Billionaire’s superyacht disaster: What is a downburst?

Italian authorities investigating the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht have outlined a new possible cause for the tragedy.

Italian authorities investigating the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht have put forward a new possible cause for the tragedy, saying a downburst was most likely to blame.

Seven people died, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah, when the luxury $27 million vessel capsized off the coast of Sicily.

Here’s what we know so far.

WHAT IS A DOWNBURST?

A downburst occurs when air descends from the base of the cloud, producing a powerful wind gust that blows towards the ground.

When it hits a surface, the wind spreads out, blowing outwards unpredictably.

Downbursts can last just a matter of minutes but the wind speeds can exceed 160kmh.

WHY WAS A WATERSPOUT INTIALLY BLAMED?

From a distance, downbursts and waterspouts can look similar.

Waterspouts are whirling columns of air and water mist that typically occur during thunderstorms and can develop very rapidly, reaching wind speeds high as 480kmh.

One of the initial theories put forward was that the 56-metre-long British-registered luxury vessel may have been caused by a freak “black swan” weather event that resulted in a tornadic waterspout.

Extremely rare and severe weather events, which are unpredictable, are considered as “black swan events”, The Times reported.

The Bayesian had the tallest aluminium mast in the world at 245ft (74.9m) but it broke when it was caught in the storm. Picture: EPA/Perini Navi Press Office

WHAT ABOUT THE MAST?

Some experts believe the yacht’s massive aluminium mast, which broke during the sudden, violent storm, may have caused it to overturn and sink.

Nautical expert Gino Ciriaci told Corriere Della Sera that the yacht’s weight may have led to its rapid sinking.

He said a mast can break when a vessel encounters “particularly extreme conditions”.

WERE THE ACCESS HATCHES CLOSED?

Investigators are looking into whether hatches left open, due to the heat, were a contributory factor to the yacht’s sinking.

Experts have said that access hatches that are open can cause vessels to fill with water and sink quickly, The Sun reports.

WHY WAS THERE LITTLE DAMAGE TO YACHT?

A diver from Vigili del Fuoco di Palermo who was co-ordinating the search and rescue told Italian media that the yacht was “practically intact”.

Other experts have told how the whirlwind was so violent that it caused the boat to tilt with the edge of the deck submerged underwater, resulting in water entering the boat.

WAS IT DANGEROUS TO BE MOORED THERE?

Some have wondered if the Bayesian was safe to dock in the area following bad weather.

Prosecutors are said to be investigating whether the proper precautions were taken for the stormy weather, The Sun reports.

Tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch died in the tragedy. Picture: AFP

HOW DID THE SEARCH UNFOLD?

Divers trained to work in tight spaces were flown in from Rome and Sardinia late on Monday, but the search was made difficult by the fact the yacht remains largely intact on its side at the bottom of the sea, about 50m below sea level.

Divers, with only about 10 minutes of search time at a time under the water, smashed a glass window to enter the hull of the yacht in the race to find survivors.

Divers were able to reach the lounge area through the gap, Giornale Di Sicilia reported, but found it difficult to access the cabins due to blocked entrances.

WHO DIED IN THE TRAGEDY?

Along with Hannah and Mike Lynch, the other victims were the chair of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.

Chris Morvillo, a lawyer for Clifford Chance, and his wife, Neda, and the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, also died.

Chef Recaldo Thomas died in the tragedy. Picture: Sky News

WHO SURVIVED THE TRAGEDY?

Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the fifteen people who were rescued from the yacht by Karsten Borner’s sailing ship, the Sir Robert BP.

South African crew members Leah Randall and Katja Chicken were also rescued, as were Charlotte Golunski who survived alongside her one-year-old daughter and partner.

Italian Coast Guards carry a body on a rescue boat in Porticello harbour near Palermo. Picture: AFP

New Zealand-born lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who works for law firm Clifford Chance, survived the tragedy along with her partner Matthew Fletcher.

WHAT WAS THE BAYESIAN DOING PRIOR TO ITS DEMISE?

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo last Wednesday and was last tracked east of Palermo last night, according to tracking app Vesselfinder.

The trip was meant to be a luxe-filled celebration for the family, friends, lawyers and work colleagues of the tech billionaire known as “Britain’s Bill Gates” after his dramatic acquittal on fraud charges in the US.

It was anchored off the cost of Porticello, near Italy’s Palermo, when it was caught in a violent storm.

HOW QUICKLY THE YACHT SANK

CCTV footage taken just 200 metres from where the boat sank has been revealed.

One witness said he looked at his cameras when he heard news of the sinking, according to Giornale Di Sicilia.

“In just 60 seconds — says the owner of the villa — you can see the ship disappear.

“Of about 20 cameras installed in the house, only one was not disturbed by the wind and rain. You can clearly see what is happening.

“There was nothing that could be done for the boat. It disappeared in a very short time.”

There have been reports suggesting the crew could have been better prepared for the storm and armed guests with lifejackets.

Mr Schanck said the boat was anchored at a known anchorage spot.

He doubted the crew would have been prepared for what did unfold.

“I’ve reviewed the forecasts. There was nothing other than thunder. There was nothing that jumped out that made it a dangerous decision to anchor there,” he said, reported The Times.

HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO THE COSTA CONCORDIA TRAGEDY?

Divers scouring the wreckage of Bayesian have compared it to a “small Concordia”, encountering small spaces and obstacles blocking their routes.

The Costa Concordia was a cruise ship that hit a rock underwater and capsized before sinking in the Tyrrhenian Sea, killing 32, in 2012.

A mammoth search was launched to save those trapped in cruise liner, resulting in the rescue of over 4,000 people.

The investigation will also be looking at whether there was any fault of the crew.

Chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, Ambrogio Cartosio, and his team are likely to start interviewing the 12 survivors.

Evidence will also be sought from first responders, divers, firefighters and the Coast Guard.

WHO WAS MIKE LYNCH?

Mr Lynch was an entrepreneur, having founded and sold tech and software companies. He was awarded an OBE for his services to enterprise in 2006.

Mr Lynch sold tech company Autonomy Corporation to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 for $11 billion.

He was accused of inflating the value of the company, leading to a 12-year legal battle.

He was extradited to the US on fraud charges in 2023 with a judge setting his bail at $150 million.

A San Francisco jury acquitted Mr Lynch in June.

Mr Lynch invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance, as well as his own company Invoke Capital, to celebrate on his yacht.

Invoke Capital, one of Lynch’s companies has yet to comment on the tragedy.

Originally published as Billionaire’s superyacht disaster: What is a downburst?