Interim report on Bayesian yacht disaster expected "within six weeks" according to UK inquest

BOAT International has followed the Bayesian story from 19 August 2024, when the 56-metre Perini Navi was hit by bad weather and sank off the coast of Sicily. Keep in the loop with our live blog coverage, where we continue to report on the aftermath of the tragedy, including the manslaughter probe underway in Sicily, the UK death inquest and the upcoming salvage efforts.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) will be releasing an interim report on the tragic sinking of the 56-metre sailing yacht Bayesian in four to six weeks. This was announced today (15 April) at The Coroner's Court in Ipswich, UK, where an inquest into the deaths of British tech tycoon Michael Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer, is being held.

Today's pre-inquest review hearing was led by senior coroner Nigel Parsley and attended by members of the victims' families, as well as legal representatives for James Cutfield, Bayesian's captain, and chef Recaldo Thomas, one of the victims of the disaster. The court determined the scope of the investigation, suggested key witnesses and "interested persons" and received key updates from involved parties such as MAIB and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

On 19 August 2024, Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk approximately 0.8 nautical miles off the coast of Porticello in Sicily, Italy. It is understood that the sailing yacht was being used to celebrate Lynch's recent victory in a 13-year £8 billion fraud acquittal. Of the 22 persons on board, 15 were safely evacuated with a search and rescue mission later recovering the bodies of seven people.

An investigation is currently underway with MAIB to determine the cause of the incident. The salvage of the Bayesian is also imminent, with work to officially begin on 20 April 2025.

Learnings from the inquest

• Principal MAIB inspector Simon Harry Graves, whose team is leading the Bayesian investigation, confirmed that the yacht's recovery is expected for the end of May. The organisation has gathered several witness statements and commissioned two studies – on the weather at the time of the incident and the stability and windage of Bayesian – with plans to release a public interim report in four to six weeks. However, the interim report will be submitted for consultation to parties that may be "adversely affected", which may hinder the timeframe set out by Graves.
• The final MAIB report will be released once the wreckage is examined.
• Mark Hamm, MCA department inspector, confirmed that it was investigating "culpability [and] any breaches in maritime legislation". Inquiries are still at an early stage, with timelines uncertain for the UK investigation. "Virtually all the crew members do not live in the UK, which means we are reliant on foreign jurisdictions to gather evidence," Hamm explained. However, the MCA is hoping to examine the vessel "within a matter of months".
• Revtom Limited (Bayesian's holding company), brokerage firm Camper & Nicholsons and insurers British Marine were suggested as "interested persons", meaning they have the right to attend the inquest, receive legal documents and ask questions during proceedings.
• Parsley put forward several "tentative suggestions" for witnesses, including  senior responsible crew members, MAIB investigator(s), a meteorological expert and eyewitness accounts. It was also determined there will be no jury presiding over the case.
• Parsley concluded the session by asserting that the inquest would resume following the release of the interim MAIB report.

The initial inquiry, which was held on 4 October 2024, determined the following:

• The time of death for Michael Lynch, Hannah Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer and Judy Bloomer was confirmed as 5.00am on 19 August 2024. The Bayesian was approximated to have sunk between 4.15 and 4.45am the same day.
• The cause of death for Michael Lynch was attributed to "drowning", with the deaths of the other three parties "still under investigation". Detective Superintendent Mike Brown of Suffolk Police clarified that there is "often a need for further tests to be taken", citing the verdict as "not unusual" and something the authorities see "very often".
• Brown also confirmed the Italian authorities and MAIB to be the principal investigators in the Bayesian case, with the UK courts reliant on both for "further evidential material".