Yacht expert breaks down luxury superyacht tragedy after boat capsizes in freak storm: ‘Always limits’

A luxury superyacht like the Bayesian, which capsized and sank early Monday with more than a dozen people on board, is typically built to withstand extreme weather conditions, but not everything is 100% guaranteed, says one expert.  

Fox News Digital spoke with eSysman of the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts, to find out what could have gone wrong with the vessel. 

The host, who identifies publicly as eSysman, told Fox News Digital that a high-caliber yacht like the Bayesian, should typically be able to withstand up to “extreme weather conditions,” but qualified that “there are always limits.” 

“Obviously, any voyage plan will take into account the weather. Wind, wave sizes, and frequencies of the waves will be studied and precise prediction of weather has improved over the years, but it’s still not 100%,” eSysman said, noting that it is ultimately the captain who is responsible for the vessel. 

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The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-foot mast — one of the world’s tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros – or around about $215,000 – a week.

Sicily’s civil protection agency said that a tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight. 

British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, authorities said. 

Lynch’s wife and 14 other people survived. Lynch was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off the Italian city of Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. 

In this handout screen grab taken from a video provided by Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco, an Italian Coast Guard ship is seen at the site of a sunken vessel on August 19, 2024, in Palermo, Italy.  (Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco via Getty Images)

“There’s always the possibility of survivors. This is why the search and rescue will keep going, no matter how slim the chances are,” eSysman said. “But life expectancy in cold water is short.”

If a vessel is caught in high-winds, eSysman, [they] will start their engines, and maneuver into a position where the wind is on the bow, avoiding the beam or the side of the vessel from being against the wind. 

“We’re not sure if the yacht was at anchor or was sailing. The eyewitness report seems to suggest the vessel was anchored in the bay, but the AIS data’s lost position said she was underway, so we’re not sure which is correct,” eSysman said. 

“AIS” refers to “Automatic Identification System,” which is a short-range coastal tracking system used on ships. 

Per its YouTube channel, the team at eSysman SuperYachts comprises all serving or ex-maritime professions, with eSysman himself having more than two decades in the industry working on various SuperYachts of all sizes “including some of the largest in the world.” 

The crew and passengers of the Bayesian hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was “providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families.”

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Built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, the yacht can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.