Superyacht boss asks why Bayesian crew were not in ‘state of alert’ for storm

Published

3 months ago

August 22, 2024

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The boss of a firm which makes and sells vessels like Mike Lynch’s sunken superyacht has questioned why its crew were not in a “state of alert” when a storm hit.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the company that makes the Perini vessels, told Sky News they “are absolutely safe”, suggesting human error was behind the boat going down.

He said the “event” that capsized the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, on Monday “could have been managed with an average amount of attention”.

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“There are a whole series of operations that highlight a chain of negative events that were negatively managed on board,” he said.

“The first is why the ship and the crew were not in a state of alert, given the storm from the weather charts that everyone could read and in particular had to be read by the ship’s bridge guard, the event was absolutely readable and expected.”

He said the yacht’s crew should have been in a state of “alert management”, meaning everyone on board had to be in the main lounge, which is the assembly point, rather than their cabins.

No one should have been on deck, while the captain, James Cutfield, should have been inside with the engines to manage the ship, he said.

“The ship, both the hull and the quarterdeck, all the openings, were supposed to be closed,” he added.

No official cause has been given for why the boat sank as powerful winds battered the area overnight and reports of waterspouts, which are like tornados that form over water.

Some experts have speculated the vessel may have taken on water from a freak wave through open hatches or doors or capsized as gusts hit the huge mast.

Prosecutors investigating the sinking are continuing to question the survivors, with the captain among those to be interviewed.

Mr Costantino asked: “Why was the ship in that situation? The storm was readable… We must ask ourselves why none of the fishermen in the port of Porticello went out at sea that night? Why did no one go out to sea?

“Everyone knew about the storm. And then, if a fisherman knew, why the commander of a ship of such importance, with guests of such level and importance, with 12 guests on board… Why wasn’t he in an alert situation?”

The vessel sank in as little as 60 seconds with 22 people on board, 12 passengers and a crew of 10, according to the Italian coastguard.

Six bodies have been found, including British tech tycoon Mr Lynch, while his 18-year-old daughter Hannah is still missing.

Mr Costantino has insisted there are no flaws with the design and construction of the yacht and that the Perini vessels “are the safest in the most absolute sense”, with their structure and keel making them what he called “unsinkable bodies”.

He said news of the sinking “put me in a state of sadness on one side and of disbelief on the other”.

Four British inspectors are also in Porticello and have begun a preliminary assessment of events.

It is understood they will look at all relevant aspects of the sinking, including the design, stability, and operation of the vessel. They will also examine the effects of the weather conditions experienced.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said: “The MAIB is investigating the foundering of the UK-registered large yacht Bayesian off the northern coast of Sicily on 19 August 2024.

“It would not be appropriate for the MAIB to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.”

Sky News has also contacted Italian investigators, Italy’s coastguard and captain James Cutfield for comment.

UK

Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2024

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Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.

A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.

They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.

“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.

It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.

Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.

The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.

Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.

UK

Labour confirms U-turn on proposed ban on smoking and vaping in pub gardens

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2024

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Labour confirms U-turn on proposed ban on smoking and vaping in pub gardens

A proposed ban on vaping and smoking in pub gardens will not go ahead, the health secretary has confirmed.

Wes Streeting said the Labour government would not press ahead with the idea after it was floated over the summer and caused an outcry within the hospitality industry.

Back in August, Sir Keir Starmer said his government was considering a ban on outdoor smoking in a bid to bring down the 80,000 preventable deaths caused by smoking in the UK each year.

The ban would have covered smoking in outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs, and in some small parks.

But speaking to Sky News this morning, Mr Streeting confirmed the U-turn and said: “We’re not going ahead or not proposing to go ahead with a [smoking] ban on outdoor hospitality.”

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He said the policy idea was a “leak of government discussion” over the summer and promoted a “really good debate about whether or not it would be proportionate” when taking into account the public health benefits, but also the potential downsides.

“I think people know the UK hospitality sector has taken a battering in recent years,” he added.

“And we don’t want to add to their pressure – so we’re not proposing to go ahead with an outdoor hospitality ban at this time.”

However, Mr Streeting did say that the smoking ban would be extended to some outdoor spaces, including schools, hospitals and children’s playgrounds.

It comes as the government today introduces a “groundbreaking” bill that aims to create the “first-ever smoke-free generation”.

The Tobacco and Vapes bill, which was first introduced by Rishi Sunak but was dropped due to the general election, will prevent anyone who was born on or after 1 January 2009 from buying tobacco.

The ban will effectively raise the legal age for buying cigarettes in England by one year every year, until it applies to the whole population.

The policy to create a “smoke-free generation” was seen as a defining one of Mr Sunak‘s premiership and caused controversy within Tory ranks, particularly the more libertarian wing of the party.

The bill will also create limits on the sale and marketing of vapes to children, while separate environmental legislation will be introduced to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes by next summer.

The health secretary said “clamping down on the scourge of youth vaping” with licensing, tougher enforcement and a ban on the marketing of vapes to children and young people was “happily, an area of broad cross-party consensus”.

“I first proposed the generational ban for children, when I was the shadow health secretary,” he said.

“To my delight and surprise, Rishi Sunak took it up as prime minister and Conservative leader.

“I hope that cross-party support will sustain a new leader of the Conservative Party, but we’ll find out in the coming weeks.”

UK

Powys crash: Safety system ‘blocked’ before fatal train collision

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2024

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Powys crash: Safety system 'blocked' before fatal train collision

A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.

David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.

A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.

The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.

Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.

The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.

An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.

The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.

The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.

Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.

The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.

As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.

In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.

“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.