After the sinking of the luxury yacht “Bayesian” off the coast of Sicily with seven fatalities, the Italian manufacturer of the ship is now demanding more than 200 million euros in compensation, according to a media report. The lawsuit is also directed against the widow of the drowned British billionaire Mike Lynch, Angela Bacares, as the daily newspaper “Giornale di Sicilia” reports.
The Sea Group shipyard justifies its claim for a total of 222 million euros on the grounds that the selection of an unsuitable crew and their actions have caused serious damage to its image.
The yacht, which was declared “unsinkable,” sank in mid-August during a storm. The exact circumstances are still unclear. Seven people died, including Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter and four guests of the extremely wealthy software entrepreneur.
The crew managed to save themselves, except for the ship’s cook. The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the captain of the “Bayesian”, a New Zealander with a great deal of experience, and two other members of the crew. The investigation is also looking into whether the manufacturer is to blame.
No date for rescue
The 15-year-old ship has been stranded in the Mediterranean Sea 900 metres off the small Sicilian port of Porticello for more than a month now. There is still no date set for its salvage.
The 56-meter-long “Bayesian” with a 75-meter-high mast was one of the largest sailing yachts in the world. It was built in 2008 by the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, which was later taken over by the listed Sea Group.
According to the newspaper report, her lawyers are of the opinion that the captain was not up to the task of steering the yacht. The lawsuit was filed against the British company Revtom Limited, which is managed by the widow, and against an international operator of luxury yachts, Camper & Nicholsons. There was no immediate comment from the latter.
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