ulysses yacht crash

The 5 tragic minutes that sank a superyacht

PORTICELLO, Italy — Survivors of a storm that sank a superyacht off Sicily recounted their ordeal to one of the doctors who rushed to their aid, with some saying it took mere minutes for the 180-foot ship to go down. 

Dr. Fabio Genco, head of the Palermo Emergency Medical Services, told NBC News on the phone Thursday that he arrived in the seaside village of Porticello before dawn Monday, about an hour after the $40 million Bayesian sank in the violent and sudden storm.   

Of the 22 people onboard, 15 survived despite storm conditions and darkness, climbing onto a lifeboat before being rescued by a nearby sailboat. The crew members have made no public statements so far, though some have been interviewed by investigators.

“They told me that it was all dark, that the yacht hoisted itself up and then went down,” Genco said, recounting what the survivors told him. “All the objects were falling on them. That’s why I immediately made sure, by asking them questions, if they had any internal injuries,” he said. 

It appears they had just minutes to abandon the sinking ship, Genco said. 

“They told me that suddenly they found themselves catapulted into the water without even understanding how they had got there,” he said, “And that the whole thing seems to have lasted from 3 to 5 minutes.”

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, the Bayesian's shipbuilder, told Sky News that there were no flaws with the design or construction of the yacht. He said their structure and keel made boats like that “unsinkable bodies.”

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he disavowed responsibility, blaming instead the actions of the crew. “Mistakes were made,” he said. 

Genco said one of his colleagues who arrived at the scene before him initially thought that only three people survived, but the coast guard reported there were other survivors and more emergency services were called in. 

When Genco arrived, he found scenes of panic and despair. 

“Unfortunately, we are used to such panic scenes because we are used to the shipwrecks that happen on Lampedusa ,” Genco said, referring to the island southwest of Sicily, where the wreckage of boats carrying migrants on the sea journey from North Africa to Italy are often found . 

Six of the passengers were declared missing Monday, and by Thursday, the bodies of five had been recovered from the wreck , some 160 feet underwater.

Among those who survived is Angela Bacares, wife of the British tech mogul Mike Lynch , whose body was recovered Thursday. 

Another survivor has been identified as Charlotte Emsley, 35. She told the Italian news agency ANSA that she had momentarily lost hold of her year-old daughter, Sofia, in the water but managed to retrieve her and hold her over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were pulled into safety.

Dr. Domenico Cipolla at the Di Cristina Children’s Hospital in Palermo is also part of a team of medical professionals treating the shipwreck survivors. He told the BBC on Wednesday that Emsley and her daughter, as well as the father of the child, who Cipolla said also survived, are continuing to receive psychological help. 

“Psychological support was constant and is constant even today, because basically it is the wounds of the soul that are the most in need of healing in these cases,” Cipolla said.

Genco also told NBC News that he was especially concerned about the child. “She did not understand anything. She was soaking wet and cold,” he said. 

Karsten Borner, the Dutch captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, a yacht that was anchored near the Bayesian, said by phone Wednesday that he saw a thunderstorm come in at around 4 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) Monday, followed by what looked like a waterspout, a type of tornado that forms over water. 

The International Centre for Waterspout Research noted on X that there was a “waterspout outbreak” off Italy on Monday, the day the Bayesian sank. 

“I turned on the engine and made maneuvers so that we wouldn’t collide with the Bayesian, which was anchored about 100 meters from us,” Borner said. “Then all of a sudden it disappeared. Then the wind calmed down, we looked around and saw a red flare.”

Borner said he got into his boat’s tender and saw a life raft with 15 people on it. Members of the crew were administering first aid. 

“I don’t know why it sank so quickly, but it may have something to do with the mast which was incredibly long,” he said. Questions have been raised about whether the mast was to blame for the accident as tall masts, even with the sails down, have more surface area exposed to the wind, which can contribute to tipping a vessel in a storm.

The CCTV footage that emerged Tuesday showed the yacht’s 250-foot mast, believed to be one of the tallest aluminum sailing masts in the world, lashed by the storm as it appears to tilt to one side before disappearing.

Claudia Rizzo is an Italy based journalist.

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

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Dramatic Footage from Superyacht Crash with Tanker | Ulysses Collision | SuperYacht News Ep127

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Graeme Hart's new superyacht spotted in the Mediterranean on maiden voyage

Hart's luxury yacht Ulysses comes complete with a helicopter. Photo/Antonio Marano.

The superyacht owned by New Zealand's richest man is currently taking its maiden voyage through the Mediterranean.

The vessel, dubbed Ulysses, is currently located at the Greek Island of Zakynthos, having made the trip south from Croatia.

On the September 1, Croatian media reported that the 116m yacht had pulled into the port of Dubrovnik, before heading further south.

It's estimated that Hart spent roughly US$250 million ($381m) on the mega yacht, his third named Ulysses.

He parted ways with his previous vessel in late 2017, selling it for an undisclosed sum.

Hart's previous superyacht did not make the voyage to New Zealand, and it's unclear if there are plans for his latest vessel to make the long trip from the Mediterranean.

Superyachts that do make this trip, generally do so in the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Before the second Ulysses, Hart owned a more modest vessel with a length of only 57.6m and an estimated value of around $98m at the time. This vessel was subsequently renamed Grand Russalina under new ownership.

In the latest rundown of NBR's Rich List, Hart remained at the top of the pile among New Zealand's richest people.

His net worth is estimated to be in the vicinity of $14.5 billion.

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103m Feadship superyacht ULYSSES (Project 1011) commences sea trials

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Written by Rachel Kelly

Superyacht ULYSSES, previously known as Project 1011 has been spotted on sea trials where she has been showing off her distinctive 102.6m ((336’6″) silhouette.

Superyacht ULYSSES on sea trials – Bjorn Mierop

She features both exterior and interior design by Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design while her naval architecture is the work of Azure Yacht Design and Naval Architecture . Her generous 2,999 GT volume can accommodate up to 20 guests in ten staterooms, with additional cabins for up to thirty crew members.

Superyacht ULYSSES (ex. Project 1011)

Designed with luxury in mind, she offers expansive deck spaces and features including a winter garden, four jacuzzis, a substantial swimming pool plus touch-and-go helipad. 1,100 sqm of exterior glass with 20 sliding doors and 12 glass windbreaks ensure her interior is flooded with natural light.

Feadship are renowned for building world class superyachts and ULYSSES is no exception. We can’t wait to see her set off on her maiden voyage.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "103m Feadship superyacht ULYSSES (Project 1011) commences sea trials".

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116m Kleven explorer yacht Ulysses delivered

The 116 metre Kleven explorer superyacht Ulysses has left German waters and is on her way to the Mediterranean for her maiden season after nearly a four year construction process.

Kleven finished her technical build in Norway in December 2016. She was then sent to Bremerhaven for interior and external completion under the project management of Dörries Maritime.

Ulysses is almost 10 metres longer than her predecessor, the 107 metre Andromeda (formerly Ulysses ), which was sold last year and also built by the Norwegian yard.

The new Ulysses was built on the yard’s existing MT 5006 MKII ESV platform while the naval architecture was undertaken by Norwegian design house Marin Teknikk . Kyle Dick of New Zealand-based Oscar Mike Naval Architects created the exterior lines and also collaborated with British studio RWD on her interiors.

Now completed, Ulysses is equipped with a heli hangar on the top deck which provides storage for her Bell 429 helicopter when covering long distances at sea. Her huge 18 metre beam will accommodate 66 people in a spacious interior.

Ulysses is now cruising with a fleet of high-speed and day-cruising tenders including a 21 metre Princess 68 yacht which is stowed inside the well deck.

Ulysses has been specially designed for long expeditions in potentially rough waters and Kleven has said it blends a robust, hard-working character with luxurious added extras.

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