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Seven dead after superyacht sinks off Sicily. Was the crew at fault? Or the design?
August 30, 2024 · 11 min · 210K views · Porticello, Sicily
What this video covers
The 183-foot superyacht Bayesian sank off Portocello, Sicily, on 19 August after encountering a severe downburst while at anchor.4:59 The vessel, a Perini Navi sloop with a 246-foot mast, rested on the seafloor at a depth of 160 feet.0:17 Investigators are examining the yacht’s stability, noting that its 90,000-pound swing keel was in the raised position, reducing the angle of vanishing stability from 88 degrees to 77 degrees.2:24 The vessel’s down-flooding angle was 45 degrees, a threshold potentially compromised by open HVAC ports, ventilation ducts, and heavy sliding glass doors that could slide open under heel.3:03 While the Italian Sea Group defended the design as unsinkable, the Italian prosecutor and the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch have opened investigations into the captain and crew.7:26 The incident highlights the vulnerability of large yachts to extreme, localized weather events that can overwhelm standard anchoring and safety protocols.
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