SW-INC-0036SeaWise Incidents

Bayesian - Foundered in a sudden windstorm off Sicily

A sudden windstorm knocked down and sank a sailing yacht off Sicily.

likely · 1 sourceO
Vessel
Bayesian184 ft · Sailing yacht
When
2024Mediterranean
Crew
22 aboard15 survived · 7 lost
Outcome
Sunk
Position
off Porticello, Sicily, Italy
Sea area
Tyrrhenian Sea
Coordinates
38.20°N, 13.54°EApproximate position
Summary

What happened.

Before dawn on 19 August 2024 the sailing yacht Bayesian was knocked down and foundered in a sudden, violent windstorm half a nautical mile off Porticello, Sicily. Of the 22 people aboard, seven died. The MAIB's interim report found the yacht was vulnerable to high winds and that, once heeled past about 70 degrees, recovery was impossible.

Before dawn on 19 August 2024 the 56-metre sailing yacht Bayesian was at anchor off Porticello, on the north coast of Sicily, when a sudden, violent windstorm struck. She was knocked down and foundered about half a nautical mile from port. Of the 22 people aboard — 12 guests and 10 crew — seven died, including the owner; fifteen were evacuated. The MAIB's interim report presents a desktop study of the facts established so far: the yacht's documented stability, the likely local weather, and how that weather would have affected her. Its early findings indicate the extreme wind was enough to knock her over, and that once she heeled beyond about 70 degrees her situation was irrecoverable. The Commission stressed this is interim; full analysis and conclusions will follow.

ConditionsSudden, violent localised windstorm; yacht knocked down.
Lessons learned

What it teaches.

  • 1
    In violent wind a tall-rigged yacht can be knocked down fast. Know your boat's stability limits and reduce exposure when severe squalls threaten.
  • 2
    Watch for sudden, localised severe weather. Have a plan to secure the yacht and account for everyone aboard before it arrives.
    communications
  • 3
    Past a critical angle of heel, recovery may be impossible. Closing hatches and openings early preserves what stability remains.
    flooding
Sources

Where this comes from.

Official report· MAIB (UK)Foundering of the yacht Bayesian with loss of 7 livesVisit ↗

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From SeaWise

Procedures involved.

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Record IDSW-INC-0036
Curated bySeaWise editorial
Confidencelikely · 1 source
Record typeIncident

About SeaWise records: We catalogue sailing emergencies with structured metadata and link to primary sources rather than republishing them. Individual crew names are anonymised by default— sources we link to may name them publicly; SeaWise refers to roles ("the skipper", "the crew") on our pages. Submitter identities are always private.