The temporary report of the 7-killing superyacht on the coast of Sicily said the ship felt "frail" to the strong winds.
British investigators say the sudden powerful wind could have sunk behind the tilt on a superyacht owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, sank Sicily again last year, killing seven people.
Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are those who died when the Bayesians, 56 meters a.m. on August 19, overthrew. The voyage was originally a celebration after Lynch’s acquittal in a major fraud case in the United States two months ago.
In a preliminary report released Thursday, the British Marine Accident Investigation Department (MAIB) found that the ship felt "vulnerable" to strong winds, which may be less severe than the ship recorded at the time of the incident. The report noted that the owners and crew of the yacht were not known about this vulnerability, as the onboard stability guidelines have not been documented.
The agency released an investigation because the Bayesians were registered in the UK. However, it acknowledged that access to critical evidence remains limited due to ongoing criminal inquiries by Italian authorities.
According to a report from the UK, the Bayesians were moved to a safe place considered a thunderstorm the day before the accident. However, at about 4:06 am local time, the ship was in a driving state, the sails piled up and lifted, and it was hit by winds over 70 knots (81 mph), which made it tilt in seconds.
"Your wind pushes the ship on top and then makes the ship's stability try to push the ship upright again," said Maib investigator Simon Graves. "Our study found that Bayesians may be vulnerable to strong winds, which may be present when the accident occurs."
Other victims include Jonathan and Judy Bloomer - British National - Chris and Neda Morvillo from the United States and Antigua chef Recaldo Thomas from Canada. 15 people survived, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares.
Efforts to resume yachts have stalled since May 9, when a diver was killed in operation. Salvage work resumed Thursday. Graves said the final report will cover other factors, such as possible escape routes and what happened on the ship.
“There’s more to uncover,” he said. “Once we get the yacht itself, we can have a more comprehensive picture of the schedule and decision.”