The superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Palermo, Sicily, may have been caused by hatches and doors left open overnight on the vessel, allowing water to flood in, according to sailing expert Sam Jefferson. Jefferson, editor of Sailing Today, believes the huge mast on the yacht also played a role in the disaster, describing it as a sail that pushed the boat over onto its side.
According to Jefferson, the crew may have opened the doors to allow air to flow through, given the heatwave that had struck the region the day before, with temperatures reaching around 33 degrees Celsius. This, combined with the enormous mast, would have made the boat vulnerable to the strong winds that are believed to have struck the vessel, causing it to be pinned over onto its side.
The fact that the yacht sank so quickly suggests that it was indeed flooded with water, likely through the open hatches and doors. Jefferson’s explanation is the most logical one, and it is difficult to imagine any other scenario in which the yacht would have been able to fill with water so quickly.
Bayesian yacht accident in Sicily (Image via Getty)
Jefferson also emphasized that such incidents are incredibly rare, describing the chances of a yacht being hit by a waterspout, which is believed to have struck Bayesian, as minuscule. The yacht’s massive 72-meter mast, one of the largest in the world among sailing yachts, would have made it particularly susceptible to the strong winds.
Captain Karsten Borner, who was on another nearby yacht, witnessed the Bayesian’s distress and described it as going “flat on the water, and then down”. The captain of the Bayesian has not been named.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Salvo Cocina, of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that the passengers were in the wrong place at the wrong time, implying that the sinking was a combination of bad luck and unfortunate circumstances.
The tragic incident has resulted in the death of at least one person, with six others still missing. The sinking of the Bayesian off the Sicilian coast is a sobering reminder of the risks and unpredictability of going the high seas.
