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

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

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By Emma Bubola and Michael J. de la Merced

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Pallanza, Italy.

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

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

3 people, 2 dogs rescued after jumping from burning 70-foot yacht in New Hampshire

Three people and two family dogs were rescued after they jumped from a burning yacht after the 70-foot vessel caught fire in a New Hampshire harbor over the weekend, authorities said.

New Hampshire State Police said in a statement Saturday that they were alerted to the incident on the Piscataqua River, near Little Harbor in New Castle, at around 4 p.m., with their Marine Patrol units arriving within minutes.

The vessel, a 2007 Marlow yacht named Elusive, had been headed toward Wentworth Marina when a passenger noticed black smoke below deck, police said.

The yacht filled with smoke within minutes, and the three passengers and the two family dogs jumped overboard as it became engulfed in flames, they said. The passengers and the dogs were rescued by nearby boats and taken to shore, police added.

It is unclear what caused the vessel to catch fire. It could be seen fully ablaze in a photo shared by the regional Coast Guard, with black smoke billowing overhead.

The passengers, who have been identified as Arthur Watson, 67, and Diane Watson, 57, both of New Canaan, Connecticut, and Jarrod Tubbs, 33, of Jupiter, Florida, were taken to Portsmouth Hospital, where they were treated and released, police said.

Authorities later provided an update confirming that the two dogs were also "safe and doing well."

Police said the yacht had drifted out of the harbor with the outgoing tide across the state line into Maine. Several agencies tried to retrieve the boat but were unsuccessful, and it sank off Kittery, a town in York County, within two hours of the initial call.

A number of agencies responded, including the Coast Guard, the Portsmouth Fire Department, the Kittery Harbor Master, the Newington Fire Department, the Salisbury, Massachusetts, Fire Department and the Rye Fire Department, police said.

Chantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.

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

Topic: Maritime Accidents and Incidents

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

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

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

What's next?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

British Bill Gates missing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rescued baby held above waves 

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

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

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

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

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

Captain of nearby boat helped rescue passengers

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

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

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

"There were 15 people inside," he said.

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

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

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

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

"So I think she went back down."

Storms and heavy rainfall swept Italy in recent days

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 people, 2 dogs rescued after jumping off burning 70-foot yacht off New Hampshire coast

NEW CASTLE, N.H. — Three people and two dogs escaped from a 70-foot yacht and were rescued by a Good Samaritan  on another private boat before emergency crews arrived Saturday off the New Hampshire coast.

"Whatever happened on the boat happened fast, and they had to jump in the water," Portsmouth Fire Chief Todd Germain said. The incident involving the 2007 Marlow yacht known as "Elusive," started close to Fort Stark , he said. It was reported about 4:22 p.m.

The trio sustained minor injuries and mild hypothermia and were transported to Wentworth Marina, where they were treated by responders from the New Castle Fire Department and taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, according to the chief. New Hampshire Marine Patrol reported two adults, ages 67 and 57, both of New Canaan, Connecticut, and a 33-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, were all treated and released.

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Marine Patrol reported "a passenger noticed black smoke below deck" and "within minutes the boat completely filled with smoke" prompting the three people and two family dogs to jump overboard. The two dogs were rescued as well, according to Amber Lagace, spokesperson for Marine Patrol.

The billowing smoke from the yacht was visible from long distances. The Marlow yacht drifted and sank in state of Maine waters, according to Germain. Marine Patrol reported multiple agencies attempted to save the boat before it sank.

Germain said a crew of five from the city Fire Department's Marine 1 fire boat was the first with firefighting capability to arrive after the fire was reported. He said additional fire boats from Newington and Salisbury, Massachusetts, were also called to help. The Rye Fire Department sent a jet ski to provide assistance, according to Germain.

The Coast Guard responded, with its crews working to direct other boats away from the fire, according to Petty Officer Third Class Emma Fliszar.

Germain said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Fliszar said the Coast Guard is worried about pollution from fuel and was investigating. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services also responded as did the Kittery harbor master.

On Sunday, the Coast Guard and environmental services staff were closely monitoring the area where the boat sank. Fliszar said Sunday morning it was not immediately known if the fuel remained in the yacht or had leaked. 

Legace on Sunday said one of the Marine Patrol officer spoke with the couple who owned the yacht. 

"They are doing fine physically, but are mentally still trying to process everything," she said. "Their dogs (golden doodles) are doing well. This boat was their home."

Anyone who was a witness or has information is asked by New Hampshire State Police to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Stephen O’Connor at Stephen.J.O’[email protected] or 603-227-2117.

Karen Dandurant contributed to this report.

Fisherman hero hailed after saving 3 people, 2 dogs from yacht fire

The fisherman came to the rescue as the yacht went up in flames unexpectedly.

A New Hampshire lobster fisherman saved three people and two dogs from a burning yacht near New Castle on Saturday.

An investigation is currently underway into what caused the 70-foot yacht to burn and eventually sink, authorities said.

"We don't know what caused the fire and we probably never will because the boat burned down to the waterline and there is nothing left of the boat," Sgt. Steve O'Conner of the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol told WMUR-ABC.

Tom Hadley, from Hollis, New Hampshire, said he had noticed a bit of smoke coming from a yacht he had passed on his small fishing boat, and decided to turn around to offer his help.

The yacht, at the mouth of Little Harbor on the Piscataqua River, had burst into flames by the time Hadley came back to it. He told WMUR that he could see three people and two dogs standing on a platform in the stern of their boat.

Hadley said that they were holding pool noodles, so he yelled for them to jump into the water and then dumped his own lobster traps into the harbor to make room for the rescues.

"At first I hauled a lady on board and then we put the two dogs on board" Hadley told WMUR. "And then a younger man was half in, I hauled him over the side."

Hadley said he then saw a small fishing boat which he called over to help a third man who was clinging to the side as the heat coming from the boat increased.

"If there were an explosion the thought of being showered with burning fiberglass was not too appealing," Hadley said.

The three individuals were taken to the dock of the Wentworth Marina before being brought to Portsmouth Hospital, where they were treated, released and reunited with their dogs.

New Hampshire State Police reported that the two dogs were safe and unharmed.

A statement from the New Castle Fire Department only reported one minor injury among the three escaping the fire.

"If you ever think somebody is in distress out there, it doesn't hurt to cruise on over and check it out to make sure that they're OK," Hadley said.

The New Hampshire State Police received a 911 call about the boat fire just after 4 p.m., and was on site within minutes, according to a statement from the department.

According to police, the yacht, "Elusive", was headed toward the Wentworth Marina went one of the passengers noticed smoke below deck. The three passengers reported to police that the smoke had completely filled the boat within minutes.

Jarrod Tubbs, 33, of Jupiter, Florida, Kitt Watson, 67, and Diane Watson, 57, both of New Canaan, Connecticut -- a couple and their first mate -- lived on the yacht. As the boat has been completely lost, so have all of their belongings.

"This was just arms are open, come on board, get warm, we're going to take care of you and it really restored my faith in humanity," Kitt Watson told WMUR-ABC.

Marine Patrol, New Hampshire fire departments from Newington and Rye, the Kittery Harbormaster, and the Salisbury Fire Department from Massachusetts, assisted at the scene, state police said.

The tide pushed the burning yacht away from the coast, and after efforts by several agencies were unsuccessful, it sank in approximately 75-feet deep water, state police said. Within two hours of the initial 911 call, the boat had been submerged and will not be recovered.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Protection have been monitoring for any excess oil spillage from the sunken yacht.

A spokesperson for the New Hampsire Department of Environmental Protection told ABC News that a sheen of diesel fuel was seen as a result of the incident, but that crews are not aware of any shoreline impacts.

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Several hurt in boat fire at Braintree yacht club, bystander prevents wider damage

"thankfully, a quick thinking member of the club, jumped into action and towed the boat out into open water to keep it away from other boats," police said in a facebook post, by asher klein • published august 12, 2023 • updated on august 12, 2023 at 10:08 pm.

Several people were hurt in a boat fire at a yacht club in Braintree, Massachusetts, on Saturday morning, but more people could have been hurt if not for a fast-acting bystander, officials said.

The boat fire erupted at a Metropolitan Yacht Club dock where it was getting set to fill up gas, fire officials told NBC10 Boston. There were 10 people on board, including a baby and three other children.

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Another boater saw the boat engulfed in flames and towed it away from the dock and the supply of fuel, fire officials said.

"Thankfully, a quick thinking member of the club, jumped into action and towed the boat out into open water to keep it away from other boats," police said in a Facebook post.

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That member was a retired police officer, according to the fire department. They didn't identify the boater.

Five people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries of burns, smoke inhalation and cuts, according to police; fire officials said four were hospitalized.

The fire on the boat was extinguished but it was a total loss, according to fire officials. Police shared images of the boat on fire and its capsized hull in the water.

Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros commended both the officer, as well as his daughter, "for their heroic actions at Metropolitan Yacht Club today," he said in a statement, without identifying them.

"I would also like to commend our fire and police departments and their marine units for their exceptional performance in handling this situation," Kokoros continued.

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Boat catches on fire at Schooner Island Marina in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey

W ILDWOOD CREST, N.J. (CBS) – A boat went up in flames at Schooner Island Marina in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon.

The fire broke out aboard a 41-foot boat named "Luv-It" around 12:45 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat was docked at the marina's fuel station when the fire broke out.  

Jim Hodder, of Doylestown, and his daughter were out on the water when they heard a boom. 

"We were going under the bridge and we heard an explosion, and we realized it was at the marina. The weird thing was I just told them, 'I want to pull in and get gas,'" Hodder said. 

The fire was placed under control around 1:15 p.m.

No one was on the boat at the time and no injuries were reported.

The Wildwood Fire Department said on Instagram that the fire extended to the dock and a small shed on the dock. The boat eventually sank because of the water being used to extinguish the fire, the department said in the post. There was a fuel fire on the water, too, that was put out with foam.

Fire boats from North Wildwood and Stone Harbor also responded to the fire, and emergency crews from several neighboring departments also responded, according to Wildwood Fire Department. Four marine employees were evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but they all declined to go to the hospital, the fire department said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

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Boat bursts into flames at Wildwood, NJ marina

WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A boat caught fire at a Wildwood marina Thursday afternoon, sinking and damaging the dock.

Officials say no one was injured.

Viewer video sent to Action News shows the 42-foot boat burning at the Schooner Island Marina.

The plume of smoke could be seen for miles. Witnesses say they heard an explosion.

"The whole sky was nothing but black. The sun was blocked and everything," said Mark Demberger of North Wildwood.

Officials say the boat was at the end of the fuel dock when it burst into flames around 12:40 p.m.

Two people who were on the boat at the time escaped without injury. Four Marina employees were evaluated at the scene but refused transport to the hospital.

"They were in the immediate area of the fire as well as other employees who were trying to assist with getting fire extinguishers initially before they realized the fire was too extensive," said Wildwood Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Dunn.

The location of the boat - at the end of the dock - made for a challenging job.

With the help of other nearby companies, the fire was under control in about an hour. A portion of the dock was damaged.

Now what's left of the boat is underwater.

"Once the boat sank, the burning fuel rose to the surface of the water and started to spread towards other docks. So they had to form a foam blanket around that burning fuel to prevent extension to any other docks or boats," said Dunn.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Cape May County Fire Marshal's Office and the New Jersey State Police.

Officials say next they're going to work with Seatow and the marina to pull the wreckage out. That will help in determining a cause.

Related Topics

• CAPE MAY COUNTY
• JERSEY SHORE

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Aria SF: 45m superyacht sinks following fire in Ibiza

The 45 metre ISA motor yacht Aria SF has sunk off the coast of Cap Martinet, Ibiza, following a devastating fire that ripped through the yacht on August 11 in the waters of Formentera.

After several hours of tackling the blaze, the still-smouldering vessel was towed away from the busy waters of Formentera towards Ibiza, but it was deemed too dangerous for it to enter the port. 

Aria SF remained in the waters of Cap Martinet until August 14 when she sunk. She is currently lying at a depth of around 12 metres.

In a statement made to a local media outlet, Miguel Chicón, a spokesperson for Salvamento Marítimo (Maritime Salvage) commended the efforts of the salvage vessel which towed Aria SF to its current resting place.

"It has been a very expensive job and the effort of the staff of the Guardamar Concepción Arenal has been impressive," he said, adding that no injuries or contamination has been reported.

The fire broke out while the yacht was on her maiden season in the Mediterranean. According to local news reports, the Spanish Coast Guard received a distress call at 5pm local time and sent two rescue boats to offer assistance to the vessel and its crew. 

The yacht's nine guests and seven crewmembers evacuated the vessel safely, but initial attempts to contain the fire were unsuccessful. She remained ablaze for more than 24 hours. 

Aria SF was sold in March 2019 as the first hull in a new GT45 series of superyachts by Italian shipyard ISA Yachts. She left the shipyard only last month and was due to make her world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. 

Prior to the sinking, the salvage vessel which towed Aria SF remained by her side for several hours at Cap Martinet. According to local media, the vessel withdrew from the area on Saturday August 13 and the salvage operation will now be handled by the owner.

The salvage operation is expected to get underway in the coming weeks. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

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3 Passengers Rescued From 54-Foot Yacht That Caught Fire on Biscayne Bay

Three people were on board the yacht that caught fire saturday afternoon, by nbc 6 • published march 18, 2023 • updated on march 18, 2023 at 8:29 pm.

Drone and cell phone videos show a yacht engulfed in flames near the Coral Gables Waterway in Biscayne Bay.

Marine units with the Coral Gables Police Department spotted smoke coming from the 54-foot yacht Saturday afternoon.

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The units say they helped remove all three people on board while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue put out the fire with an assist from Miami Fire Rescue.

No further information has been released regarding what sparked the fire.

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Yacht fire: Three leap in water, rescued as blaze strikes in waters off New Castle, NH

NEW CASTLE — Three people escaped from a 70-foot yacht and were rescued by a Good Samaritan  on another private boat before emergency crews arrived Saturday.

"Whatever happened on the boat happened fast, and they had to jump in the water," Portsmouth Fire Chief Todd Germain said. The incident involving the 2007 Marlow yacht known as "Elusive," started close to Fort Stark , he said. It was reported about 4:22 p.m.

'Heat was intense': Lobsterman tells burning yacht rescue story in own words, with video

The trio sustained minor injuries and mild hypothermia and were transported to Wentworth Marina, where they were treated by responders from the New Castle Fire Department and taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, according to the chief. New Hampshire Marine Patrol reported two adults, ages 67 and 57, both of New Canaan, Connecticut, and a 33-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, were all treated and released.

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Marine Patrol reported "a passenger noticed black smoke below deck" and "within minutes the boat completely filled with smoke" prompting the three people and two family dogs to jump overboard. The two dogs were rescued as well, according to Amber Lagace, spokesperson for Marine Patrol.

The billowing smoke from the yacht was visible from long distances. The Marlow yacht drifted to the area of the 2KR buoy where it sank in state of Maine waters, according to Germain. Marine Patrol reported multiple agencies attempted to save the boat before it sank.

Germain said a crew of five from the city Fire Department's Marine 1 fire boat was the first with firefighting capability to arrive after the fire was reported. He said additional fire boats from Newington and Salisbury, Massachusetts, were also called to help. The Rye Fire Department sent a jet ski to provide assistance, according to Germain.

The Coast Guard responded, with its crews working to direct other boats away from the fire, according to Petty Officer Third Class Emma Fliszar.

Germain said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Fliszar said the Coast Guard is worried about pollution from fuel and was investigating. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services also responded as did the Kittery harbor master.

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On Sunday, the Coast Guard and environmental services staff were closely monitoring the area where the boat sank. Fliszar said Sunday morning it was not immediately known if the fuel remained in the yacht or had leaked. 

Legace on Sunday said one of the Marine Patrol officer spoke with the couple who owned the yacht. 

"They are doing fine physically, but are mentally still trying to process everything," she said. "Their dogs (golden doodles) are doing well. This boat was their home."

Anyone who was a witness or has information is asked by New Hampshire State Police to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Stephen O’Connor at Stephen.J.O’[email protected] or 603-227-2117.

Karen Dandurant contributed to this report.

The guest list for Mike Lynch’s fatal yacht party was a who’s who of players from the Autonomy scandal

On board the doomed Bayesian superyacht that claimed Mike Lynch’s life were not only his family and friends but also crucial business figures who encapsulated the key phases of his career.

High-flying former employees at his tech group Autonomy, allies who helped push through its multibillion-dollar sale to HP, and the legal brains who defended him after that deal turned sour were all in attendance on the Mediterranean when it ran into storms on Monday morning.

Lynch was pronounced dead on Thursday after the yacht he boarded with 21 other passengers sank off the coast of Sicily. 

He was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges linked to HP’s $11.7 billion acquisition of Lynch’s tech group Autonomy in 2011. 

Lynch was joined by his wife, Angela Bacares, who survived, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, whose body was recovered on Friday morning.

Other passengers included critical allies who had supported Lynch through the tech mogul’s most turbulent period. 

The getaway was a symbolic voyage on what Lynch had described as the beginning of a “second life.” 

The coincidental car crash: Steven Chamberlain

Rumors have now swirled about the connections between the guests on the boat and the coincidental death of Steven Chamberlain in a collision with a driver in Cambridgeshire, just days before the boat sank. 

Chamberlain was a veteran at Autonomy and went on to become chief operating officer at Darktrace, a company widely connected with Autonomy. He took a “leave of absence” to defend himself during Lynch’s recent trial in the United States.

Former Autonomy NED: Jonathan Bloomer

The body of Jonathan Bloomer, 70, as well as that of his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, were recovered alongside Lynch’s on Wednesday. 

Autonomy appointed Bloomer as a non-executive board member in 2010. He chaired the group’s audit committee during the HP sale and was a key witness for Lynch’s defense during his fraud trial in California. At the time of his passing, Bloomer was an international chair at Morgan Stanley International.

Bloomer told prosecutors that Lynch “wasn’t particularly interested in the finance side” of Autonomy, preferring to focus on strategy and the company’s products.

Lynch’s lawyers : Chris Morvillo and Ayla Ronald

Chris Morvillo, 59, passed away aboard the Bayesian yacht with his wife, American jewelry designer Neda Morvillo, 57. 

Morvillo, a lawyer at magic circle firm Clifford Chance, represented Lynch in his criminal trial in the U.S. 

He told the legal podcast For the Defense that the case “covered one-third of my career” after his first meeting with Lynch in 2012, as HP’s unrest grew. 

In a rare LinkedIn post following the trial, which would also prove to be one of his last, Morvillo thanked his daughters and his late wife, Neda.

“I am so glad to be home,” Morvillo wrote. 

“And they all lived happily ever after…”

Ayla Ronald, a 36-year-old senior associate at Clifford Chance, was also on board the Bayesian with her partner, Matthew Fletcher. Both survived the sinking.

Ronald’s company profile details how she also defended Lynch in his fraud trial with HP.

Extensive links to Darktrace 

After Lynch sold Autonomy, for which he is reported to have received £500 million ($656 million), he set up the venture capital fund Invoke Capital in 2012, which would see his influence expand deep into the U.K. tech scene in his final years. 

Invoke was an early-stage investor in Darktrace, now subject to a $5.3 billion acquisition from U.S. private equity firm Thoma Bravo. The VC fund also invested in British AI company Luminance, which closed a $40 million funding round in April.

Lynch and his wife Angela held millions of their net worth in their final years through Darktrace, with a source telling Fortune they collectively had a 3% stake in the £4 billion ($5.25 billion) valued company at the time of their passing. Fortune exclusively revealed the deal is expected to still complete later in 2024.

Several former high flyers from Lynch’s Autonomy days leaped into key positions at Darktrace. Poppy Gustafsson, Darktrace’s current CEO, was a corporate controller at Autonomy. In a LinkedIn post commemorating the lives lost, Gustafsson said “Without Mike, there would be no Darktrace. We owe him so much.”

The links appear deep; Darktrace’s founding CEO Nicole Eagan also served as chief marketing officer at Autonomy, during the acquisition period involving HP. Neither Eagan or Gustafsson were on the boat, and both continue to hold leadership positions at Darktrace today.

Invoke Capital: Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunski is another person with long-held business ties to Lynch. She is a partner at Invoke Capital, joining during its formation in 2012. Invoke Capital shared offices with Darktrace near London’s Trafalgar Square for a number of years.

Before joining Invoke, Golunski worked for Lynch at Autonomy and HP Autonomy for a year after the acquisition.

Golunski, 35, survived the sinking of the Bayesian alongside her partner, James Emsley, and their 1-year-old daughter. She had been asleep on the deck of the yacht with her baby when the storm hit, describing how she felt oscillations in the boat before it went down minutes later.

She told the Italian outlet La Repubblica how she held her baby above her arms in the water before she was rescued.

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