Italian Sea Group chief says Bayesian was ‘unsinkable’

The chief executive of The Italian Sea Group has expressed his “sadness on one hand and disbelief on the other” upon learning of the Bayesian‘s sinking.

Giovanni Costantino leads the company that owns Perini Navi, the builder of the sailing superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday (19 August 2024). Bayesian was the family yacht of British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who has been confirmed dead in the incident. Five bodies have been recovered from the wreck so far, with a sixth person still missing.

Vessels like the Bayesian are “unsinkable” says Costantino in an inteview with Sky News yesterday (21 August 2024). Giovanni told the outlet that there are no issues with the design or construction of the Bayesian superyacht, which sank amid a sudden storm.

The Italian Sea Group maintains that their vessels “are the safest in the most absolute sense,” according to Costantino.

“And as Perini is a sailing ship…sailing ships are renowned to be the safest ever".

Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the firm which built the yacht in 'disbelief’ after learning superyacht sank in Sicily.https://t.co/2hBhfkqcBd pic.twitter.com/evE0N9vC1L

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 21, 2024

“Being the manufacturer of Perini [boats], I know very well how the boats have always been designed and built,” he says.

“And as Perini is a sailing ship… sailing ships are renowned to be the safest ever,” he added, emphasising that their structure and keel render them “unsinkable bodies.”

Costantino says the news of the sinking “put me in a state of sadness on one side and of disbelief on the other”. He adds: “This incident sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact.”

In a separate interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Costantino addressed the damage to Perini Navi’s reputation caused by the widespread discussion of the sinking and speculation over what may have happened.

Few days ago we encountered the exquisite Bayesian vessel,anchored near us. All night until sunrise we took plenty of picts of it. The 75-meter mast illuminated at night was spectacular. We speculated about the individuals on board,enjoying the time of their lives. What a tragedy pic.twitter.com/OqYIwaV1vb

— Khorakhane 🍉 (@Khorakhane100) August 19, 2024

“If they say the mast broke, if experts consider it dangerous… Let’s not joke,” he says. “We have suffered enormous damage to our image and a drop in the stock market. We are evaluating possible actions to protect our image and the credibility of Perini Navi.”

Italian prosecutors are continuing their investigation into the incident, conducting interviews with survivors in an effort to piece together what happened. On Tuesday, they spent more than two hours questioning the captain to gather technical details that could aid in the investigation.

The yacht was flying the British flag. Investigators from Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch have also arrived in Porticello, where they have started a preliminary assessment. It’s understood their investigation will consider various factors, including the design, stability, and operation of the vessel, as well as the impact of the weather conditions at the time of the incident.

The vessel had 22 people on board, of whom 15 were rescued, including Briton Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter Sofia.

Divers have resumeed their search efforts this morning, with one person remaining unaccounted for.