE.

"Everything that has been done reveals a very long sum of errors. The people should not have been in the cabins, the boat should not have been at anchor. And then why didn't the crew know about the incoming disturbance?" Costantino said in his interview, translated from Italian.

"The passengers reported an absurd thing, namely that the storm came unexpected, suddenly. It's not true. Everything was predictable. I have the weather charts in front of me here. Nothing came suddenly ... Ask yourself, why was no fisherman from Porticello out that night? A fisherman reads the weather conditions and a ship doesn't? The disturbance was fully readable in all the weather charts. One could not not know," he argued.

"An unsinkable ship but from the crew an endless chain of errors," the CEO asserted.

The coast guard has said 22 people were aboard the  Bayesian  when it sank — 12 passengers and 10 crew — and that 15 of those were subsequently rescued.

The body of the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered nearby. 

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty

Costantino's comments came as it was reported that five bodies had been found in the search for the missing six people as of Wednesday, Aug. 21, a source close to the rescue operations confirmed to PEOPLE. Authorities have said that their work is ongoing. 

An Italian government official, Massimo Mariani, reportedly named one of the dead as British tech tycoon Mike Lynch . The other bodies have not yet been publicly identified by authorities. 

Lynch was celebrating with family and friends on the yacht following his acquittal in a fraud trial in June, PEOPLE previously reported.

Costantino offered his view of how the tragedy could have been avoided: "To begin with, in a weather alert situation it was inappropriate to have, as I read, a party. Not that evening. The hull and deck needed to be secured by closing all doors and hatches, after putting the guests at the ship's meeting point as per emergency procedure. Then start the engines and pull up the anchor or release it automatically, put the bow to the wind and lower the keel.

"The next morning they would have departed with zero damage." 

Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty

When discussing whether the crew were at fault, Costantino reiterated to the Italian outlet that he believes "errors were made."

"A series of activities should have been done to avoid finding oneself in that situation," he said. "I as the ship's captain would have moved, but even if for some reason I had to stay there, I would have managed those weather conditions which then, let's face it, weren't so crazy."

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Costantino contended that there would have been "a zero risk if the correct maneuvers had been made and if situations that compromised the ship's stability had not occurred," adding to the newspaper that reports that the boat went down in seconds is "nonsense." He believes the yacht would have "went down" after water "started to enter" within "six minutes."

The remaining missing  Bayesian  passengers are Lynch's daughter Hannah as well as Chairman of Morgan Stanley International  Jonathan Bloomer, his wife, Judy , and New York City-based lawyer  Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda , sources have said.

Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued, PEOPLE previously reported.

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Bayesian crew boozing to deal with yacht sinking tragedy at four-star Sicily hotel: source

T he crew members who survived the sinking of the Bayesian yacht off Sicily have been staying at a seaside hotel — and running up a hefty bar tab while trying to process the tragedy, according to a local report.

Nine boat staff survived the ordeal in which the $40 million superyacht belonging to British tech tycoon Mike Lynch sank in minutes during a freak storm.

“The survivors, young guys, were having parties,” local site Dillinger News reported in Italian, citing a hotel worker. “Even spending — said our source — 2,500 euros a day just for drinking.”

The crew have been staying at the four-star  Domina Zagarella Hotel  in the town of Santa Flavia in the Palermo city district, while Italian investigators figure out what happened.

A hotel staffer confirmed to The Post the crew had been staying at the hotel, but declined to comment further. It’s not clear from the report which members of the crew were alleged to have been hitting the bar.

The crew members have been handled by the Protezione Civile , an Italian disaster relief agency, since the tragedy and have given statements to authorities.

Three members of the crew, Captain James Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffith, have been announced as under investigation. Italian authorities have made clear the move is a procedural step and does not imply wrongdoing.

Authorities named the rest of the crew as: Tijs Koopmans, chief officer, from the Netherlands; Htun Myint Kyaw, boatswain, from Burma; Sasha Murray, 29, chief stewardess, from Ireland; Katja Chichen, junior hostess, from Germany; Leah Randall, third stewardess on board, from South Africa; and Leo Eppel, a 19-year-old sailor from either Spain or South Africa.

Italian prosecutors are investigating Cutfield, 51, over possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges after the yacht sank on Aug. 19.

Cutfield, a New Zealand national, underwent his third round of questioning on Tuesday, according to his lawyer.

Prosecutors questioned him about whether the tender door — separating the tender room from the engine room — had been opened; the position of the movable centerboard, and the exact timing of the events that transpired, according to reports from the courtroom.

Cutfield declined to answer prosecutors’ questions.

“The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” one of Cutfield’s lawyers, Giovanni Rizzuti, told the media after the hearing

“First, he’s very worn out. Second, we were appointed only on Monday and for a thorough and correct defense case, we need to acquire a set of data that at the moment, we don’t have.”

Parker Eaton, who is British, was in charge of the engine room at the time of the sinking, which includes securing the room and operational systems.

Griffith, believed to hold dual British and French nationality, is said to have been on watch at the time of the sinking, according to the BBC . Neither has appeared in court yet.

Prosecutors have already said the investigation will take some time given that the wreck still needs to be salvaged from the sea.

The company that owns the Bayesian, Revtom, could not be reached by The Post for comment on this story.

The sinking has baffled naval marine experts who say the boat, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have been able to withstand the storm.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” — a localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.

“I absolutely think it was a downburst, or what we also call a microburst,” Peter Lake, a veteran sailboat racing champion from Marblehead, Mass., told The Post.

“It’s one of the most powerful meteorological forces and I think this boat was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Italians are trying to find out if the crew was negligent in not taking precautions.

“But either way, what happened to Mike Lynch and the others trapped in the cabins was truly nightmarish. Water pours in at an extraordinary rate and there was nothing they could do to get out.”

The sailboat had been carrying  22 passengers and crew  when it went down.

Those on board were there to help Lynch celebrate his recent acquittal in a major US fraud trial. 

The body of the on-ship chef, Ricardo Thomas, was discovered shortly after the Bayesian sank.

The others who died after getting trapped in the hull included Lynch, his daughter, Manhattan attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda, and Morgan Stanley exec Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.

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Bayesian yacht sinking latest: Captain ‘insists he did everything he could’ to save passengers

Captain james cutfield, ship engineer tim parker eaton and sailor matthew griffith all under investigation for manslaughter, article bookmarked.

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The captain of the Bayesian has insisted that he did everything possible to save those on board the superyacht , according to local reports.

Sources close to James Cutfield, 51, told the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that the 51-year-old New Zealander is currently living through the darkest days of his life as he is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.

They reportedly said Mr Cutfield repeatedly insists that he did not abandon any of the 22 passengers and crew and that he did everything could could to save them.

However, there reached a point when he could do little as the vessel had taken on too much water, they added.

Since Wednesday, Tim Parker Eaton, the engineer who was in charge of securing the yacht’s engine room, and sailor Matthew Griffith, who was on watch duty on the night of the disaster, are also under investigation for the same possible charges , their lawyer said on Friday.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who were killed after his superyacht capsized and went down on 19 August within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm off the coast of Sicily .

In Focus | How the world of yachts got supersized

The sinking of the 56-metre yacht  Bayesian  and the tragic deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his guests and boat staff have given the public a glimpse into the rarefied world of superyachts, writes  Boat Internationa l’s  Lucy Dunn .

There are currently 12,626 superyachts on the water around the world with 1,166 superyachts in build or on order. If you have been to a Greek island this year, or maybe the Amalfi coast, you may have glimpsed them coming in and out of harbours and wondered who owns a yacht like that. Or who can afford to charter a yacht like that – which have an average price of around £180,000 a week.

While you may think of glossy influencers and A-listers, the superyachting fraternity is where millionaires are sorted from the billionaires from the centi-billionaires; the 0.001 per centers. Rarely will you find a celebrity with the financial clout to afford a yacht owned by Lynch, these are generally under-the-radar industry titans who don’t have household names.

So, what exactly makes a superyacht super? According to Boat International, where I work, it can be applied to any boat, motor or sailing yacht which is over 24 metres in length. Size, in the superyacht world, is everything – and yachts are getting bigger all the time.

Giant masts, moon pools and explorer pods: How the world of yachts got supersized

The sinking of Mike Lynch’s ‘unsinkable’ sailing vessel was not only a heartbreaking tragedy, but also gave us a rare glimpse into the superyachting fraternity. Here, Boat International’s Lucy Dunn looks at a group that is both secretive and innovative, and asks how such a high-spec sailing yacht could have sunk at all...

Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking 'within two minutes' after rescuing survivors

Ex-court appointed guard says mike lynch ‘became more like a family’.

A court-appointed armed guard, tasked with ensuring Mike Lynch did not abscond while facing fraud charges, has paid tribute to the tech mogul, saying the security team “became less of a detail and more like a family”.

Rolo Igno also described “the memory of a beautiful soul” in Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah.

Mr Igno said he had the “privilege” of spending “almost every waking moment” with Mr Lynch while he was in custody in San Francisco, describing the detail as unlike any other he had ever worked and one that was “life changing”.

“As an executive protection agent, the number one rule is simple, don’t ever get close to the principal,” he said.

“They aren’t your friends, they’re a client and the relationship is strictly professional. But with Mike, that didn’t fly with him and for me that rule quickly dissolved.”

Bayesian captain ‘exercised right to silence’ in manslaughter probe questioning, lawyer says

The captain of the Bayesian yacht chose not to respond to prosecutors’ questions as he was spoken to for a third time on Tuesday, his lawyer has said.

James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.

“The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzuti told reporters. “First, he’s very worn out. Second, we were appointed only on Monday and for a thorough and correct defence case we need to acquire a set of data that at the moment we don’t have.”

Being placed under investigation does not imply guilt or mean that charges will necessarily follow. Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio has said his team would consider each possible element of responsibility including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.

The Times  reported one of Mr Cutfield’s lawyers as saying that the captain is “understandably very shaken up” after the ordeal last Monday.

Watch: Moment Bayesian yacht engulfed by storm

Mike lynch’s wife did not want to leave scene of bayesian wreck without her family, says captain of boat near sinking.

Mike Lynch’s wife did not want to leave the scene of the Bayesian wreck without her family, the captain of a boat near the sinking has said.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which helped to rescue the 15 survivors of the disaster in Sicily, told People that Angela Bacares “didn’t want to leave because her husband and her daughter were still down”.

British technology tycoon Mr Lynch and one of the daughters he has with Ms Bacares, 18-year-old Hannah, were among the seven people who were killed after his superyacht capsized and went down on 19 August within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm.

Four crew members who are not under investigation have left Palermo

Four other crew members, who have not been placed under investigation, have left Palermo.

Two of them headed for Dubai and the other two travelled to Istanbul.

Watch: Mike Lynch’s friend mourns ‘unbelievably tragic’ death after fraud trial acquittal

Crew member under investigation over bayesian sinking leaves palermo, says source.

A crew member who has been placed under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck in connection with the sinking of the Bayesian has now left Palermo, according to a source.

Sailor Matthew Griffith was on watch duty on the night the superyacht sank in Sicily, the source said.

He flew out of Palermo late on Wednesday, with the source saying he was heading for the French city of Nice.

Those under investigation have no obligation to stay in Italy but have to nominate lawyers so that the authorities have a way of remaining in contact with them.

The boat's 51-year-old captain James Cutfield, a New Zealander, and ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton have both been put under investigation for the same crimes.

Members of yachting community signal support for captain and crew of Bayesian as some under investigation

Members of the yachting community have signalled their support for the captain and crew of the Bayesian as some have been placed under investigation.

One wrote on social media: “Now we need those keyboard warriors and judgemental ‘know it alls’ to actually wait and listen to the unbiased actual professionals ...

“I still stand in support of all Bayesian crew and if things turn sour, I propose all my friends in yachting to stand together and sign a strong petition to support the remaining survived crew to Bayesian.”

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