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Dramatic ocean rescue to save wa father and young son from sinking yacht off rottnest island.

Father, son rescued after yacht hits rocks off Rottnest

A West Australian father and his 11-year-old son are lucky to be alive after their yacht crashed into a reef , sparking a dramatic nighttime rescue in treacherous conditions.

Their vessel hit rocks off Thomson Bay at Rottnest Island, a popular tourist spot off WA’s coast, about 8.30pm on Thursday.

Watch more in the video above

Marine radio captured the 40-year-old father’s distressing calls for help as their boat started taking on water.

“We are in the water and we are being crushed by broken furniture,” he can be heard saying in a desperate mayday call.

“We are currently stuck in forward gear and cannot disengage and we cannot reverse.

“I have a child on board, an 11-year-old, who is in distress.”

WA police released footage showing the ship sinking in the darkness.

Two police boats were sent to the unfolding emergency, but high winds and dangerous conditions hindered their ability to reach the sinking vessel.

Then a wind change shifted the yacht’s position, allowing emergency services to get close enough to rescue the father and son about 9.30pm.

Remarkably, the pair escaped with minor injuries - the dad, bruising and the son a broken arm - but their situation could have been much worse.

The high stakes rescue would have been a distressing ordeal for the family, Inspector Steve Scott said.

“They’re in darkness, they’re on the reef, they’re wondering when people are coming to effect a rescue for them,” he said.

Scott said the yacht had suffered a mechanical issue that meant it was stuck in gear and made it difficult to avoid the reef.

“Once he hit the reef, he had all the appropriate safety equipment and acted very calmly and activated his EPIRB, and called out to the water police coordination centre via the radio.

“That allowed us to know his location and successfully rescue them.”

The Rottnest Island Authority and Department of Transport are working to carry out a salvage operation.

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Two people rescued from sinking yacht off WA coast

Two people have been rescued from a sinking yacht after it ran aground off the WA coast on Sunday.

A marine rescue vessel recovered the elderly couple after their yacht, called the Serenity, ran aground on a reef off Hillarys, north of Perth.

The pair abandoned the vessel, swimming to a police boat moments before the yacht sank.

Two people rescued from sinking yacht off WA coast

Two people have been rescued from a sinking yacht after it ran aground off the WA coast on Sunday.

A marine rescue vessel recovered the elderly couple after their yacht, called the Serenity, ran aground on a reef off Hillarys, north of Perth.

The pair abandoned the vessel, swimming to a police boat moments before the yacht sank.

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60th Cape Naturaliste Return Race

60TH CAPE NATURALISTE RETURN RACE

Friday 22nd march  2024, from rpyc fremantle annexe | challenger harbour, pre-regatta information.

ENTER NOW NOTICE OF RACE   SUPPLEMENTARY SAILING INSTRUCTIONS SIs AMENDMENT #1   MANDATORY BRIEFING EVENING   CAT 3. AUDIT   2024 ENTRIES

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MANDATORY BREIFING

We strongly encourage that all competitors attend the mandatory briefing evening held prior to the regatta start. However a minimum of two crew Members are required to be at briefing for boat to be eligible to compete. Briefing covers all topics safety and navigation. More information coming soon.

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Sicily yacht sinking: Body of ship's chef believed recovered, as six presumed dead

A luxury superyacht, the 56-metre bayesian, capsized and sank off the coast of sicily during severe weather, leaving one person dead, six missing, and 15 rescued. among the missing is british tech magnate mike lynch..

One dead and six missing after a luxury superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Source: AAP / Perini Nasvi Press Office

• A luxury yacht capsized off Sicily, leaving one dead and six missing, including UK tech magnate Mike Lynch.
• Fifteen people have been rescued and eight were hospitalised after a storm hit the 56m yacht.
• The Bayesian, notable for its tall mast, was moored near Porticello when a waterspout struck.

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A waterspout may have sunk a luxury yacht. Could this happen in Australia?

ABC Science

Topic: Weather Phenomena

Waterspouts, like this one seen in the Mediterranean in 2018, usually only last a few minutes.  ( Reuters: Alkis Konstantinidis )

On Monday, a sailing yacht off the coast of Italy with 22 people onboard, including British billionaire Mike Lynch, fatally sank . 

Eyewitness reports suggest a waterspout — a large column of water — might have damaged the yacht that was anchored off Sicily. 

Fifteen passengers have been rescued, and six have been confirmed dead, with one person still missing. 

But as rescue efforts continue, an Australian meteorologist says waterspouts, although relatively rare, have damaged property in the past. 

Here's what we know about the meteorological phenomena, and whether we can get them Down Under

What is a waterspout? 

A waterspout is produced by a spinning column of air.

In the water, this phenomenon occurs when cool air passes over warm water, which sucks up water and produces the 'spout' effect.

A similar thing can happen when there's cool air over hot ground, called a landspout, which sucks up dirt. 

While they look similar to tornadoes or cyclones, Rohan Smyth from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says they have some distinct features. 

"Tornadoes come out of a very significant thunderstorm system, whereas waterspouts don't have to be associated with thunderstorms," Mr Smyth says.

"They're quite different." 

Waterspouts are normally short-lived, lasting only a few minutes before petering out. 

However, despite their short life span, they can be exceptionally damaging as winds inside the waterspout can exceed 90 kilometres per hour. 

"Which is what [the BOM] would classify as a damaging wind gust," Mr Smyth says. 

"I wouldn't want to be nearby if I was in a boat."

How common are they? 

Waterspouts can happen "semi-regularly" according to Mr Smyth, although certain conditions have to occur. 

"If you've got a cool air mass and a warm air mass coming together at a head, that can create the conditions to get a circulation going," Mr Smyth said.

While forecasters can predict conditions that might trigger a water spout,  predicting if one will actually occur is "very, very difficult because they are so localised," he adds.

In the latest case, heatwaves had occurred in Italy for the last few weeks, and cooler air had just arrived on Sunday night. 

However, it can't yet be confirmed if it was a waterspout or some other, more common phenomenon that sank the yacht. 

Italian climatologist Luca Mercalli told Reuters the episode could have been a waterspout or a downburst, which is a similar-looking, more common event where rain is quickly dumped into one specific location.

"We don't know which it was because it all happened in the dark in the early hours of the morning, so we have no photographs," he said.

Can they happen in Australia? 

Waterspouts are not just an Italian phenomenon. 

They are seen off the east coast of Australia during autumn and winter as the air gets colder but the water stays warm. 

Earlier this year in March, a series of waterspouts were seen near Moreton Island in Queensland .

And last year boaties in the Whitsundays captured vision of not one but  two waterspouts which formed off Airlie Beach .

However, while conditions in the east are more favourable, Mr Smyth says they can potentially occur anywhere along Australia's coast.

In May this year a water spout was seen near Dunsborough in south-west Western Australia .

Despite this, there are only a few instances of waterspouts damaging boats or other property. 

A tornado that ripped through Lennox Head on the NSW north coast in 2010, destroying homes and causing injuries, actually began as a waterspout.

And in 2019, a waterspout which occurred on the Auckland waterfront in New Zealand toppled a shipping container and damaged a number of yachts. 

Are they getting more frequent? 

While it's unusual to get caught in the path of a waterspout, Mr Smyth says it's not yet possible to say if they are becoming more frequent.

"The classic scientist answer: it depends," he says. 

"Because they're so local scale — so small and so short-lived — it's hard to bring that back to the broader global environment of warming."

Even tracking them down for research can be difficult.

"They're often just metres across and they last a matter of minutes. So unless you get a photo from someone who manages to to catch it, you'll often miss them.

"They're very hard to track even on the radar. You might only get a scan or two before they fall over."

Science in your inbox

Watch live: Search for Hannah Lynch continues

09:40 , Holly Patrick

Watch live as the search continues to find Hannah Lynch after the body of her father, British tech magnate Mike Lynch, was retrieved on Thursday (22 August) following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

Divers and underwater vehicles are scouring the scene as the billionaire’s youngest daughter remains unaccounted for after the 56-metre boat sank in a severe storm.

Coastguard hopeful for progress in fifth day of search

09:24 , Rachel Hagan

The Italian coastguard is hopeful there will be progress today in the search for Hannah Lynch.

Spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said “we trust” when asked if any developments were expected.

Yacht group CEO questions if doors and hatches remained open

08:48 , Holly Evans

The luxury yacht’s captain, James Cutfield, was reportedly questioned by authorities for two hours as they began speaking to all crew members.

Giovanni Costantino, chief executive of the firm that built the yacht, told The Sun the ship was “virtually unsinkable”.

He instead wondered if doors and hatches had remained open.

“The disturbance was completely readable on all the weather maps,” he said. “Fishermen did not go out precisely because of the adverse weather conditions. It was therefore expected that the ship would take precautions.”

Italian Coastguard ‘trust’ that progress will be made in search for teenager

08:13 , Holly Evans

The Italian Coastguard “trust” that on Friday there will be significant progress in the search for the missing woman from the wreck of a yacht that sank off Sicily, a spokesman said.

Asked if any developments are expected, Vincenzo Zagarola replied: “We trust.”

In pictures: Rescue workers bringing fifth body bag ashore

07:00 , Tara Cobham

‘I knew Mike Lynch and his next idea was to get us to believe the unbelievable'

06:00 , Tara Cobham

Just under 10 weeks ago, 59-year-old Mike Lynch was on trial in San Francisco on 17 charges of fraud . He was almost guaranteed to receive a 25-year sentence.

He was terrified that he would die in a US prison, not because he was guilty – he had spent £30m on legal fees arguing his innocence – but because it’s almost unheard of in the US to win a case against the US Justice Department. His chances of winning were put at 0.5 per cent. However, after 13 years of putting together detailed evidence to support his plea, he was acquitted and it felt like a miracle.

Once back in the UK, Lynch set about celebrating what he called his second life. Through tears, he told one interviewer how even the traffic in London seemed magical. “I’m just thinking this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he said.

This month, the tech tycoon took his family, friends and lawyers for further celebrations on a Mediterranean cruise aboard his luxury sailboat. It s ank in a freak violent squall in the small hours of Monday. His body was discovered on Wednesday, alongside five others recovered from the sunken Bayesian superyacht with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah still reported missing.

Jonathan Margolis writes:

I knew Mike Lynch and his next idea was to get us to believe the unbelievable

Mike Lynch: The British tech trailblazer

05:00 , Tara Cobham

Mike Lynch, the tech tycoon who died when his luxury yacht sank off Sicily, spent more than a decade building Britain's biggest software company and almost as long again fighting charges he had inflated its value to secure a multi-billion-pound sale.

Lynch's body was retrieved on Thursday from the wreck of Monday's disaster, a senior Italian official said.

Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996 from his ground-breaking research at Cambridge University, and was lauded by shareholders, business leaders and politicians when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion 15 years later.

But in late 2012, HP stunned Wall Street and the City of London by saying it had discovered a massive accounting scandal. Lynch denied the charges.

HP wrote off $8.8 billion of value and triggered 12 years of legal battles in courtrooms from London to San Francisco.

Lynch was known for his formidable intelligence, turning his cutting-edge academic research into a multi-billion pound tech business and becoming known as Britain's Bill Gates.

He did not shy away from clashing with critics of his company - including on one occasion Oracle's Larry Ellison - and took a central role in building his defence.

He hired the biggest names in Britain's legal and corporate communications professions, and invited some journalists into a room filled with neatly stacked piles of company documents to be briefed on its accounts.

HP had been drawn to Autonomy's ability to search and organise unstructured information for clients, a killer application in a world of unlimited data, before the emergence of advanced artificial intelligence.

Lynch received about $800 million for his stake in Autonomy.

Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking ‘within two minutes’ after rescuing survivors

04:00 , Tara Cobham

Who are the victims of the Bayesian yacht sinking?

03:00 , Tara Cobham

The bodies of those found in the search for six people missing after the sinking of a luxury yacht during a storm off the coast of Sicily are being recovered from the wreckage.

Five bodies have now been brought to shore in the small fishing village of Porticello, around 11 miles from the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

On Thursday, the Italian Coastguard confirmed to the PA news agency that the sixth and final person yet to be found is a woman.

British mother held baby above waves after yacht sank, says doctor

02:00 , Tara Cobham

An Italian doctor at the hospital where British tourist Charlotte Emsley and her one-year-old daughter were taken said the mother held her baby above the waves after the yacht sank.

Dr Domenico Cipolla, of Di Cristina Children's Hospital in Palermo, told PA: "Obviously the mother and the husband were so shaken by what has happened, it was a tragedy for them.

"She told me that two minutes after falling asleep with her baby they were in the water, she did not understand how this happened, it went dark.

"She held the child high in her arms above the waves, for a few seconds the baby was in the water, but she saved her.

"She sometimes cried for her friends in the hospital."

Who is Hannah Lynch?

01:00 , Tara Cobham

The daughter of British entrepreneur Mike Lynch is the final person left to be found after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily , with emergency workers saying that she remains their “priority”.

Hannah Lynch, 18, had been onboard her tech tycoon father’s luxury boat alongside 20 others, when the Bayesian capsized during stormy weather .

The bodies of Mr Lynch, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, have all been recovered from the wreckage and identified.

Yacht’s captain reportedly questioned by authorities for two hours

Friday 23 August 2024 00:00 , Tara Cobham

The luxury yacht's captain, James Cutfield, was reportedly questioned by authorities for two hours as they began speaking to all crew members on Thursday.

Survivors have been recuperating at a hotel complex in Porticello, where authorities are gathering witness statements.

Italian Coastguard’s working theory is still that Hannah Lynch is inside the boat

Thursday 22 August 2024 23:00 , Tara Cobham

The Italian Coastguard’s working theory is still that the missing woman is inside the boat, spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola has said.

Mike Lynch’s daughter Hannah is the only person yet to be found after six people went missing when the Bayesian superyacht sank.

Christopher Morvillo’s law firm ‘heartbroken’ at death of US lawyer and wife Neda

Thursday 22 August 2024 22:07 , Tara Cobham

Christopher Morvillo’s law firm has said it is “heartbroken” at the tragic death of the US lawyer and his wife Neda.

In a statement issued to The Independent on Thursday, a Clifford Chance spokesperson said: “We are heartbroken at the tragic passing of our partner, Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda. We are deeply saddened and still coming to terms with this terrible loss. Our utmost priority is to continue to support Chris's family at this very distressing time. Our thoughts extend to the families and loved ones of all those affected.

“We wish to express our deepest condolences and our love and support to Chris’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We also want to thank the Italian authorities and rescue teams for everything they have done.”

Decision on raising yacht from seabed ‘not on agenda’, says coastguard

Thursday 22 August 2024 22:00 , Tara Cobham

A decision on whether to raise the sunken yacht from the seabed is "not on the agenda", but will be in the future, a spokesman from the Italian Coastguard has said.

Vincenzo Zagarola told PA: "This is not a topic on the agenda. It will be, but not now."

Search for Mike Lynch’s daughter Hannah called off until Friday morning

Thursday 22 August 2024 21:26 , Tara Cobham

The search for Mike Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was called off at around 8pm in Sicily on Thursday.

Divers are expected to begin scouring the wreck of the Bayesian superyacht again at 6.30am on Friday.

'Indescribable' crew errors led to Sicily shipwreck, yacht maker says

Thursday 22 August 2024 21:00 , Tara Cobham

A series of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" by the crew led to the shipwreck in which British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and six others died earlier this week, the yacht manufacturer's CEO told Reuters on Thursday.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-foot) superyacht with 22 people aboard - 12 passengers and 10 crew - capsized and sank on Monday within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm while anchored off the coast of northern Sicily.

"The boat suffered a series of indescribable, unreasonable errors, the impossible happened on that boat ... but it went down because it took on water. From where, the investigators will tell," Giovanni Costantino said in an interview.

Costantino helms The Italian Sea Group, which includes Perini Navi, the Italian high-end yacht maker that built the Bayesian in 2008. The vessel has been refitted twice, last in 2020, but not by Perini.

The CEO ruled out any design or construction errors, which he called unlikely after 16 years of trouble-free navigation, including in more severe weather than on Monday.

He blamed the Bayesian's crew for the "incredible mistake" of not being prepared for the storm, which had been announced in shipping forecasts. "This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance," he said.

Costantino said passengers should have been summoned out of their cabins and assembled at a point of safety while the boat was being prepared for the storm by pulling up the anchor, closing doors and hatches, lowering the keel to increase stability and other measures.

Six out of 12 passengers died in the shipwreck, and five bodies were found inside the wreck. Emergency services are still trying to locate the body of the last missing person, Lynch's daughter Hannah.

Had correct procedures been followed, all passengers would have gone back to sleep after one hour "and the next morning they would have happily resumed their wonderful cruise," Costantino said.

Another yacht anchored near the Bayesian escaped unharmed. The captain of the sunken yacht and other crew members have not commented publicly on the disaster, while Italian prosecutors investigating it are due to hold a press conference on Saturday.

Watch: Mike Lynch’s friend mourns ‘unbelievably tragic’ death after fraud trial acquittal

Thursday 22 August 2024 20:30 , Tara Cobham

Mike Lynch’s friend mourns ‘unbelievably tragic’ death after fraud trial acquittal

Mike Lynch described as ‘extraordinary, intellectual, inventive, humorous and generous'

Thursday 22 August 2024 20:00 , Tara Cobham

Mike Lynch has been described as a “truly extraordinary, intellectual, inventive, humorous and generous man” by a colleague.

Martina King, chief executive of Featurespace, a fraud prevention company, said: “It is a high statistical probability that Featurespace wouldn’t be a thriving technology company without Mike.

“Our co-founders, Professor Bill Fitzgerald and Dave Excell, were inspired by Mike’s combination of intellect and commercial acumen. They benefited from his friendship and guidance.

“Mike’s personal investment in Featurespace supported the development of an invention that has proved fundamental in the progress of AI and he served as a Non-Executive Director for over 10 years from 2008 – 2019.

“Mike was a true champion of the UK technology sector, including the need for greater diversity and advocated for many female leaders, including me.

“Cambridge, the technology sector, colleagues and friends will be unable to calculate the loss of this truly extraordinary, intellectual, inventive, humorous and generous man. He will be sorely and deeply missed.”

Christopher and Neda Morvillo’s family pay tribute to ‘devoted, loving’ parents

Thursday 22 August 2024 19:22 , Tara Cobham

The family of Christopher and Neda Morvillo have paid tribute to the “devoted, loving” parents after their deaths in the Bayesian superyacht tragedy were confirmed.

In a statement issued to Sky News , they said: “We are completely devastated by the passing of Chris and Neda, and our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy.

"Chris and Neda were each widely respected for their professional successes, Chris as a distinguished attorney and Neda as a skilled jewellery designer, but their true talents were that of mother and father, son and daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and dear friends to so many.

"Neda and Chris lived their lives as devoted, loving parents who always put their daughters and families first. Their passing is a tremendous loss for our family and for the countless people who knew and loved them both.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the Italian rescue services for their unwavering dedication and to Clifford Chance for all the support they have provided.

"As we grieve this enormous loss, our primary focus remains on Chris and Neda's daughters and other loved ones, and we respectfully request privacy."

Friend and mentee of Mike Lynch says he was a ‘loving and much-loved’ father and husband

Thursday 22 August 2024 19:13 , Tara Cobham

A friend and mentee of Mike Lynch has said he was “unfailingly supportive” and “fiercely loyal”, as well as a “loving and much-loved” father and husband.

Suranga Chandratillake, partner at Balderton, a venture capital firm in London, said: “Mike Lynch’s PhD at Cambridge put him at the very forefront of modern artificial intelligence.

“More than just technology, however, Mike contributed vastly to its commercialisation. Mike didn’t just invent things, he built products and companies.

“By my count, he founded over 10 technology companies and was instrumental in the building of three that became multi-billion dollar public companies (Autonomy, blinkx and DarkTrace) – a personal track record without equal in the UK’s technology ecosystem.

“I worked for Mike for five years and he then served on my board at blinkx for close to a decade.

“I can share that he was an unfailingly supportive mentor who challenged and supported in equal measure.

“Years before Covid, he mastered hybrid work, splitting his time between Cambridge (where the tech was built), London (where it was sold) and Suffolk (which he loved dearly), and juggled leading his work with being a loving and much-loved dad and husband.

“He was famously fiercely competitive but, to his friends, equally fiercely loyal and always ready for a cup of tea and a chat.

“The loss to the UK’s technology ecosystem is incalculable but I am as sad to lose an old friend and all my thoughts are with his wonderful family who are facing an unthinkable double tragedy at this time.”

Company Darktrace describes founding investor Mike Lynch as ‘champion of tech sector’

Thursday 22 August 2024 19:03 , Tara Cobham

The company Darktrace, in which Mike Lynch was a founding investor, has described the British entrepreneur as “an active champion of the UK’s technology sector”.

In a statement issued to The Independent , a spokesperson said: “We are shocked and saddened by the news confirming the death of Mike Lynch and the other victims of this terrible tragedy.

“Mike was a founding investor in Darktrace, an active champion of the UK’s technology sector, and a committed husband and father. His loss will be felt by many.

“Our thoughts are with his family and all the families who have lost loved ones in this awful event.”

Tributes paid to victims of yacht disaster as search continues for Mike Lynch’s daughter

Thursday 22 August 2024 18:49 , Tara Cobham

Tributes have been paid to those who have died following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht owned by tech tycoon Mike Lynch.

The yacht sank with 22 passengers and crew onboard after a freak storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday, with six people on board confirmed to have died as the search continues for the final missing passenger.

Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judith Bloomer, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, were all identified this morning after their bodies were recovered.

My colleague Alex Croft reports:

Tributes paid after yacht disaster as search for Mike Lynch’s daughter continues

Mike Lynch was a ‘visionary unlike any other’, says chief at company he founded

Thursday 22 August 2024 18:39 , Tara Cobham

The chief executive of legal AI company Luminance has paid tribute to its founder Mike Lynch, saying he was a "visionary unlike any other" following his death in the luxury yacht disaster off the coast of Sicily.

Eleanor Lightbody said in a statement: "I am devastated to hear the news about our founding investor, Mike Lynch, and all of those involved in this tragic accident.

"Mike was a visionary unlike any other. He had a unique ability to spot the next technological revolution and solve tomorrow's challenges before others even knew they were coming.

"Beyond that, it was his connection to people that made him special. He had a steadfast belief in the UK's technology sector, in our incredible academic institutions, and in the talent he took the time to spot and nurture, regardless of background or discipline.

"Above all, Mike was a kind man who had an impact on many and will be sorely missed. I feel honoured to have known him, worked with him and learnt from him over the years.

"The UK has lost someone with the means, authority, knowledge and drive to propel the UK into technological leadership, but his legacy will live on in all of the extraordinary businesses he built and mentored, as well as his family who are in my thoughts."

Family friend says his ‘life was enriched’ by spending time with Mike Lynch

Thursday 22 August 2024 17:58 , Tara Cobham

A family friend has said spending time with Mike Lynch left him feeling his “life was enriched by the experience”.

In a statement issued on his behalf to The Independent , Patrick Jacob said: “Mike’s ability to identify and solve complex problems was phenomenal as was his ability to simplify and explain them.

“As a friend, Mike was never dull and always ready for a lively debate on almost any topic conducted with intelligence and convivial vigour.

“He could be challenging and direct, but I never came away from seeing him without feeling my life was enriched by the experience.”

Mr Lynch called the ‘Steve Jobs of Britain’ by co-founder

Thursday 22 August 2024 17:34 , Tara Cobham

Mike Lynch’s co-founder has called him a “human supercomputer” and the “Steve Jobs of Britain”.

David Tabizel, who co-founded Autonomy with Mr Lynch, told the BBC the British tech tycoon “loved having his brain lit up”, describing him as a great polymath who had an inquisitive mind.

Praising his loyalty to his friends, Mr Tabizel said Mr Lynch had “an amazing gift to get to the nub of things, to get to the truth ... He was a child. At the same time, he was a moral giant ... He was certainly the brightest person I’ve ever met. To me he’s the Steve Jobs of Britain.

“I miss him. I loved him.”

Mr Tabizel also said Mr Lynch had endured “an unjust legal interruption” and that it was tragic he had died “just when he was about to reclaim his status and his position in society”.

He said: “It feels a bit like the Post Office scandal ... Just because a group of people are being accused, doesn’t mean they are guilty.”

Judith Bloomer described as a ‘champion for women’s health'

Thursday 22 August 2024 17:05 , Tara Cobham

Judith Bloomer has been described as a “champion for women’s health” following her tragic death on board the Bayesian superyacht in Sicily.

For more than 20 years, she was a supporter of the gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal, both as trustee and committee member, the charity said.

Its chief executive Athena Lamnisos called Ms Bloomer "our very dear friend".

The appeal added that she was a "champion for women's health, medical research and all that the Eve Appeal stands for".

Ms Bloomer was educated at Homerton College, Cambridge, where she studied English language and literature, and started her career as a teacher.

She later worked as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.

She was also a former director of property developer Change Real Estate, a property firm in Bristol which was founded by Mr Bloomer.

Sally Bailey, a former chairwoman of charity Pilot Light, wrote that Ms Bloomer was a "wonderful friend" to the Eve Appeal, and "a kind and caring person".

In pictures: Fourth day of search of Bayesian wreck as Hannah Lynch still missing

Thursday 22 August 2024 16:53 , Tara Cobham

Jonathan Bloomer was a ‘giant in financial services’, says Hargreaves Lansdown

Thursday 22 August 2024 16:47 , Tara Cobham

Investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown paid tribute to Jonathan Bloomer, who was previously a board director at the firm, as a “giant in financial services”.

The group said: “We are all deeply saddened by this tragic event.

“Jonathan was a giant in financial services, and we remember him fondly at Hargreaves Lansdown as someone who made a major impact on the business with his wealth of experience when he served on the board from 2006-2013 including as our senior independent director.

“We in the Hargreaves Lansdown family will miss him and our thoughts go out to his loved ones, as well as those of the others lost in this awful disaster.”

Insurance group Hiscox chief ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by Bloomers’ deaths

Thursday 22 August 2024 16:46 , Tara Cobham

The chief executive of insurance group Hiscox has responded to the deaths of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer.

Aki Hussain said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by Jonathan and Judy’s tragic deaths.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to their family and friends at this devastating time.

“It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.

“His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with.

“His advice and support were immensely valuable to me, and he will be dearly missed.”

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Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat Monday in Porticello Santa Flavia, Italy. Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/AP hide caption

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Rescue teams and divers were returning to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht off Sicily on Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater.

Divers were loading a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search Monday ended unsuccessfully. Fire rescue crews reported that divers were unable to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by debris that had shifted during the violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday.

Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?

Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, officials said.

“Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers’ passage,” the fire crews said in a statement.

The search was made particularly difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari. As a result, the search is expected to take time, he told The Associated Press early Tuesday.

The 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian luxury yacht had been moored about a half-mile off Ponticello when a storm rolled in around 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, which had passed over the area.

Fifteen of the Bayesian’s 22 passengers and crew managed to escape, first onto a lifeboat and then by a nearby sailboat, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, that had also been moored offshore to ride out the storm, Karsten Borner, the captain of the Baden Powell, told reporters at the scene.

One body, belonging to the Bayesian’s chef, was recovered nearby.

Among those missing was Lynch , who was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology. He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. His wife, Angela Bacares, survived.

The vacation appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal. Among those unaccounted for, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife. Also among the missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified at Lynch’s trial, and his wife.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it has been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and is notable for its massive 75-meter tall aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

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What Is Known About the Sinking of a Luxury Yacht off the Coast of Sicily and Those Aboard

Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts are searching for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily

Salvatore Cavalli

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat, in Porticello, southern Italy, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Rescue teams and divers returned to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull 50 meters (164-feet) underwater. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboat's hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Here's what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

What happened?

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, the Italian news agency ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Who was on board?

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch , sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven’t been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife, Neda. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynch’s trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyd’s of London market.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event,” Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to grab her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

What is the Bayesian?

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast — one of the world’s tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynch’s wife is listed as Revtom’s sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yacht's name is an apparent reference to “Bayesian inference,” one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts — fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts “have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning,” the service says on its website.

While scientists haven’t attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months . Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer , and the United Nations’ panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

How rare is it for a huge sailboat like this to capsize?

Experts say it is extraordinarily rare for a luxury sailboat of this size to capsize due to weather events.

“This just doesn’t happen. You know, boats sink because things like keels fall off, or they run aground and breach the hull ... whereas just from a weather angle, a boat that big being pushed over on its side is absolutely extraordinary,” said Skip Novak, a lifelong sailor who has taken part in multiple round the world yacht races and written books about sailing.

Novak said he believed that strong gusts likely pushed the yacht over 90 degrees to its side, and the vessel did not recover because of the weight of the huge mast and because it was anchored. He suggested that internal doors were likely not closed, and water quickly poured in to sink the vessel.

“When you’re at anchor, even if it’s blowing with a storm in the Mediterranean, you rarely shut the whole boat down because nobody expects something like this to happen," Novak told The Associated Press. “So if the boat wasn’t completely watertight at the deck, you’d have flooding going in. It would take a couple minutes and that would be it."

What happens next?

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date, they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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