Yachts like the “Bayesian” can even withstand “hurricanes like Katrina.” The manufacturer blames the captain for the accident in Italy.
Palermo – Seven people died when the “Bayesian” sank in Italy. The luxury yacht capsized about half a nautical mile off the coast of Sicily and sank within a few moments. But why?
After accident off Sicily: Manufacturer calls yacht “Bayesian” “unsinkable”
The magnificent sailing ship is one of the safest yachts in the world, says Giovanni Costantino in an interview with the Serra Corriere and the FAZThe Italian is president of the Italian Sea Group, the holding company behind the Perini Navi brand, which built the “Bayesian”.
Costantino describes the luxury yacht as practically “unsinkable”. Perini Navi’s yachts have even withstood “hurricanes like Katrina”. A short storm like the one that ultimately had serious consequences off Palermo would not be enough to sink a ship like the “Bayesian”, he stresses. As we know, things turned out differently.
In 2008, the 56-meter-long sailing ship was launched in Viareggio (Tuscany), then still under the name “Salute”. According to New York Post The yacht cost almost 40 million dollars (around 36 million euros) and won numerous awards, most of them for the magnificent interior design. Another special feature of the “Bayesian” is its 75-meter-high aluminum mast, for a long time the highest of its kind.
“Impossible not to know about the storm”: Yacht builder blames captain for accident
For Costantino, there is one person in particular responsible for the boating accident: Captain James Cutfield. He is harshly criticizing the Briton in the media. Only “serious errors” could have caused the yacht to sink. The ship of the German captain Karsten Börner coped with the storm without any problems and even saved 15 people from drowning, stresses Costantino.
“We didn’t see it coming,” Cutfield had told the newspaper The Republic about the storm. “It was impossible not to know about the storm,” protests Costantino. Weather data actually showed the storm more than an hour before the accident, which is why meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann had already given the crew a hard time.
Doors and hatches of the “Bayesian” opened? Boat builder suspects “serious” errors on board
The boat builder is certain that essential safety precautions were disregarded on board the “Bayesian”. “The people should not have been in the cabins, the ship should not have been at anchor.” But the biggest mistake, Costantino suspects, is that doors and hatches may have been open.
If water enters, even an “unsinkable” yacht has no chance. “If the ratio of water in the boat to the displaced mass tips, it happens quickly. Then there is no turning back,” explains deep-sea expert Philippe Epelbaum at IPPEN.MEDIAHe also says that a large wave or open hatches could theoretically have led to the tragedy off Sicily.
If there is no water inside, yachts of this size usually right themselves after capsizing thanks to a large, heavy keel. However, the keel of the “Bayesian” may have been retracted, explains an experienced skipper at IPPEN.MEDIA.
Investigations into causes of boat accident in Italy – manufacturer also considers measures
The port authority and the public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese want to clarify what really led to the sinking of the “Bayesian”. Captain Cutfield has already been questioned for hours, but there are no official findings yet. The Italian Sea Group is also demanding clarification. Costantino indicates why: “We have suffered enormous damage to our image and a collapse on the stock market. We are considering possible measures to protect our image and the credibility of Perini Navi.” (moe)
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