Fact Check: "Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots, violently knocking the yacht over in 15 seconds."
What We Know
On August 19, 2022, the superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven individuals, including tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter. An interim report from the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) indicated that wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (approximately 80.6 mph) at the time of the incident. The report stated that these extreme winds "violently" knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds, causing significant chaos on board as people, furniture, and loose items fell across the deck (source-1, source-2).
The MAIB's investigation noted that the yacht was in a vulnerable state, with its sails down and the centerboard raised, which contributed to its instability in high winds. The report emphasized that the crew and owner were unaware of the yacht's susceptibility to capsizing under such conditions, as this critical information was not included in the onboard stability documentation (source-1, source-4).
Analysis
The claim that wind speeds exceeded 70 knots and caused the yacht to capsize in 15 seconds is supported by multiple credible sources. The MAIB's interim report, which is the primary source of information, has been corroborated by various news outlets, including the BBC, The Standard, and Al Jazeera, all of which reported similar findings regarding the wind speeds and the rapid capsizing of the yacht (source-1, source-2, source-6).
The reliability of the MAIB as a source is high, as it is a government agency responsible for investigating marine accidents in the UK. Their findings are based on a combination of eyewitness accounts, modeling studies conducted by the University of Southampton, and assessments of the yacht's stability under extreme weather conditions (source-1, source-5).
While the report does acknowledge that further investigation is ongoing and that the final report will provide more refined conclusions, the interim findings are based on verified evidence available at the time. The critical assessment of the yacht's stability and the conditions leading to its capsizing have been thoroughly examined, making the claim credible and well-supported.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that "wind speeds exceeded 70 knots, violently knocking the yacht over in 15 seconds" is accurate based on the interim report from the MAIB and corroborated by multiple reliable sources. The evidence indicates that the extreme wind conditions directly contributed to the rapid capsizing of the yacht, which was further exacerbated by the crew's lack of awareness regarding the vessel's vulnerabilities.
Sources
- Bayesian crew unaware wind speeds of over 73mph could ... BBC
- Mike Lynch's superyacht sank in 'extreme winds', says report The Standard
- Superyacht is pulled from the depths 10 months after sinking ... 2News
- Superyacht Bayesian was toppled by 'extreme wind', report says Yahoo News
- 'Extreme winds' sank Bayesian superyacht killing Brit tech tycoon ... - LBC LBC
- Tycoon Mike Lynch's yacht toppled by 'extreme wind', UK ... Al Jazeera
- Mike Lynch's superyacht knocked over by 'extreme wind', investigators say Suffolk News
- British superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, to be raised this ... ABC News
