New Bayesian theory

Shipwreck off Palermo: Was megalomania to blame?

An analysis by the "New York Times" now brings in a new aspect that could be responsible for the fatal shipwreck.

(Bild: AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

Higher, faster, further: especially when it comes to luxury, for some it can never be good enough. This megalomania could have been partly to blame for the sinking of the Bayesian off Palermo - at least according to a new theory.

The luxury ship Bayesian, which sank off Palermo in August, could also have sunk because of the size of its mast - the tallest in the world at the time - and the structural design required to support it. This is according to an analysis by the daily newspaper "New York Times". The yacht, built by the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, had an exceptionally high aluminum mast weighing 40 tons and measuring over 72 meters.

"Super mast" could have been her undoing
The "super mast" was an anomaly: The other nine boats in the same class are equipped with two masts. "Technical documents show that the Bayesian could easily have been overturned in a storm and would have sunk," the newspaper writes.

Other "serious weaknesses" contributed to the disaster, including two large glass doors on the deck, which would have increased the Bayesian's ability to take on dangerous amounts of water in strong winds.

The Bayesian

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Perini Navi Press Office Handout / Zuma)

Shipyard boss spoke of fatal errors
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian "Sea Group", which took over the Perini Navi shipyard in 2021, affirmed that the ship would have been "unsinkable" if it had been handled correctly. Costantino again blamed the crew for the tragedy, accusing them of a series of fatal errors.

Luxury yacht cost seven people their lives
The Bayesian sank during a heavy, sudden storm off the port of Porticello near Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily. The ship was owned by the Isle of Man-based company Revtom Limited, which in turn is owned by Angela Bacares, the widow of British billionaire Mike Lynch.

Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah died in the shipwreck along with five other people. Bacares was able to save himself.