Tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s ‘unsinkable’ yacht sank due to design flaw, report finds
A British investigation has found that fatal design flaws left tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s £32m super yacht Bayesian dangerously vulnerable to capsizing – contradicting builder claims that the vessel was “unsinkable”.
Lynch, often dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates”, for his role in founding software giant Autonomy, was among seven people who died last August when the 56-metre yacht capsized in hurricane-force winds off the coast of Sicily.
His 18-year-old daughter, a Morgan Stanley chairman and a top City lawyer were also killed.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said this week that Bayesian’s towering 72-metre mast and a raised keel fatally compromised the yacht’s stability in strong winds.
Within just 15 seconds of a downburst striking the vessel, it heeled violently to 90 degrees, allowing water to pour into internal spaces through stairwells.
The probe found no evidence that hatches had been open – countering early suggestions by shipbuilder Perini Navi and its parent company, the Italian Sea Group, that crew error caused the boat to sink.
A separate Italian criminal investigation is ongoing into three of the crew, including the New Zealand-born captain, though no charges have yet been filed.
Investigators also revealed that Bayesian’s specific vulnerability in its keel-up configuration was not included in its official stability booklet, which means neither Lynch nor the crew were aware the vessel could be knocked over by winds exceeding just 63 knots.
“The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over”, said MAIB chief inspector Andrew Moll. “Once it heeled beyond 70 degrees, the situation was irrecoverable”.
Bayesian sank in just 16 minutes. Survivors, including Lynch’s wife, were rescued by a neighbouring yacht.
A diver recently died while helping the wreck, now lying 50 metres deep, for recovery.
While salvage operations are ongoing, the report has raised questions about the stability and safety of luxury yachts built for high net-worth individuals.
Despite claims of compliance with UK standards, the MAIB has so far issued no safety recommendations, pending further evidence.