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In photos: Bill Gates-owned world's first hydrogen megayacht unveiled

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Bill Gates Yacht: Everything You Want To Know

In 2020 the yachting world was abuzz with news that Bill Gates had bought as stunning and advanced yacht known as Project Aqua. The massive, 370-foot concept yacht was revealed in 2019 at the Monaco Yacht Show and news soon followed that billionaire Bill Gates, once the richest man in the world and the founder of Microsoft, had commissioned the construction of his own hydrogen-powered Aqua. But that never actually happened and, in fact, as near as anyone can tell for real, Bill Gates doesn’t own a yacht at all. 

So where did the story come from? What’s the deal with the Aqua? And hasn’t Bill Gates been pictured on a yacht before? Let’s get some answers.

How Much Did the Aqua Yacht Cost at the Monaco Yacht Show?

According to the stories online, Bill Gates paid $600 million for the hydrogen powered yacht. But that’s not true at all. According to the yacht makers, the Dutch company Sinot, the price tag is $645 million but no one bought it after it was revealed at the Monaco Yacht Show, and that includes Bill Gates. It’s expensive but definitely not the most expensive in the world.

How Fast is the Aqua Yacht?

Aqua is a unique yacht in the yachting world which is why it garnered so much attention in the first place. It’s the first mega yacht that runs on a fully operational liquid hydrogen and fuel cell system that features two hydrogen engines that can produce 1,341 horsepower. The top speed is 17 knots and  the Aqua has a cruising speed of 12 knots. The total range is 3,750 nautical miles. The liquid hydrogen is stored in two 28-ton vacuum sealed tanks where it can be held at -253 degrees C. The only exhaust is water.

What Does the Interior of  the Aqua Yacht Look Like?

The Aqua has 7 suites meant to house up to 14 guests at any given time. Two of those suites are larger VIP cabins. The ceilings throughout are 9 feet and stretch as high as 12.5 feet elsewhere thanks to the luxury Sinot yacht architecture. The vessel has room for a crew of 31 as well. The beach deck lounge aboard the boat alone looks like a luxury hotel space.

The Aqua features a bow observation room which is surrounded by windows to give a panoramic view of the ocean which has been described as the “ultimate superyacht owners lounge.” In addition, there’s a movie theater on the upper deck. It also includes a wellness center with a hydro massage room. You can also do some yoga in a workout space. There’s a fully equipped gym, a beauty salon, and even a hairdresser.

Up on the main deck there’s a luxury swimming pool that even includes a waterfall. One of the yacht’s defining features is the spiral staircase that covers all five decks and is covered by a skylight. On the way up it also offers a view of the interior of the hydrogen fuel tanks so you can see just what 56 tons of ultra cold liquid hydrogen looks like as you move between decks. 

The tender garage has an array of toys such as jet skis while the main deck features a beach club with a dining area designed for all 14 guests and a lounge that converts into the cinema space.

What Yacht Has Bill Gates Actually Been On?

Bill Gates does seem to like yachts, just not enough to spend his money owning one, and that’s fair. Yachts cost millions to maintain every year. No one got rich spending millions to maintain a boat.

That said, Bill Gates has not only vacationed on yachts – he spent his 66th birthday on one – he also got married on a yacht.

In 2021, Gates made the news when he celebrated his 66th on board a luxury yacht called the Lana alongside Jeff Bezos. He spent $2 million to charter the yacht for a week and flew 50 guests out to celebrate with him. 

The Lana is a 351 foot yacht with room for 12 guests and a cruising speed of 12 knots with a max speed of 18 knots. The master suite is 1,184 square feet. The room features his and hers walk-in dressing rooms and a private terrace.

Elsewhere on board you’ll find a piano in the lounge area as well as a full gym for working out. There’s both a sauna and a well-appointed spa as well. On deck you can head to the beach club or take a dip in the pool. 

There are three tenders in the garage alongside a bunch of toys including various jetskis, a seabob, wakeboards, WindSurfers, fishing equipment, scuba diving equipment and more. 

Back in 2014, Gates rented an even more expensive yacht, the $5 million per week Serene, to go on a vacation with his family. The Serene, once owned by  Russian vodka magnate Yuri Shelfer before being purchased by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, clocked in at a massive 450 feet making it one of the world’s biggest and even had its own on board submarine

The Serene features 7 decks, a saltwater pool, a climbing wall, a surprisingly large library, health spa, outdoor cinema and a nightclub. This is all spread across 48,000 square feet.

It’s also been confirmed that Gates met his wife Melinda on a yacht owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, all the way back in 1994. 

Why Do People Think Bill Gates Owns the Aqua?

It’s easy to see why people may have thought Gates owned the Aqua when you consider a handful of factors. First, as mentioned, we have lots of evidence that Bill Gates really does enjoy luxury yachts. The extremely high price tag was something that only a few people in the world are going to be able to afford and Gates, who doesn’t own a yacht, seems like a likely candidate for those reasons. 

In addition, Gates has spent several years now as a climate activist and has supported a number of green technologies. A yacht that runs on hydrogen seems like something he would support as well. So, with no real evidence, the circumstantial evidence was enough to easily convince people. Once it’s presented as fact on the internet, and it was in many articles and videos, few people had reason to question it. 

The Bottom Line

The mega yacht known as the Aqua has a price tag of $645 million and it runs on clan burning hydrogen fuel. The only byproduct of its operation is water, making it a very environmentally friendly yacht. It made waves, so to speak, when it debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2019. Rumors soon began to spread that billionaire and known climate activist Bill Gates had ordered one for $600 million. However, despite many videos and articles that refer to him as the owner, the truth is no one bought the Aqua at the yacht show and, as of 2023, Bill Gates does not own a yacht at all. He is know to charter extremely luxurious yachts for vacations and parties, such as the Lana and the Serene, but he does not own any just now.

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Inside world’s first ever $1 billion hydrogen superyacht – and it’s linked to Bill Gates

The world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht has been unveiled in Amsterdam. It has taken Feadship 5 years to deliver Project 821, reportedly commissioned by Bill Gates.

Project 821 features 12 guest staterooms, two staff cabins, accommodation for 44 crew members, a hospital, library, elevator, cinema, pool with a moveable glass bottom, multiple hot tubs, steam room, a gym, separate owners deck with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two offices, and fourteen slide-out balconies.

What makes the Project 821 Feadship superyacht truly exceptional, however, is it is hydrogen-powered.

Jamie Edmiston, the CEO of yacht brokerage company Edmiston, represents the owner and is brokering the sale for a reported $1-billion. Edmiston says no expense was spared to build the groundbreaking vessel.

“The brief was to build the greenest and most environmentally advanced yacht ever built, without compromise,” says Edmiston. “It was a huge challenge, but one that the team has embraced and delivered on. The yacht we see today, designed by RWD and built by Feadship is without doubt the best yacht ever built. I am proud to have been involved since the inception of this idea.”

Neither Edmiston nor Feadship have revealed who commissioned the superyacht. eSysman Superyachts reported in April that it belongs to Bill Gates.

Jan-Bart Verkuyl, the CEO of Feadship Royal Van Lent shipyard, says pushing green superyacht technology as far as it could go was the mandate to develop of the vessel.

 “The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,” Verkuyl says. Feadship has pledged to develop ‘net-zero’ yachts by 2030 and has an R&D team researching hydrogen and other fossil-fuel-free alternatives.

“The size of the proposed yacht – 100-metres-plus – made it a good candidate to explore pure green hydrogen as the fuel-cell source,” a Feadship statement reads.

“Even a yacht the size of  Project 821  cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing, but Feadship could impact a yacht’s carbon footprint where it is largest — generating electricity to serve the hotel load,” according to Feadship.

A yacht’s hotel load represents 70-78 per cent of a yacht’s annual total energy and heating and air conditioning make the largest demands, Feadship states. Air conditioning is a significant energy consumer on yachts, according to research from a maritime industry body .

“Supplying that electrical power via non-polluting hydrogen fuel cells has a swift and significant impact,” according to Feadship.

“Although there are hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, and fuel cells have been used as the primary source of electrical power on human spaceflight for more than six decades, nothing existed in the maritime sector. There were no regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel-cell systems at class, flag-state or even the International Maritime Organisation level,” Feadship states.

Feadship, Edmiston and Lloyd’s Register developed new equipment, protocols and regulations for hydrogen to be used in the maritime industry. Feadship states that hydrogen fuel cells have water as their only exhaust, and are a combustion-free way to generate electricity.

“Project 821 features the most efficient waste heat recovery system yet developed, a system heating everything from the pool, Jacuzzi and steam room to the ambient air temperature and towel bars and floors in the guest bathrooms. Further savings in the hotel load will come from a Smart AC system linking sensors to an energy management system that automatically reduces air conditioning or heating in unoccupied guest spaces,” Feadship states.

When pure hydrogen is not available, electricity is generated by MTU generators combusting a biofuel said to reduce emissions by 90 per cent.

The work that has been done to deliver the no-expense-spared Project 821 superyacht is now being used for other vessels.

“The value of the research as well the development of class and flag safety regulations for an entirely new type of energy generation is an advancement we are proud to have made available to all,” says Verkuyl.

In 2025, two Norwegian ferries will operate using the system developed for Project 821.

Look back on the week that was with hand-picked articles from Australia and around the world.  Sign up to the Forbes Australia newsletter here   or  become a member here.

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Lana: On board the 107m Benetti for charter from €1.8m a week

At 107 metres, Lana is one of the biggest superyachts ever to be launched by Italian shipyard Benetti and is currently hitting the headlines as the charter yacht of choice of Bill Gates and party guest Jeff Bezos. Take a glimpse on board...

At 107 metres, you’d think the most noteworthy features of Lana might be her sweeping dimensions or the warren of spa facilities in her belly. But actually, it’s the minutiae – because every chair, door, nut, bolt and widget of this vast yacht represents a careful judgement by a fastidious and deeply involved owner.

“This is the first build Imperial has ever done where the owner was climbing around the bilges, checking the spaces – his idea of quality went down absolutely to the nth degree,” says Julia Stewart, director of Imperial, which oversaw the build for the owner. Fittingly for such a mindset, Imperial has a microscopic approvals process that means “hundreds and hundreds” of samples are sent to the principal, and then on to the yard for reference: “Every fabric, every little hinge, every door handle, every piece of carpet – everything,” says Stewart. While potentially onerous for a builder, she believes this way of working ultimately benefits everyone, because when a subcontractor asks, “Is this OK?” the builder can point to the sample and say, “No, this is the standard.” And that, says Stewart, was a fundamental plank of the brief – vertiginously high quality.

The yard in this case was Benetti, the Tuscan builder who launched three 100-metre-plus yachts in just 100 days between 2018 and 2019 – all three were on site together at one point. Lana , the second, was arguably the “most Benetti” of the three, penned inside and out by the yard’s own design teams. In the last decade, Benetti had built a 90-metre ( Lionheart ) and a few boats around  the 70-metre mark, but it is better known for its  50- to 65-metre superyachts. 

Constructing three “gigayachts” at the same time, therefore, involved a serious change of gear. To this end, the yard  built three 130-metre-long sheds and took over a Livorno dry dock that could take 80,000 tonnes, for launching and recovering the yachts. They also moved staff to an office closer to the dry dock when the boat was there, so they could keep an eye on her. The on-site manpower required was enormous: whereas a “standard” build would involve 100 workers, Lana required 300 people on the yacht every working day for four years – and that ramps up to 1,800 if you count those working on the project off-board. To manage the build – and all the extra staff – Benetti’s usual managerial team of five per yacht grew to 20 for Lana .

And then there was Covid-19. “It was close to being finished but about six months before delivery, it hit,” says Stewart. “Obviously a lot of contractors were affected by it. Tuscany wasn’t affected as much as further north but all the contractors’ facilities are up there.” There were also issues with getting flag surveyors to the boat, although having 18 crew on board added a helpful flexibility for such visits. The yard, meanwhile, kept the project moving and did not close.

Leading the charge for Benetti was Elisabetta Maria Di Noto, who joined as project manager in 2018, fresh from the build of Lionheart , Benetti’s flagship before the 100-metre-plus hat-trick. “The giga client is very different from, say, the ‘normal’ client,” she says, describing the approach of Lana ’s owner. “He’s a very powerful person, a very precise person, firm and confident – the highest-demand client I’ve ever met.” The yacht was to be a reflection of those qualities, and to that end, “he followed every single phase of the construction, every single design, every line.”

During ideas meetings, more and more horizontal elements were removed from the exterior design until only long, low lines were left, with mild undulations for balconies and wing stations. “The extreme horizontal lines give it a very robust, masculine persona,” says Benetti exterior designer Michele Guerrieri, “while the three-dimensional elements add fluidity and elegance to that.” Despite this sleek appearance, the 2.7-metre head-heights are described by all involved as the most astounding aspect of the interior – a magic trick you can only pull off in a boat this big. “It’s almost cathedral-like,” says Stewart. “It’s a very airy, light boat.”

This frame is flattered, says Di Noto, by “soft colour palettes that offer a feeling of tranquillity.” The idea was a relaxing interior that was neutral enough that you would not get bored after a few cruises. The natural materials that run through the decor – largely leather, ayous wood and marble – have been worked by Italian artisans, whose skill is a point of pride for Benetti. “I don’t like fussy objects and endless detail,” says Benetti interior designer Mauro Izzo. “There needs to be a balance – not too much, not too little, but everything has  to be special.”

The main saloon is suitably grand, with pale grey sofas by the Luxury Living Group arranged around a white leather, marble and stainless-steel coffee table, which was designed by Izzo and built by Viareggio furniture-maker Sealine. Forward, the dining saloon is flooded with light via huge sliding glass doors that entirely open up the space on both sides. The dining table is made of wood, leather and stainless steel, inset with an engraved brass panel, while each chair is “inset with a hand-carved crystal lion.”

The combination of airy dimensions and decorative mastery is also on show in the bridge deck master suite. Full beam, on a yacht with a 14.4-metre beam, is something to behold. In the cabin there’s space enough for seating areas both to port and starboard, while full-width sliding doors on to broad balconies open up the space even more. The suite’s study features a custom-made desk with Bentley armchairs and bespoke lamps decorated with tiger’s eye gemstones to complement the suite’s cream carved carpets and milk chocolate-toned ayous wood. The bathroom forward is lined with cool crema marfil marble that was selected in Valencia and worked to a polish in Sicily. “It’s luxurious without being aggressive; it’s opulent but accessible,” says Izzo.

The area also showcases a more pragmatic aim of the project – privacy – in both the spatial sense and in terms of sound transfer. To the first point, the master suite is self-contained, with its own pantries. It’s also positioned on the bridge deck, between two non-social spaces – the bridge zone, with the captain and first officer’s cabins, and the stairwell. If the suite were in an aft deck position, there might be a deck space connected to the lower decks via stairs, or at least a view of those decks. Here, the master cabin benefits from two broad but very private balconies: “we have ceramic heating outside here,” notes Stewart. Throughout the boat, the intersection between guest and crew areas has also been carefully routed and planned.

And sound? Well, the boat has been strategically and amply insulated to keep auditory separation between spaces. In the 80-square-metre bridge deck piano lounge you’ll hear the tinkling ivories, rather than the state-of-the-art Sonus Faber Olympica sound system of the saloon-cum-cinema just forward (which is connected but can be closed off via highly insulated sliding doors).

Top-quality, reliable tech was another facet  of the brief, and it’s everywhere, down to the sophisticated LED lighting system that produces little heat and therefore saves energy by sparing the air conditioning. The seven (yes, seven) VIP cabins, with an average size of 32 to 33 square metres, on the main deck all feature 65-inch 4K OLED televisions and the sundeck features every bit of party tech imaginable: a California Audio Technology system with 10 speakers and two subwoofers; a space prepped for two club-standard speakers with two built-in K-array subwoofers; and a set-up for DJ decks. Not to mention the four 55-inch 4K SunBrite outdoor televisions. With plenty to look after, Imperial made sure the AV/IT guy got his own mini-office.

But this isn’t the only impressive technology on board. Lana is powered by eight diesel generators, controlled by a highly responsive power management system that means the minimum energy is used to satisfy power requirements. There are also two high-tech side-launching Benetti-built tenders stored on the lower deck –  a 14-metre limo tender designed by Giorgio Cassetta , and a nine-metre open tender for watersports and diving, which was penned in-house. Then there’s the treasure trove of toys, an ample dive store and even golf clubs with biodegradable balls. These can be put to good use on the fold-down balconies of the 120-square- metre beach club – where the atmosphere is anything but “outdoorsy.”

“The furniture features handles made of ammonite fossils, and then we have niches made of turquoise turtle, hosting corals,” says Di Noto. There’s a huge central seating area, off which lie a gym, hammam with mosaics and RGB “stars” and a massage room.

Throughout the boat, the finish in deck areas is taken as seriously as it is indoors. “Outside, the ceilings are made of natural oiled teak, so they  give a more precious feeling in the exterior areas,” says Di Noto. “All the external tables are made of  teak, stainless steel and glass – a very complicated design – and the exterior sofas are made in wood and stainless steel, and in some areas they are underlit.” The dining tables on the main and bridge decks aft, for example, feature backlit onyx, stainless steel and high-gloss teak. And the exterior aft deck tables can be converted into bioethanol firepits.

The sundeck’s eight-metre pool, vast sunbathing areas and shaded dining table with a backlit honey onyx base (this al fresco dining area measures 100 square metres) will likely be the daytime hub, as well as party central at night. The top deck, meanwhile, is more intimate and feels like a spot for a quiet coffee or maybe cocktails.

Imperial is rightly proud of its achievements in Lana , and for Benetti she’s part of a new chapter in the yard’s story. “This,” says Di Noto, “will,  I think, remain in Benetti not only as a physical investment in terms of sheds and materials, but also as know-how and experience that everybody can apply to other projects in the future.”

Closer look: Lana's 3D-printed chandelier

The chandelier-cum-sculpture in the centre of Lana ’s lobby both highlights the grand scale of the space it sits in and demonstrates the perfectionism that went into every detail of the yacht. “We went through 10 different renderings before settling on the one the client wanted,” recalls Benetti interior designer Mauro Izzo. The piece was commissioned from Italian lightmaker Luce5. “It was quite challenging for them because to actually show the owner of the boat how it was going to look, they had to build it in a 3D printer,” says Julia Stewart, director of Imperial.

Once the real thing was moulded in mirror-polished stainless steel, installation offered its own difficulties: “At six metres in length, it’s not so much a lighting feature as an architectural element of the boat,” notes Izzo. From a structural point of view, it sits above a glass table and marble floor, intersections that were carefully managed. “A lot of vibration testing was done and it’s got steadying bars for heavy weather,” says Stewart. Within the thin strip of metal lies a track of lights that had to be changed four or five times to get each spot and glint in the exact position the owner wanted. The end result? A freely looping, pirouetting ribbon of light that belies the hard work beneath its surface.

This feature is taken from the January 2021 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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5 years in the making, eco-warrior Bill Gates’ hydrogen fuel-cell-powered megayacht is finally ready. A first of its kind in the world, the 373 feet long vessel has stealth balconies that pop out with the press of a button, multiple libraries, fireplaces, a private elevator, and a hospital

Bill Gates’ megayacht is equal parts clean and smart –

The stunning five-decker is a win-win vessel for an eco-conscious billionaire . From being innately clean, it even flaunts an efficient waste heat recovery system. It heats everything from the pool, Jacuzzi, and steam room to the ambient air temperature and towel bars and floors in the guest bathrooms. A Smart AC system includes sensors that automatically reduce air conditioning or heating in unoccupied guest spaces. Talk about a smart superyacht, and it could have only come from the genius of a tech tycoon! Back in 2020, rumor mills went abuzz with reports that Bill Gates pledged well over $600 million to build a 376-foot-long, hydrogen-powered superyacht concept. Guess there is no smoke without fire, and the result is now out of dry dock for all to see.

[All images of the Feadship Project 821 provided by Feadship]

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A Closer Look at Serene: The $330 Million Yacht Bill Gates Chartered

While many people must scrimp and save to afford a family holiday, that is not the case for the rich and famous, who have the financial means to go wherever they want whenever they want. You will not find them in budget motels or trying out a destination’s free attractions. Instead, wealthy people can choose the most luxurious accommodation and unique experiences possible for their vacation. One such person who can afford these luxuries is Bill Gates who, with a personal net worth of $95.4 billion, is the second richest person in the world. He has even chartered a yacht worth $330 million to enjoy a vacation with his family.

According to Boat International , Gates chartered a yacht called ‘Serene’ for an estimated $5 million per week. He did this to enjoy a break away with his wife and three children. The family enjoyed a week together on the yacht just off the coast of Porto Cervo, Sardinia, in August 2014.

The 133-foot yacht is one of the largest in the world, and it is owned by Yuri Scheffler, the Stolichnaya vodka magnet. This yacht was delivered to him in 2011, and he has had it on the charter market ever since. Built by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, it has a rather impressive crew of 53 to take care of the needs of those who charter the yacht. So, what is on the inside of this ship to make it such an amazing experience that is worthy of the high price tag?

The Yacht Charter Fleet has ways for its travelers to enjoy activities both off and onboard. The helipad is available so that guests can take trips to the mainland to enjoy a little sightseeing, a meal in a restaurant, or a local activity. There are also jet-skis available for some fun one the waves around the boat or to travel back to the mainland to enjoy some time away from the yacht. Furthermore, the yacht has its very own submarine. However, you might wonder why anyone would want to get away from the yacht when there is so much to enjoy onboard, including activities for children. Just some of the activities and amenities on board for entertainment include a climbing wall, a trans-deck waterslide, a snow room, a playroom, multiple pools, and a cinema. This means that there are plenty of things onboard to keep the children entertained.

This yacht is not all about the kids having fun, as there are plenty of things for the adults, too. In fact, Serene has a myriad of amenities spread over its six decks that make this a unique way to vacation. From the outside, one of the ship’s most impressive features is its supersized bathtub on the sun deck. The award-winning Serene has a private beach club that has a secluded sunbathing area and a sauna. There are also two Jacuzzis and a sundeck dance floor. Opposite the relaxing hot tun tucked underneath the ship’s observational deck is a fully stocked wet bar with extra sun loungers.

Two of the indoor living and entertaining spaces include a cocktail lounge and a piano bar, while outdoor there are various al fresco dining areas, such as a wet bar, a barbeque, a Teppanyaki grill, and a pizza oven. An unusual space in this yacht is the underwater observation lounge, which many people would find a relaxing area as they watch marine life existing in tranquility around them. Serene also has rather impressive accommodation and it can accommodate up to 24 guests. There are 12 luxurious staterooms, include a master suite, a VIP suite, seven double suites, and three twin cabins. The interior design is the work of Espen Oeino with styling by Reymond Langton. The duo has created living spaces that are stylish and opulent while also being comfortable and versatile.

One of the most impressive areas in terms of styling is the sky lounge. This room is decorated in shades of cream that is accented by darker colors and finished with wooden fixtures. It is equipped with sofas, chairs, and coffee tables for relaxing, and boasts some of the most impressive views from the ship which you can view from almost any vantage point. Another fantastic space is the main lounge, which is a more formal area for entertaining. The main color used is white, which gives the room a bright and airy feel, and some warmth is added with darker tones. Central to the room is a piano, which is surrounded by cocktail tables. An unusual feature of this room is its chandelier. The lounge is located directly above the main dining area, and the chandelier drops between the two rooms.

A double staircase leads down to the chic dining area below. It is set to accommodate a maximum of 24 guests and features two 12-seater tables. However, there is the possibility of entertaining even more people as the tables are extendable and there is plenty of space. This means you can host a banquet in this room. Floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the rooms give spectacular panoramic ocean views.

Bill Gates’ time on the yacht with his family is part of his plan to take a more relaxed approach to life and to spend some time away from the office. He has said that he doesn’t have the energy he had when he was younger and plans to balance running his Microsoft Empire and enjoying time with his family better now that he is older. This includes taking vacations away with his loved one. Serene and other chartered yachts are the perfect way for this billionaire businessman to relax and have some fun in comfort and privacy.

Since Gates’ vacation on the yacht, Scheffler has sold the superyacht to Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia says Yacht Harbor . The Saudi Arabian royal paid a whopping $458 million for the yacht in July 2015. The yacht was once the ninth largest in the world, but it has now dropped into the 15th place because even more impressive superyachts have been built since.

Liz Flynn has worked as a full-time writer since 2010 after leaving a career in education. She finds almost all topics she writes about interesting, but her favorite subjects are travel and food. Liz loves the process of researching information, learning new things, and putting into words what others who share her interests might like to read. Although she spends most of her time writing, she also enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, watching films, cooking, dining out, reading, motorsports, gaming, and walking along the beach next to her house with her dog.

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Billionaire Bill Gates buys hydrogen-fuelled superyacht for $500 million

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is currently celebrating the engagement of his daughter, Jennifer, to Egyptian showjumper Nayel Nassar, but he's also got another reason to be happy - a brand new superyacht.

The 112-metre luxury vessel is the world's first hydrogen-powered super yacht, and will feature all the usual billionaire mod-cons, including an infinity pool, helipad, spa and gym. There are five decks, with accommodation for 14 guests and 31 crew members - more than two per person.

As well as being powered by liquid hydrogen, another eco-feature are the fire pits, which are actually gel-fuelled fire bowls, designed to keep guests warm outdoors without burning wood or coal.

Costing in the region of $500 million, the Aqua ship was first publicised at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2019 by Dutch design firm Sinot. Speaking then, the company's eponymous designer said, 'For the development of Aqua we took inspiration from the lifestyle of a discerning, forward-looking owner, the fluid versatility of water and cutting-edge technology, to combine this in a superyacht with truly innovative features.'

He went on to explain how the hydrogen fuel works, saying: 'AQUA is fuelled by hydrogen, a unique concept which represents a significant progression towards achieving a new balance between nature and technology. The system is based on the use of liquified hydrogen, stored at -253°C in two 28-ton vacuum isolated tanks. The liquified hydrogen is converted into electrical energy by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, with water being the only by-product.'

The Daily Telegraph reports that the ship will be in service from 2024, and will reach speeds of 17 knots. It will be able to travel for 3,750 miles before refuelling but will also have a diesel back-up due to the lack of hydrogen refuelling stations available.

This will be the world's second richest man's first yacht. He has previously rented them for holidays, most recently including the $330m yacht Serene, which he borrowed from Stolichnaya vodka magnate, Yuri Scheffler, to sail around the coast of Sardinia.

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Inside Bill Gates’ $2 Million-a-week Rented Yacht…

Superyacht Serene, and inset, Bill Gates

Take a step inside the 440ft superyacht Serene   Microsoft billionaire   Bill Gates rented for his family at the cool price of $2 million per week…

The amazing boat boasts a helicopter landing pad for that awesome private arrival and can accommodate up to 24 guests in 15 cabins, with a crew of 52 – meaning that your every whim would be tended to accordingly.

The luxury yacht is personally owned by Russian vodka businessman Yuri Scheffler and its current residents are off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, according to reports in the Daily Mail and other publications.

This huge $330 million ship arrived into port at Seattle’s Pier 90 approximately one year ago, and was the biggest private yacht to ever to glide into Seattle waters.

With very large indoor saltwater pool, two helicopter landing platforms and storage for a large submarine and tender, this is a pretty spectacular playground for someone!

It has hot and cold Jacuzzis, and a jet stream exercise pool. The upper-deck pool is 50 feet long. There are lounges, bars, spas, elevators, a powder-generating “snow room” for kids, a cigar lounge, hair salons, many galleys and wine cellars, a theater, and a room they call “Nemo” that has a glass bottom to view the waters beneath.

There’s a grand dining room, smaller dining areas and a plethora of pizza ovens and grills. And somewhere in all that is a spiral staircase that reaches six of the seven decks.

Chandelier inside Serene

Upper deck space on Serene

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Family clings to hope of air pocket in sunken superyacht as debris hampers search

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Divers searching for six missing people from a superyacht which sank off the coast of Sicily told NBC News Wednesday that debris inside the vessel, as well as its depth, were making their job difficult.  

As hopes of finding anyone alive dwindled, the divers said that they had managed to force open one of the Bayesian’s access doors but access to the cabins where people could be trapped was being hampered by detritus. 

The divers, who were not authorized to speak publicly, added that the depth of the wreck meant they were left with only 10 minutes to search the 184-foot yacht once they reached it. Then they had to return to the surface, they said. 

On Wednesday, the dock where they set off from was swarming with vehicles, boats and rescuers. Nearby tourists, reporters and photographers have gathered, eager for news. Helicopters occasionally fly over the area.  

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and five of the 22 other people who were aboard the yacht remain unaccounted for and are believed to be trapped in the Bayesian’s hull, nearly 170 feet underwater.

Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, are also missing. 

Officials confirmed Monday that at least one person, the ship’s cook, had died. 

Rescuers said Tuesday that there might be people trapped inside the cabins, especially considering the timing of the storm, but that they had so far been unable to check through the ship’s portholes.

“The operations are long and complex,” Italy’s national fire department, whose diving teams have been participating in the search, said on X . 

Italy's coast guard also said Tuesday that divers were also using a remotely-operated underwater vehicle to aid in the search.

The Bayesian is owned by a firm linked to Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was one of the 15 people rescued Monday after it capsized near Sicily’s main city of Palermo in what Italian officials called a “violent storm.” 

Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered Bayesian could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters.  

Lynch, who was regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” was acquitted by a San Francisco jury of fraud charges stemming from the 2011 sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

Prosecutors alleged that Lynch and Autonomy’s vice president for finance, Stephen Chamberlain, had padded the firm’s finances ahead of the sale. Lynch’s lawyers argued that HP was so eager to acquire Autonomy that it failed to adequately check the books .

The Mediterranean sailing vacation was designed to be a celebration for Lynch, who brought Morvillo, one of his U.S. lawyers and Bloomer, who testified in his defense, on the trip.

Bloomer’s twin brother, Jeremy, told the BBC on Tuesday the family was “coping the best we can” and he was hopeful there might still be air pockets inside the hull. 

Chamberlain was not aboard the Bayesian.

In what appears to be a tragic coincidence, a car struck and killed Chamberlain on Saturday as he was jogging in a village about 68 miles north of London, local police said.

Claudio Lavanga and Claudia Rizzo reported from Porticello and Yuliya Talmazan from London. 

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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Bill Gates Enjoys Sardinia Charter on board Superyacht SERENE

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By Editorial Team   8 August 2014

The 133m/436ft superyacht SERENE has welcomed aboard the world’s wealthiest man, Bill Gates and his family for a charter vacation in the beautiful cruising grounds of Sardinia .

The Microsoft founder and philanthropist along with his wife and three children have been enjoying the Mediterranean summer in style this week during their annual vacation off the coast of Porto Cervo. As one of the largest superyachts in the world and equipped with every conceivable amenity in addition to an in impressive crew of 52, the 2011 Fincantieri-built motor yacht SERENE was the perfect choice for this ultra-luxurious vacation.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, the on board helipad was put to good use with trips to the mainland for some tennis lessons followed by an afternoon out on the jet-skis to entertain the kids. If that wasn’t enough, there is also a submarine, snowroom, cinema, playroom, multiple pools, a climbing wall and a trans-deck waterslide on offer to keep them entertained for hours. 

In between running his Microsoft Empire and extensive charity commitments, luxury charter vacations have provided the perfect platform for him and his family to enjoy time together in comfort and privacy.

The grown-ups aren’t left out of the fun however during a charter on the award-winning SERENE, with an exhaustive array of facilities. For total relaxation, the private beach club features a sauna and secluded sunbathing area, there is also a sundeck dance floor, two Jacuzzi’s and numerous al fresco dining areas to choose from. For entertaining meanwhile, SERENE provides luxurious interior living spaces to include a chic piano lounge with cocktail bar while outside a wet bar, barbeque, pizza oven and Teppanyaki grill ensure fantastic Mediterranean soirees. 

She is one of a handful of yachts able to charter with more than 12 guests, boasting 12 stunning staterooms to accommodate up to 24 guests, comprising a master suite, VIP, seven doubles and three twin cabins. With design from Espen Oeino and interior styling by Reymond Langton, SERENE has been meticulously design to offer charter vacations of the highest calibre while ensuring stylish, comfortable and versatile living spaces. 

In an interview earlier this year, Mr Gates said he doesn't plan to stay at the office for days at a time as he did in his younger days when he had 'energy and naiveté' on his side. In between running his Microsoft Empire and extensive charity commitments, luxury charter vacations have provided the perfect platform for him and his family to enjoy time together in comfort and privacy.  Since its founding, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has raised and donated billions towards research and development to tackle problems throughout the world to help the world’s poorest people lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. 

Whether it’s a classic sailing yacht or magnificent luxury vessel such as SERENE, charter yacht vacations offer the world’s most high profile names the freedom to experience private time with loved ones away from the spotlight. Charter rates for SERENE start at €1,600,000 per week to €2,800,000 plus expenses, for further information contact your yacht charter broker . Alternatively take a look at the full selection of motor yachts available for charter . 

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Bayesian yacht search called off overnight as five bodies found - but one remains missing at sea

A search of the Bayesian superyacht has been called off just hours after the bodies of tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were found inside

• 22:32, 21 Aug 2024

The search of the Bayesian superyacht wreckage has been called off overnight after five bodies were found, with two confirmed as tech mogul Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told the PA news agency that searches have finished for the day and will resume on Thursday. He confirmed that five bodies have been found, but only four recovered. One person remains missing, Mr Cocina said.

Search teams made the tragic discovery of Mike Lynch and 18-year-old Hannah on Wednesday after finally breaking in to the cabin of the Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily after being hit by a freak tornado on Monday morning.

The Chief of Civil Protection later said the two bodies were that of the father and daughter, before announcing two more corpses had been recovered. The freak incident came as the 59-year-old Brit was enjoying a victory trip to celebrate winning a US fraud trial.

And Hannah had just landed a place to study English at Oxford. Two bodies were brought ashore shortly before 4pm local time yesterday and were later confirmed as the pair. Three further body bags were transported from the wreck site and taken away under blue lights but their identities remain unknown.

It means one yacht guest remains missing. Still unaccounted for are Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy and American citizens Chris Morvillo and his jewellery designer wife Neda. The four guests, plus the tycoon and teen daughter, had been missing since Monday, with specialist divers scrambling to access the boat in the hope air pockets in the cabins could keep them breathing.

The £30 million Bayesian went down in just 60 seconds after being hit off the coast of Porticello on Monday morning. It was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers. Earlier a doctor treating the hero mum who saved her baby in the horror said she was sleeping on deck with the tot when disaster struck.

Charlotte Emsley, 36, survived the sinking of the superyacht by reportedly holding her baby above the waves. It emerged as inspectors from the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrived on scene on Wednesday.

The MAIB is looking into what happened because the yacht Bayesian was flying a British flag. One expert told the Telegraph authorities are investigating whether hatches left open by crew members contributed to the sinking. The wreckage of Bayesian is resting on the seabed 50 metres deep.

Fire crews said they accessed the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings. And the Italian coastguard said remotely-controlled underwater robots were assisting the search. The devices can remain underwater for at least two hours at a time, providing much-needed help to diving teams who can only search the wreck in 12-minute intervals.

Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 – including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat. Survivors are recuperating at a hotel complex in Porticello, where authorities are gathering witness statements.

Ms Bacares has reportedly been joined by the couple's elder daughter who was not on board the yacht. We earlier revealed the mum-of-two was in a "state of shock and sadness" as she anxiously waited for news. She has reportedly been joined by the couple's elder daughter who was not on board the yacht.

The ship's captain was yesterday confirmed as “well respected” seafarer James Cutfield, 51. The New-Zealander earlier said crew members “didn’t see [the storm] coming.” He is recovering in hospital with his wife by his side.

More of the vessel's rescued crew members were named by the Italian Coastguard on Tuesday, with Leo Eppel and South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken all confirmed as having been on board. A body recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday was that of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working on the superyacht.

Gareth Williams, a friend of the chef, told the BBC : "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit." Another pal, Eli Fuller, added Mr Thomas was "friends with everybody,” and was "always positive" and "sought-after" in his profession.

Mr Lynch – once dubbed "Britain’s Bill Gates"– formed his first firm in 1996 with a £2,000 loan, and it morphed into software giant Autonomy. Just months ago, the head honcho - worth around £500 million - was cleared of fraud in the US over the 2011 sale of that firm to Hewlett-Packard.

Earlier Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, where Hannah Lynch was a pupil, said its "thoughts are with their family and everyone involved." In a separate tragedy, Stephen Chamberlain – the former vice president of finance at Autonomy and Mr Lynch's co-defendant – died after being hit by a car while out jogging in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

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'Britain's Bill Gates' among 6 missing after luxury yacht tragedy off coast of Sicily: 'We should have found something by now'

Computer entrepreneur Mike Lynch recently won a long-running legal battle against HP.

The British entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among six people missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm. The Guardian reports that 22 people were onboard when the vessel sank, of whom 15 have been rescued by the Italian coastguard and firefighters, including a one year-old child, while one person has died.

Lynch and his 18 year-old daughter Hannah are among three Britons that remain missing, while his wife, Angela Bacares, has been rescued. Two Americans and a Canadian are also missing.

A statement from the Italian coastguard reads: "This morning at about 5:00 am, following a violent storm, a 56-metre yacht called Bayesian flying the British flag sank near Porticello." 

Local reports said the boat sank after being hit by a waterspout, a mix of wind and water that can form in storms and is often referred to as a mini-tornado. The BBC reports that fishers saw the waterspout off the coast at around 3:55 am local time, and shortly afterwards saw a distress flare that may have come from the Bayesian. Approaching, they found only "scattered remains of the sailboat floating in the water."

Eight of those rescued, including the baby, are now in local hospitals in a stable condition. The captain of a nearby boat told reporters he had taken on 15 survivors from a life raft, and that the Bayesian was "heeling" (listing to one side) before it went under.

The one year-old was saved by her mother, who held her daughter's head above the water while screaming for rescue. "It was all dark," said the woman, named by the BBC as British citizen Charlotte Golunski. "In the water, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was screaming for help, but all I could hear around me were the screams of others."

The Bayesian is owned by Revtom, a firm registered in the Isle of Man of which Angela Bacares is the sole owner. The luxury yacht can carry 12 guests and a crew of ten. 

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Lynch is best-known for founding Autonomy Corporation in the 1990s, a software company that was bought for $11.1 billion by Hewlett-Packard in 2011. In recent years he had been in the news after HP launched legal action against Lynch and others over the sale , alleging they had exaggerated the firm's numbers and misled regulators to dupe HP into the sale. Lynch was extradited to the US, and won the case earlier this year. Dubbed " Britain's Bill Gates " by some, Lynch is also a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.

After being acquitted in the HP case and returning to the UK, Lynch said "I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field."

The Italian Coastguard remains searching, with both divers and helicopter teams involved. They have located the wreck approximately 50 metres below the surface. The operation will continue through the night, with further specialist teams travelling to the scene.

"We think [the bodies] must be there [in the wreckage]," Francesco Venuto of Sicily's civil protection agency told the BBC. "We've been searching all day with helicopters and boats, we've found nothing. That wouldn't make sense, in these conditions we should have found something by now."

"We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily," said a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, "and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected."

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."

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Mike Lynch yacht latest: British tech entrepreneur’s body recovered but teenage daughter still missing

Tech mogul’s superyacht capsized in storm with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah among passengers

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Italian authorities are continuing the search for the 18-year-old daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who has been identified as one of the five bodies recovered from the Bayesian superyacht wreckage.

The Italian Coast Guard also confirmed that the bodies of Jonathan Bloomer , his wife Judith Bloomer, lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were all recovered.

The boat sank in a severe storm in the early hours of Monday , with the bodies of four people, one of whom belonged to a “heavily-built man”, recovered on Wednesday.

The head of Sicily’s civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina said that the priority remained focused on searching for the missing sixth passenger.

One man, the boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed dead on Monday, while a further 15 people survived the disaster.

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Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer confirmed dead by authorities

Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer has been identified as one of the five bodies recovered from the wreckage of the Bayesian.

Mr Bloomer, 70, had been called to the stand during a court case involving Mike Lynch.

The banker was the chairman of the audit committee at Autonomy, the company owned by Mr Lynch which was being investigated in a high-profile fraud case relating to a 2011 sale.

Mr Bloomer has been chairman of Morgan Stanley International since 2018, after starting his career in 1974 at the defunct accounting firm Arthur Anderson.

Mike Lynch identified as dead while daughter is still missing

The body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch was retrieved on Thursday from the wreck of a yacht that sank earlier this week off Sicily during a tempest.

Lynch’s 18-year daughter Hannah is still missing.

Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo have also been identified by Italy’s coast guard.

Divers facing search operation plagued with difficulties

The search operation to find the missing has been described as “complex” from the offset, with the boat sitting 50m below the surface of the sea.

Debris and furniture has cluttered the narrow passageways of the yacht, with divers only having 10 minutes underwater before they could suffer from nausea, known as ‘the bends’.

Fire crews from the Vigili del Fuoco said they have been accessing the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings.

Remotely controlled underwater vehicles have been used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search, the Italian Coastguard has said.

Priority is finding the final passenger, says head of civil protection agency

Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that the fifth body had been recovered on Thursday, following the recovery of four others on Wednesday.

Identities of the bodies have not been confirmed by authorities, despite local and international media reporting some had been identified.

Searches resumed on Thursday morning, with Mr Cocina saying there will be an investigation in due course, but the priority is finding the final missing passenger.

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

Watch live: Italy rescuers search for final missing person from sunken Bayesian superyacht

Live: Italy rescuers search for final missing person from sunken Bayesian superyacht

Rescuers search for the final missing person from the Bayesian superyacht which sank off the coast of Sicily

Fifth body brought ashore by Italian search teams

The fifth body located by Italian search teams has been recovered from the sunken Bayesian yacht and brought to shore.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returned with a blue body bag to Porticello at just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Seven key unanswered questions around the sinking of the Bayesian

With the Bayesian lying on her side 50 metres underneath the now gentle waters of the Mediterranean, mystery still surrounds how the 56-metre superyacht, sank in the typhoon off the port of Porticello.

Remotely controlled underwater vehicles and cave divers are looking to raise the yacht, which experts will examine in the coming days.

It will take weeks for Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, and his team to establish whether the sinking of the Bayesian was down to human error, an unpredictable weather event or whether anyone is liable.

They have said they will interview the survivors in the coming days – some of whom were pictured leaving the Domina Zagarella hotel in Santa Flavia, which has become the headquarters for survivors, police and rescuers.

My colleague Barney Davis takes a look at some of the key unanswered questions in this report:

The key unanswered questions around the tragic sinking of the Bayesian

With the search continuing of the sunken Bayesian an investigation has been launched to establish what caused the disaster off the coast of Sicily

Search to resume for remaining person missing after luxury yacht disaster

The search will resume for the remaining person missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily following the discovery of five bodies inside the wreck, reports Ellie Ng .

Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that of the five bodies found on Wednesday, only four had been recovered, and the whereabouts of the missing sixth person remain unknown.

Identities of the recovered bodies have not been confirmed by authorities, despite local and international media reporting some had been identified. Body bags were seen being taken to the port of Porticello on Wednesday afternoon, with the process of bringing the fifth body to shore being described by Mr Cocina as “ongoing”.

He said searches will resume on Thursday morning, and that there will be an investigation in due course, but the priority is finding the missing.

Mike Lynch yacht sinking latest: Fifth body found inside Bayesian sunken off Sicily

British tourist held baby above waves after yacht sank, italian doctor says.

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 the PA news agency: “The child and the mother went to the hotel near Porticello on Tuesday, they are both in a good condition.

“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. Her partner was not with her, he was in another room.

“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.”

Mapped: Where Bayesian sank off coast of Sicily as search enters fourth day

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Four bodies retrieved from sunken yacht in Sicily

Four bodies were retrieved on Wednesday from the sunken wreck of a yacht belonging to the wife of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, the Italian fire brigade said, adding that they were continuing to search for two missing people.

The bodies were brought ashore on rescue boats and taken to nearby hospitals for formal identification. Local authorities refused to give any information about who they might have found.

Britain's Daily Telegraph reported that two of the dead were Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, while Italy's Corriere della Sera said the only bodies identified so far were Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer and U.S. lawyer Chris Morvillo.

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Bloomer's wife, Judy, and Morvillo's wife, Neda, also vanished when the British-flagged Bayesian, which had been carrying 22 people, was hit by a fierce, pre-dawn storm on Monday and sank.

Lynch, 59, was one of the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs and had invited friends to join him on the luxurious yacht to celebrate his recent acquittal in a U.S. fraud trial.

The 56-metre (184-foot) Bayesian had been anchored off the Sicilian port of Porticello when the storm struck and witnesses said it disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes, baffling naval marine experts who said such a vessel, presumed to have top-class fittings and safety features, should have been able to withstand such weather.

The yacht is lying on its side at a depth of around 50 metres (165 feet), apparently largely intact.

Specialist rescuers have been searching inside the hull of the sunken yacht for the past two days. The victims were believed to have been trapped in cabins, which have proved extremely hard to get to, with divers only able to stay in the vessel for 8-10 minutes before having to re-surface.

Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife, managed to escape the boat before it capsized, while the body of the onboard chef, Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, was found near the wreck hours after the disaster.

Besides the diving team, the coast guard has deployed a remotely operated vehicle to scan the seabed and take underwater pictures and videos that it said may provide "useful and timely elements" for prosecutors looking into the disaster.

The coast guard has been questioning survivors, including the captain of the Bayesian, and passengers on the yacht that was moored next to it who witnessed the ship going down, judicial sources said. That vessel survived unscathed.

No one is under investigation at the moment, sources added.

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020. It had the world's tallest aluminum mast, measuring 72 metres (236 feet), according to its makers.

Lynch has been referred to as Britain's Bill Gates. He built the UK's largest software firm, Autonomy, which was sold to HP for US$11 billion in 2011, after which the deal spectacularly unraveled with the U.S. tech giant accusing him of fraud, resulting in a lengthy trial.

He was acquitted on all charges by a jury in San Francisco in June. Morvillo, who works for Clifford Chance, represented him at the trial, while Bloomer was a character witness on his behalf.

Bayesian's captain, James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander who survived the shipwreck, was a "very good sailor" and "very well respected" in the Mediterranean, his brother Mark told The New Zealand Herald.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, a UK-based non-profit organization that trains sea rescuers, said the Bayesian was the victim of a "high impact" weather-related incident.

"If it was a water spout, which it appears to be, it's what I would class as like a black swan event," he told Reuters, meaning a rare and unpredictable phenomenon.

Writing by Crispian Balmer and Alvise Armellini; Additional reporting by Guglielmo Mangiapane, Wladimiro Pantaleone and Matteo Negri, editing by Gavin Jones, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton and Sandra Maler

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Survivor of British Bill Gates’ superyacht disaster recounts struggle to save her baby—‘All I could hear around me was the screams of others’

A 183-foot luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily was upended by a tornado on Monday. One day later, the disaster is still unfolding, as one person has been confirmed to have died, and six of the 22 passengers on board are presumed now to have perished in the accident, according to recent reports from the Wall Street Journa l.  

Among the 15 people rescued, a 35-year-old British woman by the name of Charlotte Golunski recounted her harrowing experience. Attributing her survival to being on the deck of the sinking yacht when the storm hit, she described being awoken by lightning and thunder. The storm then threw her into the dark sea. Her caregiving instincts appear to have kicked in after the yacht succumbed to the storm and Golunksi used her strength to hoist her 1-year-old daughter above her head in the churning water to save her from drowning. 

Golunski and her family survived the incident, although they avoided disaster by a slim margin. 

“For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea then quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves,” she told Italian outlet Giornale di Sicilia . 

“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open,” she told newspaper La Repubblica . “I screamed for help, but all I could hear around me was the screams of the others.” She was able to take reprieve upon a lifeboat alongside 11 survivors. 

Aboard the British yacht known as the Bayesian was also Mike Lynch . Lynch was the one who, in fact, invited Golunski and her family, according to the Washington Post . 

Still missing and now presumed dead, Lynch is a tech tycoon and former chief executive of Autonomy who recently made headlines after being acquitted of alleged fraud.  Once known as “ Britain’s Bill Gates ,” Lynch also developed a reputation for railing against Silicon Valley culture . 

He was subsequently embroiled in a more than decade-long trial that was once described by a U.S. investigator as the biggest fraud ever to hit the area, per the Financial Times . Lynch’s lawyer, Clifford Chance senior partner Chris Morvillo, was also on the yacht and now is missing in the group of six. Jonathan Bloomer, Morgan Stanley’s international chairman, was also reported missing and is presumed dead.

Bloomer’s wife, Judy, and Morvillo’s wife, Neda, are also presumed dead, according to the WSJ , along with Lynch’s teenage daughter Hannah. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued.

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Sicily yacht sinking: divers struggle to enter wreck to find six missing people.

Specialist divers launched a fresh search for six people missing since their yacht capsized off the Italian island of Sicily. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP

By Giselda Vagnoni, Reuters

Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicily's coast to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Tuesday.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long superyacht, was carrying 22 people and anchored off the port of Porticello when it was hit by the fierce, pre-dawn storm.

Fifteen people escaped before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered. That left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

"The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel," said Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily.

Mike Lynch and Ayla Ronald. Photo: AFP / Clifford Chance

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealander working in London as a lawyer survived the capsizing, her father Lin Ronald confirmed to RNZ.

MFAT confirmed a second New Zealander was on board. They were believed to be safe.

The BBC has reported the yacht's captain James Catfield is from New Zealand, and had told local media of the waterspount that engulfed the yacht, saying they "just didn't see it coming."

The boat was lying at a depth of 49 metres, giving divers only 8-10 minutes at the wreck site before they had to resurface. Entering the boat was also proving difficult, said the fire brigade, which is leading the search operation.

"Inside the sailing ship the spaces are very confined, and if you hit an obstacle it is very complicated to move forward, just as it is very difficult to find alternative routes," said fire spokesman Luca Cari.

Fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters the vessel appeared to be intact and was lying on its right side. Divers had not ascertained whether the 72-metre-long mast had snapped somewhere along its length during the tempest.

Karsten Borner, the skipper of a boat that had been moored alongside the Bayesian, said the yacht flipped on its side soon after the storm hit and sank within two minutes, giving those below deck little time to get to safety.

Lynch trial

Lynch, 59, is one of the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs. He built the country's largest software firm, Autonomy, and was referred to as Britain's Bill Gates.

He sold the firm to HP for US$11 billion in 2011, after which the deal spectacularly unravelled with the US tech giant accusing him of fraud, resulting in a lengthy trial. Lynch was eventually acquitted by a jury in San Francisco in June.

Morvillo represented Lynch in the case, while Bloomer had appeared as a character witness on his behalf.

In an extraordinary coincidence, Stephen Chamberlain, Mike Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, died following a road accident in Britain over the weekend, his lawyer said.

The Bayesian was owned by Lynch's wife, who survived the disaster, and other guests on the yacht included Lynch's colleagues. The only body so far retrieved was that of the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen.

The British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it sent four of its inspectors to Sicily to conduct a "preliminary assessment."

'Didn't see it coming'

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the official investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken, given the forecasts for bad weather overnight.

Borner, whose yacht was moored near the Bayesian, said that although there had been warnings of possible thunderstorms, there had been no indication they would be particularly violent.

"Thunderstorms can turn out good or bad and this one was a real violent squall ... very violent, very intense, a lot of water, and I think a turning system like a tornado," he told Reuters.

Storms and heavy rains have ravaged Italy in recent days, after weeks of scorching heat warmed the sea temperature to record highs, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, which is almost 3 degrees more than normal," said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

"We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect," he told Reuters.

- Reuters / RNZ

Copyright © 2024 , Radio New Zealand

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