The Italian Sea Group (TISG), the builder of the Bayesian superyacht that tragically sank in 2024, has initiated a staggering £400 million lawsuit against the widow of billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch. The legal action alleges that the company suffered significant financial losses in sales following the maritime disaster, which claimed seven lives, including Lynch and his teenage daughter.
Lawsuit Filed in Sicilian Court
TISG has formally lodged the claim in the town of Termini Imerese on Sicily's northern coast. The lawsuit targets Revtom, the Isle of Man entity that owned the Bayesian, now controlled by Angela Bacares following her husband's death. Additionally, the legal proceedings name the yacht's skipper, James Cutfield, and two crew members, Timothy Eaton and Matthew Griffiths.
The Italian firm contends that the crew's alleged incompetence and negligence directly led to the vessel's capsizing and subsequent sinking. Giovanni Costantino, TISG's majority owner and a prominent Italian yachting millionaire, has publicly asserted that the Bayesian was designed to be 'unsinkable'. He claims that critical errors, such as unsecured doors and portholes, along with ignored weather warnings, precipitated the catastrophe.
Details of the 2024 Tragedy
The Bayesian met its fate off the coast of the Sicilian fishing village of Porticello on August 19, 2024. A fierce storm with winds reaching 100 mph struck the superyacht, causing it to sink in a mere 16 minutes. Alongside Mike Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who was due to commence studies at Oxford University, five other passengers perished.
British investigations conducted by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) revealed that the £30 million yacht was compromised when 80.6 mph winds hit its beam. The interim report indicated that the captain and crew were 'unaware' of the vessel's 'vulnerabilities' to such strong winds, as these were not detailed in the stability information booklet on board.
Conflicting Narratives and Previous Legal Actions
A source close to the Lynch family has condemned the lawsuit as 'cynical' and 'predictable', arguing that it aims to divert attention from unresolved questions about the yacht's design, stability, and operating characteristics. The source emphasised that UK investigations have raised serious concerns about vulnerabilities unknown to the owner and crew.
This is not the first legal action TISG has pursued in relation to the sinking. Last September, the company dismissed a lawyer who had filed a similar £186 million lawsuit against Mike Lynch's widow without the firm's 'knowledge and consent'. TISG had previously denied authorising that claim and ordered its withdrawal.
Minute-by-Minute Account of the Disaster
On the night of August 18, the Bayesian had anchored near Cefalù to shelter from a forecast thunderstorm, positioned next to the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which would later rescue survivors. By 3:55 AM, a deckhand recorded the advancing storm and shared it on social media before securing hatches and windows.
Within minutes, winds escalated to 35 mph, causing the yacht to list and drag its anchor. The crew was awakened and began preparations to manoeuvre the vessel. At approximately 4:06 AM, winds suddenly surged to over 80 mph, violently heeling the Bayesian to a 90-degree angle in less than 15 seconds.
The sudden capsizing injured five people, including the captain, and threw a deckhand into the sea. Guests trapped in cabins used furniture drawers as makeshift ladders to escape. As water inundated the vessel, the crew managed to push four guests to the flying bridge. The yacht sank rapidly, with survivors taking refuge in a life raft and eventually being rescued by the Sir Robert Baden Powell after firing distress flares.
Aftermath and Salvage Operation
The bodies of the seven victims were recovered after a five-day search of the wreck on the seabed. Among the deceased were Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife Judy, 71, along with US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda. Tragically, an eighth death occurred in May last year when a Dutch diver was killed during the £20 million salvage operation to retrieve the hull.
TISG's current lawsuit alleges that the company has lost millions in euros due to the sinking, citing examples such as a well-known fashion house retracting plans to launch its branding on the company's yachts. The legal battle is set to unfold amidst ongoing scrutiny of the vessel's design and the circumstances leading to one of the most high-profile maritime disasters in recent years.
