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• Inspiration

Join us at the Newport Boat Show from September 12-15, 2024, and witness the Zeelander 5 and Zeelander 7 up close.   

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WE... ARE HEESEN

At Heesen, we are dedicated to building superyachts in aluminium and steel that offer speed, style and fuel-efficient cruising. With an unrelenting focus on quality, craftsmanship and innovation, Heesen has created one of the world’s most impressive shipbuilding legacies. Our portfolio consists of three build concepts, which address our customers’ differing requirements regarding delivery times and personalisation. All rely on proven engineering and the renowned ‘Crafted in Holland’ build quality.

Fully engineered yachts, part of our speculation programme, available with short delivery times.

SMART CUSTOM

The smart balance between proven performance, speed of delivery and customisation.

FULL CUSTOM

Realised dreams that start with a blank sheet of paper, or inspired by one of our concepts.

Available Yachts

Discover our Series yachts that are in build and for sale, so you can enjoy your yacht sooner.

YN20750 Project Orion

YN20955 Project Agnetha

YN21150 Sophia

YN21350 Project Grace

BlueNautech

We must all take responsibility for protecting what we love. By introducing BlueNautech, Heesen continues to support the future of sustainable yachting through improved efficiencies, alternative materials, energy savings and innovative production methods.

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The Very Best of Dutch Yacht Builders

Dutch yacht builders have crafted a reputation as being among the world’s very best, with an extraordinary density of high quality, high value shipyards operating out of the Netherlands.

Part of the reason for the dominance of Dutch yacht builders in the superyacht industry stems from Holland’s prestigious history of boat building, which stretches back centuries and was perfectly poised to make the shift to constructing luxury yachts during the 20th century. The word ‘yacht’ originally comes from the Dutch word ‘jacht’, meaning hunt.

Some of the towering names of the yachting world have emerged from Holland, with the great heritage yards Amels, Hakvoort, Royal Huisman, De Vries and Royal Van Lent more recently joined by other outstanding Dutch yacht builders such as Heesen, Vitters, and Oceanco.

Dutch shipyards are heralded not only for their world-class build quality, high tech yards, and innovation, but are also renowned for reliability in finishing projects on time and on budget. With Dutch shipyards producing many fully-custom ‘one-off’ yachts, many of the yachts launched from Holland’s shipyards are extremely iconic and often win international awards.

Dutch yacht builders have also capitalized on their individual reputations for quality construction by forming strong collaborations including Feadship and HISWA, which serve to market the best of Dutch yachting internationally, thereby growing the influence of the Dutch yacht builders.

Notable Dutch Yacht Builders

This prestige brand is often known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of yacht builders, constructing fully custom yachts from a ‘blank slate’ beginning. Feadship is actually a partnership between two of the greatest Dutch shipyards: De Vries and Royal Van Lent, with yacht building roots dating back to 1849. The Feadship fleet today is more than 450 strong, and includes some ground-breaking yachts including AQUARIUS and ECTASEA.

Founded in 1918 and boasting the largest and most high-tech shipyard in the Netherlands, Amels turned its hand to superyacht construction in the 1980’s. Amels builds fully custom yachts up to 656’ (200m), as well as their highly sought-after ‘Limited Edition Series’. Known for exceptional build quality and iconic yachts including HERE COMES THE SUN, Amels also builds a popular range of support yachts for superyachts through DAMEN, its parent company.

Royal Huisman

This family-run shipyard was founded in 1884, and has produced some of the finest sailing yachts afloat, with a long line of regatta honors and design awards across its fleet of maxi-yachts and performance cruisers. While its fame is recognized across the world for building sailing yachts such as ATHENA, Royal Huisman also builds motoryachts, including the award winning ARCADIA.

Hakvoort is another illustrious Dutch shipyard which dates back to 1919 and builds sailing and motoryachts up to 215’ (65m). With yachts constructed in steel and aluminum, Hakvoort offers a full-custom service from design to launch, as well as a 180’ (55m) semi-custom series. They have launched many notable, award-winning yachts, from LADY MARINA in 1994 to APOSTROPHE in 2013.

Founded in 1979, Heesen has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the yachting industry, and is now considered one of the most innovative Dutch yacht builders. Initially known as a builder of fast performance yachts, Heesen has expanded its yacht building capacity up to 260’ (80m) and has achieved notoriety for its revolutionary design and engineering, such as the Fast Displacement Hull Form first seen on multi-award-winning GALACTICA STAR.

One of the most respected names in sailing, the Vitters shipyard was founded in 1990 and has gone on to launch luxury sailing yachts known for winning superyacht regattas and international design awards. Constructing yachts over 30m with an uncompromising focus on quality and design, Vitters has received accolades for yachts including SARISSA, GANESHA and AQUIJO. Vitters also owns the Green Marine yard, which is responsible for building the Volvo Ocean Race fleet.

This Dutch yacht builder specializes in the large yacht market, constructing fully custom superyachts over 260’ (80m) in aluminum and steel. Oceanco opened its doors in 1990 and has been responsible for the launch of some of the industry’s most well-known yachts, including ALFA NERO, ANASTASIA and the largest Dutch yacht to be built thus far, the 360’ (110m) JUBILEE.

Located in the medieval Dutch town of Den Bosch, Moonen Shipyards is one of the world’s most well-known motoryacht builders. Having launched their first boat in 1963, Moonen pride themselves in quality and service and offer diverse options in the upper echelons of the yacht industry for fully customized superyachts up to 150’ (45m), custom series displacement yachts, explorer vessels or fast displacement all-aluminum powerboats.

Established as a family-owned shipyard in 1938, Mulder has become a renowned member of the Dutch yacht building family. The yards’ global reputation for quality has been built upon three main pillars: the classic Super Favorite Cruisers, the later Favorite Superior and a range of Mulder custom-built motor yachts from 42’ to 147’ (13m to 45m).

Van der Valk

A passionate yacht enthousiast, Wim van der Valk started the company that bears his name in 1967, and is still driving force behind it today. In applying the most advanced solutions, systems and materials possible, this pedigreed Dutch yacht builder believes in creating yachts that will stand the test of time. In the late 1990s, they introduced their signature product – the Continental I series. Today, to ensure unrivaled quality and exclusivity, Van Der Valk produces a select, limited number of Continental yachts each year.

Hartman Marine Group

Founded in 2003, Hartman Marine Group has roots which span back to 1775 with a heritage of seven generations of skipper-owners. Hartman yachts hold a timeless and fresh style without compromising practicality and superb comfort, in the true fashion of Dutch boatbuilding excellence. Leveraging on experience, innovation as well as tradition, Hartman applies their robust standards from the drawing table to the unique finishing touches in every custom build.

Worth Avenue Yachts have many yachts for sale in their fleet built by these renowned Dutch yacht builders, and are experts in the sale, construction and charter of Dutch yachts. Contact us to find out more about which Dutch yacht builder is right for you.

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Amels superyachts are built on the solid foundation of craftsmanship and Dutch yacht-building excellence. Sophisticated, timeless classics that combine generations of experience and elegance with evolution and innovation. Aimed at raising the bar and setting a new standard in superyacht ownership. 

With both our Amels Limited Editions semi-custom range and our Amels Full Custom opportunities, we enable you to spend your precious time in the best way possible. 

Elegant and conscious modern yachting forms the essence of our Amels portfolio. A sought-after range of new-build superyachts with both semi-custom Limited Editions and Full Custom projects, recognised for their quality, ocean-going performance and unrivalled onboard experience.

With close to 100 Amels superyachts already cruising world wide, our fleet is our greatest achievement. A legacy reflecting decades of the highest build quality with proven naval architecture, technology and experience. Whether in build or delivered, our fleet is our family.

The maritime pedigree and heritage behind Amels stretch back centuries. With Dutch family shipbuilding at the core. Starting in 1918, the Amels family paved the way for what Amels has become today under the ownership and guidance of the Damen family.

This award-winning 60-metre (197ft) Amels Limited Editions design has been turning heads since her introduction in 2019. A next-generation semi-custom Amels that blends heritage with sophisticated technology, taking the superyacht industry’s greatest success story into the future. Just like the global fleet of close to 50 Limited Editions yachts at sea today, this sought-after Amels 60 is fast becoming become the collectors’ item for tomorrow’s generation of yacht owners, popular for both charter and private use.

The Amels 80 is shaping the future of luxury yachting. With evolution in her DNA, she captures the evolution and elegance of modern yachting at its essence. Her sophisticated and sustainable design is guaranteed to stand the test of time. This 80-metre Amels Limited Editions combines exclusive know-how and proven innovation to create an even more enjoyable yachting experience. Introduced in 2022, this next-generation semi-custom Amels has firmly taken her place as a leader in the 80-metre superyacht sector.  

Full Custom

We offer 25 years of non-stop, first-class refit experience at The Netherlands’ largest superyacht hub. For our own fleet and all other brands. A trusted refit, rebuild and service partner to maintain, manage and upgrade each client’s dream for an enjoyable and trouble-free ownership experience. The gateway to the world beyond new build delivery.

Discover 25 years of non-stop, first-class refit experience at The Netherlands’ largest superyacht hub. Renowned for timeless new builds as well as masterful and reliable refits, our craftsmen cater for both Amels yachts and all other brands.

Amels Classics

Today’s Amels 60 and Amels 80 stem from a long line of successful, timeless Amels Limited Editions. Over 40 semi-custom superyachts, each a masterpiece in her own right and each a showcase for the Limited Editions concept and quality. Each individually personalised with unique colour schemes, custom interiors and special features made to meet Owner’s specific needs. All delivering unique and unforgettable experiences. A legacy which has fed into the evolution of Amels. A collection of Limited Editions built over two decades collectively forming the Amels Classics.

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We are Damen Yachting. The master yacht builders behind Amels superyachts, Xplorer expedition yachts, Yacht Support vessels and large yacht refits. For generations we have been building iconic superyachts with unparalleled Dutch craftsmanship, excellent service and an eye for the changing world around us. With an innovative and foresighted view. But most of all with your vision of yachting in mind.

Master of Yacht Building -

Built on the solid foundation of generations of craftsmanship, Amels yachts are synonymous with luxury and elegance. Beyond the aesthetics, an Amels yacht holds the promise of the most precious gift of all, time.

Welcome to the world of Xplorer. A world of infinite adventures where superyachts and expedition yachts combine. A unique crossover of unlimited luxury and boundless exploration. For innovators. For people who forge their own path, with a clear goal in mind.

Yacht Support

Welcome to the world of Yacht Support. A world of unlimited possibilities for those Owners looking to take on yachting on their own terms. Those who embody an active and dynamic lifestyle and have a particular vision or mission.

Our comprehensive large yacht Refit and Life-Cycle Management services apply decades of yacht building experience and in-house engineering capabilities to your yacht. Whether refit, rebuild or repair, we guarantee to breathe new life into your yacht at the Netherlands’s largest luxury yacht building facilities.

Dutch Maritime Legacy

Damen Yachting’s superyacht story spans generations. A rich history dating back to the foundation of Amels in 1918, and Damen in 1927. A family legacy built on centuries of Dutch shipbuilding traditions, ocean-going adventures and enjoyment on the water.

Unrivalled Facilities

From the largest luxury yacht building shipyard in the Netherlands to our yard locations across Europe, we are proud to offer state-of-the art facilities with direct access to open water for both new build and refit.

Our fleet is our proudest achievement. Each one a reminder of our build quality, promise and legacy. Explore our superyachts delivered to date and our future fleet in build.

Latest news

Second Amels 80 Launched

Experience your Finest Moments

Navigating #extraordinary% journeys

‘As proud Dutch yacht builders with a passion for perfection, we realize dreams that enter history books’

Your journey begins #the moment you step on board.%

The one boat you’ve always dreamed about. Many times, you have imagined it: you know every little detail. But who understands exactly what you want? Where to build it? Where can you find the quality, the capacity and the passion to fulfill all your wishes? Who do you trust to bring this voyage to a successful end?  We understand what you want to achieve; it is our mission to realize your dream.

You want a proven design and building process that #brings it% #all together%

Whether you’re a private owner embarking on the journey of building or refitting your dream boat, a professional seeking a collaborative partnership with a shipyard, or a brand owner envisioning the construction of your yachts, finding the right yard is key. You want a yard that understands your goals, budget and timeframe and works within those parameters. For you, clear communication and a transparent process are key. You want a yard that shares the joy of seeing your vision come to life.

Crafting yachts, #building legacies%

We love to know who you are. Are you a professional, private owner or brand owner?

Professional

Private owner

Brand owner

Where imagination meets the sea, beyond my imagination.

For our demanding clients and diverse projects, it is important that we have a reliable partner nearby who can deliver the quality and craftsmanship required for our new build and refit projects.

It is one of the main reasons that we like to work with VMG Yachtbuilders. The fact that fulfilling agreements and sound management are self-evident is a requirement for our unusual assignments.

Olivier van Meer

Our #projects%

Baruna of 1938

Bestevaer 50 Stormvogel

Spirit of Venice

Puffin 50 Jaleo

Chaser 500CC

Saloon boat Sally

Taeke Hadewych

Royal Huisman 64 Yonder

Saloon boat Proost van Sint Jan

IJver (IJver Class)

Puffin 50 SeaBear

Grand Estime 62 Misha

Puffin 37 Haaks

Agile 42 Karma

The art of building #bespoke yachts.%.

Centuries of craftsmanship

The Netherlands has a long tradition in yacht building and cargo vessels. You will find the best yards in the world in the Netherlands. The boatbuilding skills are passed on from generation to generation. West-Friesland, the area where VMG Yachtbuilders is firmly rooted, has been a centre for yacht building for many decades. Strong family traditions, the ambition to be the best in the trade and a powerful work ethos characterize the success of this region.

Reliability

Building a new boat, working on a refit or doing a routine maintenance project: boats will be boats and, inevitably, there will be bumps in the road.

You want a yard that is reliable, works on time, delivers what is promised and communicates promptly when things don’t go according to plan. We take pride in our reliability and work hard to involve you every step of the way.

Flexibility

You have carefully considered your dream yacht, but when you see it taking shape before your eyes, things may look different than you envisioned it.

We understand that, in the course of the building stages, your ideas evolve which may lead to design changes. Our team will listen to your new plans and adjust the process accordingly.

Availability and capacity

You want the best craftsmen to work on your boat. Through our innovative set-up, we can make the right highly skilled staff available for your project in every phase: from building the hull and finishing the interior to maintenance projects and after sales projects. In our three production facilities we have the right equipment to work fast and efficient. Come and have a look; we are happy to show you around.

Knowledge and experience

Albeit a maintenance project, a refit or a brand new yacht: you have ideas about how you want it done. We listen carefully to your ideas and will pair them with our knowledge and experience to create the best solutions. Innovation starts with the exchange of ideas and mixed with skill and expertise it leads to great results.

Latest #news%

Baruna 1938

What happens at the yard: May

Saloon boat Sally from 1910 relaunched after restoration

Start your journey here, how can we help you.

Send us your inquiries!

• KM Yachtbuilders
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World's finest explorer yachts.

We build dreams. With over 30 years of expertise, we craft custom aluminum explorer yachts of unparalleled quality, tailored for the most extreme destinations. Specialized in high-latitude expeditions.

Is your yacht in need of maintenance, repairs or a large refit? We’re happy to help you with it. We not only work on aluminium yachts but also on steel, polyester or even wooden yachts.

Designed by one of the world’s most legendary sailors as his private yacht. Brought to you by KM Yachtbuilders, the leading builder of aluminium expedition yachts up to 100ft.

We are KM Yachtbuilders

We build aluminium yachts. Since 1998, KM Yachtbuilders has pioneered innovative and no-nonsense aluminum yacht construction, prioritizing safety and adventure. Starting out with three people and about as many yachts. A few decades later we are a team of 45 with more than 100 builds under our belt and our yachts are sailing the seven seas from pole to pole.

Visit us during the Hiswa in Water Boat Show 2024!

Click HERE to schedule your personal viewing. Explore the latest innovations in yacht building and discover our exquisite range of custom-built yachts. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or […]

Choose your destination, comfortably go wherever you want to go.

Fleet highlights, 2017 aluminium buster xxl, bestevaer 42, bestevaer 50 ‘volans’, bestevaer 53 ‘surminski’, bestevaer 53 ‘tethys’, german frers 105 bolero, allures 39.9 imagine, bestevaer 41 josephine ii, altena 53 happy hours, ovni 400 a plus, bestevaer 63 m/y, bestevaer 36 bviii, hoek 65 weatherly, bestevaer 73 christopher, bestevaer 53 xaos, ovni 43 sanderling, pelagic 77 ‘amundsen’, bestevaer 54 ‘micmac’ (prev. canada), bestevaer 56 panta rhei, bestevaer 53 m/y #3, bestevaer 62 luskentyre, bestevaer 53 my still, bestevaer 45 lionne, bestevaer 53 m/y bryndis, km custom yachts.

A custom built yacht is a journey in itself. Every customer comes with their own set of demands that depend on the purpose of the boat. Decades of experience, teamwork and a profound love of our craft help us to always come up with solutions for the most challenging demands.

Bestevaer yachts

Bestevaer s/y, bestevaer m/y, custom bestevaer 1/1, the world's finest explorer yachts., become part of the km family.

Our team is always ready to assist our yacht owners with advice and assistance in the event of contingencies.

Explore Bestevaer yachts

Designed by one of the world’s most legendary sailors as his private yacht. Brought to you by KM Yachtbuilders.

• Sichterman T38
• Libertas 54
• Felicitatem 68

SICHTERMAN T38

Sichterman yachts.

Sichterman Yachts combines decades of family craftsmanship with smart design and super yacht technology. As a result, we are creating an innovative company which will shake up the yacht industry in its own unconventional way.

With a keen sense of style, design and customer satisfaction, we strive to create a unique aluminium fleet from 15M up to 26M which our clients will indefinitely fall in love with.

PEOPLE, PASSION & PERFECTION

Sichterman is about a group of passionate people that found each other in a shared vision about yachting. Every component of the Sichterman team has its own expertise, whether it’s about designing, constructing or selling world class and innovative yachts.

We know that individually we can all go a long way, but as a team we can conquer the world.

The creation of excellence

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but quality can be measured. The reason why we combined our vision with true Dutch craftsmanship and the passion of our amazing people. The only way to ensure every part, every element and every assembly meets our own impossible standards.

This results in aluminium yachts that are redefining the existing boundaries of yachting. Every so often, an innovative new company or product completely changes an entire branch. Sichterman wants to be that brand.

Nil vinclis dulcius illis

Our motto: ‘nothing is stronger than our mutual bond’. We found that, if you pursue a dream together, there’s no bridge too far to reach your goal. Our shared passion for Sichterman makes that, independently of what happens in the meantime, we will always continue our journey to change the world of yachting.

The Sichterman legacy

Jan Albert Sichterman was a Dutch V.O.C. merchant from the 18th century. Sichterman had a lot of influence on the silk and textile trade between Bengal and the Netherlands. After his career in the East, he returned to his homeland as a very wealthy man.

Sichterman was known for being a collector of valuables and had a great eye for quality and details. Today, his legacy lives on in our brand, fleet and our vision to create a successful company.

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• Yachtbuilders
• News & Events

Yachtbuilders.

28 yachtbuilders found.

Altena Yachting

Aquatec Industries

Atlantic Sailing Yachts

Boarnstream Yachting

C-Yacht by Zaadnoordijk Yachtbuilders

Deep Water Yachts

Gebroeders van Enkhuizen Yachtbuilding & Refits BV

Hoora Watersport

Hutting Yachts

Jachtbouw De Alm

Jachtwerf De Jong

Jachtwerf Heeg

Langweerder Sloep B.V.

Menken Maritiem

Mulder Shipyard

No Limit Ships

Noblesse Cruiser

ONJ motor launches & workboats

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All about the $40m bayesian yacht that capsized, leaving 6 dead and 1 still missing.

The massive superyacht Bayesian that sank off the coast of Italy on Monday won numerous awards for its sleek interior design — and was sold to its original owner for nearly $40 million.

The luxury sailing ship was carrying 22 people when it capsized and sank during a fierce storm early Monday.

The bodies of five of six missing passengers, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch , 69, have been recovered. His daughter, 18-year-old Hannah, is the only one of six known killed in the tragedy yet to be found, a source close to the rescue operation told Reuters.

The ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, has also been confirmed dead.

Divers continued searching the wreckage of the 184-foot-long, British-flagged vessel, previously called Salute, on Wednesday after discovering four of the bodies.

When it was built in 2008, the Bayesian had the tallest aluminum mast in the world, standing at 237 feet, earning it the award for best exterior styling at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009, the Telegraph reported.

The sprawling superyacht’s interior, decorated with sleek, minimalist furnishings created by Remi Tessier, has also won numerous awards.

The ship, which accommodated 12 guests, had a master bedroom and three double and two twin bedrooms.

It also featured beige sofas, dark wood furnishings, and a teak deck equipped with a large canvas awning to keep guests cool, according to the outlet.

Some of the ship’s styling, including thin brown pillars and miniature terra cotta sculptures, was inspired by Japanese culture.

What to know after a tornado sank the yacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily:

• A superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily after a tornado hit the area early Monday, killing seven passengers.
• British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was identified as one of the bodies pulled from the wreckage. His teenage daughter, Hannah, was the final one to be recovered.
• Lynch — known as “Britain’s Bill Gates” — had invited guests from Clifford Chance, a legal firm that represented him, and Invoke Capital, his own company, on the voyage,  according to the Telegraph . 
• Security camera footage shot from 650 feet from where the  Bayesian sank Monday  shows it disappearing.
• A rare and unexpected “black swan” weather event may have led to the  Bayesian’s speedy demise , maritime experts say.

The extravagant ship won best interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008 and was also voted one of the best large sailing yachts at the 2009 World Superyacht Awards, according to the outlet.

The yacht’s original owner, John Groenewoud, a Dutch real estate developer, reportedly bought the ship for £30 million ($39 million) when it was built. In 2014, he sold the ship with an asking price of £27 million ($35 million).

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The Bayesian is currently owned by Revtom, a company that listed Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, as its legal owner.

It was named after the Bayesian statistical model that helps financial investors calculate risk — the subject of Lynch’s PhD that later helped him build his empire.

The vessel, operated by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, had twin 965hp MTU engines, which gave it a range of 3,600 nautical miles at 13 to 15 knots (14 to 17 mph).

RSB Rigging carried out rig service works on the ship with Astilleros de Mallorca, a shipyard facility in Palma, in November 2016.

The Bayesian returned in September 2020 for scheduled service works, including having its mast removed and reinstalled.

Steve Branagh, managing director of RSB Rigging, told the Telegraph: “At this time, our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and families of all those affected by this dreadful tragedy.”

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It Sank in 15 Minutes. How Tragedy Struck Mike Lynch’s Yacht.

P ORTICELLO, Italy—The sun set over a calm Mediterranean Sea as the Bayesian approached this small fishing town on the north coast of Sicily.

On the teak deck of the 180-foot superyacht, British tech mogul Mike Lynch was enjoying a new lease on life together with his family, friends and lawyers after his against-the-odds acquittal in a California trial.

The 59-year-old software entrepreneur, once hailed as the British Bill Gates, was celebrating with his wife and daughter, along with big names in law and banking in New York and London, and others who had helped him during his years fighting what the U.S. Justice Department had alleged was a massive accounting fraud. Friends joined and left as Lynch crisscrossed the Mediterranean, including stops at Positano and Palermo.

Lynch vowed to keep the maritime celebration rolling. He told another of his lawyers, Brian Heberlig, who had begged off this summer’s festivities because of other travel plans, that he wouldn’t be allowed to miss next year’s trip.

Amid the festivities came a shock on Sunday. Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, who had also been acquitted, had just been fatally hit by a car while out for a run at home in England. From the yacht, Chris Morvillo, a former U.S. prosecutor who had helped lead Lynch’s defense for more than a decade, emailed Heberlig and other legal colleagues to share the tragic news.

The Bayesian dropped anchor for the night a short distance outside the harbor wall of Porticello, in a wide bay east of Palermo. The lights on its aluminum mast—once the world’s tallest, but now eclipsed by a vessel owned by Jeff Bezos—shone like a Christmas tree as night fell.

Another large yacht, the Netherlands-flagged Sir Robert Baden Powell, was at anchor nearby.

The day had been sunny and hot. The night was clear and starry.

It was an unusual place for luxury yachts to linger, said local fishermen. The exposed spot offered less protection than the waters beneath the nearby mountain of Capo Zafferano, or the much larger port of Palermo.

And there was a storm warning. Porticello’s fleet of around 30 seaworn fishing boats were all inside the harbor wall as fishermen decided against going out to work that night.

The storm struck shortly before 4 a.m.

“The sea was an inferno for 15 minutes. Then it was calm again,” said local fisherman Giuseppe Balistreri.

When the lashing rain eased, the Bayesian was gone.

Divers struggle

Heberlig received a phone call on Monday morning from a U.K. number he didn’t recognize. He thought it was Morvillo, calling to commiserate about Chamberlain. Instead, it was someone else, calling to tell him that tragedy had also struck Morvillo, Lynch and others on the yacht.

Since Monday, Italian authorities have been investigating what caused the Bayesian to sink in a matter of minutes a few hundred yards from the harbor. They have interviewed survivors, reviewed photos and closed-circuit television footage and are analyzing the wreck, including with an underwater drone.

A prosecutor has begun an investigation into potential manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence. The probe is at an early stage and is still reconstructing the incident to ascertain who may have been culpable, the prosecutor, Ambrogio Cartosio, said on Saturday.

It took salvage divers five days and 123 dives to search the yacht for bodies as it lay on its side on the Sicilian seabed. In the darkness 160 feet below the surface, divers found its tight corridors were blocked by furniture, electric cables and other debris.

On Thursday, Lynch’s body arrived in the harbor in a blue body bag. The bodies of five other passengers have also been recovered from the yacht: Morvillo and his wife, Neda, a jewelry designer; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy; and Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, the last to be brought ashore on Friday.

The ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was found lifeless in the sea soon after the boat went down.

Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the survivors, along with five other guests and nine of the 10 crew.

From the harbor wall of this modest fishing port, international media and curious locals watched the somber progress of coast-guard boats bearing shrouded cadavers. Investigators questioned the yacht’s surviving crew and passengers at a nearby vacation resort. Local fishermen wondered how such an impressive vessel could have sunk in a sharp but short tempest.

“It breaks my heart to think that these people died so close to where I cast my nets,” said Balistreri.

The surviving crew members of the Bayesian, secluded by Italian authorities, were unavailable for comment. The Lynch, Bloomer and Morvillo families declined to comment.

Gone in minutes

Throughout its history, the Mediterranean Sea has been known as much for its treachery as for its beauty. Sudden storms have sunk ships here since humans learned to sail.

In recent years, the Mediterranean has become a graveyard for thousands of migrants from poor or war-torn countries, who continue to drown while trying to cross the hazardous sea in rickety boats in search of safety or a better life in Europe.

The Bayesian’s Italian manufacturer has angrily rejected suggestions by some marine engineers that the yacht’s 240-foot-high aluminum mast might have contributed to the accident, instead accusing the crew of a series of mistakes that led to the boat taking on water in the storm until it capsized.

The speed with which the $35 million boat disappeared under the waves has flummoxed even seasoned maritime accident investigators. “In my many years of accident investigation I can’t recall anything similar to this,” says Gavin Pritchard, a former investigator at the U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch, who probed sunken wrecks for a decade.

‘Saying goodbye to everything’

A few weeks earlier, in June, Lynch had hugged his weeping wife in a San Francisco courtroom after a jury found him innocent of fraud and conspiracy. Around him, a legal team co-led by Morvillo, some of whom had devoted many years to Lynch’s defense, was also in tears.

The British mogul had earlier resigned himself to spending the rest of his life in a U.S. prison. Lynch was flown in chains last year from London to California to face his trial over allegations that he had artificially inflated the value of Autonomy, a software company he founded, when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for more than $11 billion. “It’s a 0.7% acquittal rate,” he later said in an interview. “You basically go round saying goodbye to everything.”

It was a twist of fortune for a man who spent most of his career feted as a rare example of a British tech titan. Lynch, who grew up in London, the son of a nurse and firefighter, started out with a secondhand computer and a Ph.D. in mathematical computing from Cambridge University, drawing on the work of 18th-century statistician Thomas Bayes.

In 1996 Autonomy was spun out of a company called Cambridge Neurodynamics, which was an early venture into using machine learning to trawl data sets. Quickly a stock-market darling, Autonomy offered software that used Bayes’s techniques to process massive amounts of data for clients ranging from banks to intelligence agencies.

Lynch cultivated a hard-charging sales culture, had a piranha tank in the office and named conference rooms after James Bond movies. Lynch drove one of Bond’s favorite types of cars, too, a vintage Aston Martin.

HP’s acquisition of Autonomy gave Lynch a payday of about $800 million. Lynch stayed on, while investing some of his wealth in raising rare breeds of cows and pigs at his English farm.

In 2014, a company owned by his wife, Angela, bought the fateful yacht, made six years earlier by Tuscan luxury boat builders Perini Navi, and renamed it Bayesian after the statistician.

HP claimed that Lynch and senior finance executives had cooked Autonomy’s books. Lynch, who denied this, was fired from the company in 2012.

Morvillo, 59 years old and a senior partner at law firm Clifford Chance in New York, became Lynch’s attorney—a prominent federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York who had worked on cases linked to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and money laundering. Lynch’s case would consume a third of his professional life, and the two men became close friends.

Lynch and Morvillo argued that HP had botched the integration of Autonomy and was trying to pin its wider corporate failings on him. Lynch said that Autonomy’s accounting was in line with other software companies’.

In 2018, the U.S. government charged Lynch, alleging that he and his lieutenants had used false and misleading documents to make Autonomy more attractive to a potential buyer.

In May 2023, after losing a fight against extradition to the U.S., Lynch said goodbye to his six dogs, his wife and two daughters, walked around the corner from his West London home, and was ushered into a waiting police car which drove him to Heathrow airport.

He spent the next year living under house arrest in a San Francisco townhouse, with an electronic tag on his ankle, CCTV cameras in multiple rooms, and guarded by armed ex-Navy SEALs to make sure he stayed put. His family had posted a $100 million bond. He bought a sheepdog puppy for company.

Tears in the courtroom

Lynch faced trial along side Chamberlain, a former finance official at Autonomy. During the three-month trial, which involved around 16 million documents, Lynch’s lawyers argued that he had acted in good faith and wasn’t an expert in arcane accountancy matters.

Lynch’s defense team also leaned on a key witness, Bloomer, a City of London grandee and chairman of Morgan Stanley International, who had formerly chaired Autonomy’s audit committee.

The defense team gambled and got Lynch to testify. “You and I have met a lot, right?” Morvillo asked Lynch in the witness stand. “You’re probably sick of me at this point?”

“It’s a bit like we’re married sometimes,” Lynch responded, to laughter in the courtroom.

The jury cleared Lynch and Chamberlain on all 15 counts. Bacares rushed into the well of the courtroom, where spectators aren’t allowed, and threw her arms around her husband.

“I’ve never seen a moment like it in the courtroom before,” Morvillo recalled, talking on the podcast For the Defense. “Grown people sobbing, hugging, people clapping. It was remarkable.”

Lynch described the verdict as a fork in the road of his life. “It’s Schrödinger’s cat,” he later said. “You open the box and you are in one universe or the other.”

‘Only the captain knows the truth’

Rising sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are leading to more frequent maritime tornadoes known as waterspouts: short-lived but powerful twisters made of air and water that can lift up or capsize boats.

Locals in Porticello say such a tornado hit the yacht. But the Bayesian should have been able to withstand it.

“As a fisherman I ask myself: How can a boat of 56 meters sink, even if a waterspout passes directly over it?” said Balistreri. He said the biggest danger is if a boat at anchor gets sideways in the wind and the sea pours in over the gunwale and into the hold.

“Only the captain knows the truth,” he said.

In the last year there were over 600 waterspouts around Europe, according to the European Severe Weather Database.

Giovanni Constantino, chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, parent company of the Bayesian’s manufacturer, told Italian media that the yacht could sink in such a storm only if it took on too much water while tilting in the gale with open doors or hatches.

The crew should have prepared the ship, given the storm forecast, including by closing all doors and gathering the passengers, he said.

CCTV footage from the shore shows how the Bayesian with its brightly lit mast leans hard to starboard. The lights go out as the gale hardens. That could indicate a power failure caused by water flooding into the yacht, Constantino said.

The wind and rain intensify so much that the yacht disappears from view in the video.

Data from MarineTraffic, a maritime-information provider, shows both the Bayesian and the Sir Robert Baden Powell, anchored nearby, drifting southeast when the storm hit, suggesting their anchors were slipping. The captain of the Dutch ship, Karsten Börner, turned his engine on and maneuvered to keep his stern to the wind, avoiding being pushed sideways, he told reporters later.

Within minutes, after the storm had passed, Börner said he looked around but could no longer see the Bayesian. The crew of the sinking yacht fired a red flare, spotted also by some local fishermen, who sped out in their boats to help.

Börner saw and picked up an orange inflatable life raft, carrying 15 survivors of the Bayesian.

Seven people—Lynch and his daughter, the Morvillos and the Bloomers, and the cook Thomas—hadn’t made it out of the yacht in time.

Write to Marcus Walker at [email protected], Max Colchester at [email protected] and Aruna Viswanatha at [email protected]

Mike Lynch and daughter among missing after yacht sinks: What we know about disaster - and 'alarming' potential cause

The British-flagged luxury vessel named Bayesian was carrying 22 people when it got into difficulty off the coast of Sicily. Seven bodies have now been recovered from the wreckage.

News reporter @samuelosborne93

Friday 23 August 2024 12:24, UK

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Seven bodies have been found after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

Twenty-two people were on board the vessel named Bayesian when it got into difficulty in the early hours of Monday, with 15 people rescued.

Here's what we know about the sinking of the luxury vessel so far.

Follow latest updates on the superyacht sinking

What might have caused the sinking?

The British-flagged luxury vessel, named Bayesian, capsized at around 4.30am local time on Monday morning off Palermo, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.

It sank in as little as 60 seconds with 22 people on board, 12 passengers and a crew of 10, according to the Italian coastguard.

Waterspouts, essentially tornados that form over water, were seen as powerful winds battered the area overnight, local media said.

The yacht may have sunk faster with all the doors open due to the hot weather, Sailing Today magazine editor Sam Jefferson has said.

"I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that," he said.

Official pictures show air conditioning units in several of the rooms, however, which could counter the suggestion open windows caused the vessel to sink faster.

The huge mast is also likely to have played a role, he added.

What are waterspouts?

Waterspouts typically occur during thunderstorms and can develop very rapidly, within minutes.

Their spin generally reaches wind speeds between 75-200mph, but can reach as high as 300mph.

They can travel at about 10-20mph typically but can reach greater speeds, making them difficult to avoid - especially in something as slow-moving as a yacht.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, called the reports of a tornado or waterspout "rare" and "quite alarming".

"The vessel was at anchor in a recognised anchorage," Mr Schanck said.

"Depending on wind direction and the state of the sea, this informs the captain whether it is a safe area to anchor or not. There was nothing that was too concerning, for my eye. All in all, the captain used the information they had to make a safe call."

Who owns the yacht?

The yacht belonged to the family of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch. He was confirmed to have died after rescuers found his body on Thursday. Mr Lynch was on holiday with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who is still missing, and his wife Angela Bacares, who was rescued.

Mr Lynch, 59, was known as the " British Bill Gates " and has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case.

In June, a US jury cleared him of all charges, which were related to the 2011 sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP). The yacht trip is believed to have been a celebration of the end of Mr Lynch's legal troubles.

HP accused him of deliberately overstating the value of the company before it was acquired by the American tech giant.

Mr Lynch was extradited to the US to face trial in May last year and spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco as he awaited trial on 17 charges of conspiracy and wire fraud brought by the US Department of Justice - which were later reduced to 15 charges. He always denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted.

Read more: Lynch's co-defendant dies days before yacht sinking

Who was on board when the boat sank?

The passengers were largely British and American, with crew members were from New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada.

Charlotte Golunski was among the Britons rescued. Her LinkedIn profile says she is a partner at Mr Lynch's firm Invoke Capital and has worked there since 2012.

Speaking after the ordeal, Ms Golunski told Italian media that she lost her daughter Sofia for "two seconds" amid the "fury" of the sea but was able to retrieve her. She said she held the infant above the waves until the lifeboat was ready.

"Many people screamed. Luckily the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us were able to get on board," she told ANSA.

The girl's father James Emsley also survived, according to Sicily's civil protection agency.

Also on board were Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley, his wife Judy Bloomer, a top US lawyer Chris Morvillo, who worked on Mr Lynch's criminal case, and his wife Neda Morvillo. Divers confirmed on Thursday that their bodies had been recovered.

The yacht's captain James Cutfield survived, along with South African crew members Leah Randall and Katja Chicken.

Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan chef who was working on the boat, was the first to be found dead, the Italian Coastguard confirmed to Sky News.

During rescue efforts, divers saw "corpses through the portholes" of the wreck as they recovered the body of a man at a depth of 50m (164ft), according to Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily.

What do we know about the vessel?

The Bayesian is owned by a company controlled by Mr Lynch's wife.

It was known for its unusual 72.3m (246ft) single mast - one of the world's tallest made of aluminium - and shared its name with the statistical method Mr Lynch's Autonomy software was based on.

It was built by Italian company Perini Navi in 2008 and last refitted in 2020.

It was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter sites.

The luxury vessel , which was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, could accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.

It won a string of awards for its design, according to online specialist yacht sites.

Mr Schanck, of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, said the vessel would have been equipped with "high standard" life-saving appliances and radio communications.

He added the yacht would have met all international standards and UK Maritime Coastguard Agency regulations before its voyage.

It was previously named Salute, or "health" in Italian, when it flew under a Dutch flag. Its minimalist interior featured light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions on charter sites.

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What were its last movements?

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of "at anchor", according to vessel tracking site VesselFinder.

The Bayesian previously travelled to other parts of Sicily before its last sighting off the coast of the port of Porticello.

On Sunday, the boat was seen off the coast of Cefalu before it travelled towards Porticello, MarineTraffic data shows.

In the days before, the yacht travelled around four of the Aeolian islands, just north of Sicily.

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Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the sinking.

Related Topics

• Superyacht sinking