6 meter yachts

• Elliott 6 SuperSport
• Elliott Design Fleet

Elliott 6 SuperSport is a dynamic state of the art 6 metre keelboat that delivers outstanding performance in all conditions.A development of the Elliott 6m the E6SuperSport offers greater sail area, therefore giving rise to greater crew weight. Ideally sailed by 3 or 4 people. With the addition of a retractable bowsprit the E6Super Sport offers a wider scope of  sailing options.   Elliott 6 Super Sports  are ideal for use in class racing, match racing, open racing, yacht club programmes, keelboat training, youth development. The E6 Sport is currently used by several yacht clubs for their keel boat training programmes.

Dynamic 6 metre yacht

The Elliott 6 SuperSport is a Dynamic state of the art 6 metre yacht. State of the art materials and detailed high tech resin infused composite construction to exacting standards ensures a durable and sustainable yacht, easily maintained and highly durable.

Exciting Performance

Elliott 6 SuperSport provides exciting sailing on all points of sail and in all conditions. Ideal for sailing with a crew of 2-3 persons.

Ideal for fleet racing & match racing

The E6ss is a strict one design keel boat  with high stability, ideal  for fleet racing, match racing, corporate sailing or keel boat training. 

Large cockpit

A large well laid out cockpit and strategic placement of all controls allows for easy handling. Hiking straps for natural comfort.

Carbon fibre features

Carbon features include a: single spreader carbon fibre rig and retractable carbon fibre bowsprit, carbon fibre retractable keel and removable carbon fibre rudder

Masthead gennaker

The E6SuperSport has a masthead gennaker with an option for spinnaker use if preferred.

Quality fittings, international warranty

Trailerable

Lifting carbon fibre keel and removable rudder.

Elliott 6 Super Sport Fleets

Fleets of Elliott 6 Super Sport are currently used in keel boat programmes in many international yacht clubs.

Specifications

• Draft 1.6 m
• Displacement 605 kg
• Main Sail 17.73 sqm
• Jib 8.6 sqm
• Gennaker 45.40 sqm

General Appearance

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The archive for the International Six Metre Class

Celebrating the history of the international six metres.

The first Six Metres were built over 100 years ago and the class has a rich heritage. This website brings together archive material spanning their full history, made publicly accessible for the first time in one place.

Launched in 2019, this is a growing resource for anyone with an interest in the history of the International Six Metre Class. You can find source material relating to all aspects of the class and the community around it, ranging from regattas and racing to designers and photographs. The material on this site has been sourced from many different collections worldwide, reflecting the international nature of the class.

We welcome and encourage submissions of new material and information from our visitors. Please get in touch if you have anything to add. Feel free to browse our site and enjoy the resources on offer.

View The Archive

Bibis sailing in 1967. Archive record BPLK.1.2.

Six Metres racing out of Harbor Springs, Michigan, in the 1930s. Archive record GRSW.1.2

A class steeped in history

From the Olympics to the World Championships, the International Six Metre Class has played a significant role in the development of competitive sailing. Since the Six Metres first appeared in 1907 following the development of the International Rule, it has been one of the most popular of the Metre classes. More than 1200 boats have been built over the course of more than a century, and over 300 still sail and compete today.

The class is organised by the International Six Metre Association, which is governed by a committee of elected officers from around the world.

Latest additions to the Archive

Official film of Day One of the Arenal Cup 2, 2024

Thistle (K17) and other Six Metre boats sailing, undated

Painting/ Work of art

Rating certificate for Antiope II, 1928 & 1933

Certificate

Celine sailing in the Inverted Start Race in Long Beach, California, 1966

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Introduction to the The Six Metre – 100 Years of Racing, written by Olin Stephens

“As a retired yacht designer I hope readers will find me justified in outlining technical developments as they affected the Six Metre class throughout its acceptance and growth, as those were the considerations that seemed important to me at the time.

In early days, such developments in naval architecture and yacht design seemed to occur in spurts and have resulted from the individual vision of one man, such as Isaac Newton in the last half of the 17th century, who offered the reach of calculus. This was followed by studies of the dynamics of ships in motion, of which the most comprehensive were carried out by a French scientist, Pierre Bouguer in association with the University of Basle, Switzerland, with his detailed studies of elements, in fields like hydrodynamics and rigging design. I introduce Bouguer because his work led the way to predicted performance which, after a gap of 200 years, Kenneth Davidson’s concentration on the performance in the Six Metre class led the way to its exceptional growth.

Davidson, as an engineer and a sailor, was the first person to envisage the use of very small models for tank tests, in place of the large ones then required by current practice. These were roughly 18 to 20 feet long and weighed in the neighbourhood of a ton. It happened that in searching for a known model to test he came to my office on City Island, New York City, where I had a model of the Six Metre Natka, which had been made by my brother Rod and which he had used in experiments on rigs. Using this model, Davidson continued towing experiments on which his valuable 1936 paper was based.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries design activity was associated internationally with increased in classification and rating rules. The fastest boats, both large and small on both sides of the Atlantic were poor sea boats with light displacement and very long ends. In the US Herreshoff’s “Universal Rule” came into being as a corrective and in Europe in 1906, international conferences met in the UK under the auspices of the Prince of Wales, which produced the First Interational Racing Classes Rule, initially for European use. Subsequently, in 1921 after international discussion and with only partial agreement within the US, Boston and Marblehead holding out, this rule was adopted by the new NAYRU and the NVYC for classes smaller than the 12 Metre class. It became the prototype rule for the Six Metre class and developed into a modified rule known as the Third International Metre Rule.

1924 6-Metre Olympics

Back in the 1930s yachts were considered old after 20 years or less. That age would be doubled today without any surprise, while even older and badly deteriorated hulls are now picked up by delightful owners who spend freely to restore them and it is interesting to speculate just why. Certainly the best materials were available before the Second World War and the best yards then had skilled shipwrights. Perhaps in this age of mass production, there is reassurance of craftmanship and value in the older and simpler hulls.

Appreciation of individually created art is as old as man himself, but the high status of other useful objects such as yachts has come about in only very recent times and with Six Metres only within the last 15 years or so. Am I right that this is new? To be unique contributes value and is surely part of the charm that the Six Metres most certainly have.” (Extract from The Six Metre – 100 Years of Racing, edited by Pekka Barck and Tim Street.)

On the International Six Metre Association website a timeline has been built for the class and can be found at the  Evolution of the 6 Metre Class .

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An interview with Rainer Muller about the International 6 Metre Worlds

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• Sailboat Guide

6-Meter (International)

6-Meter (International) is a 36 ′ 8 ″ / 11.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Various starting in 1907.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Olympic class between 1908-1952 when it was replaced by the International 5.5 Meter. Dimensions are approximate since this is a development class, originally built to the International rule. 400 are thought to still be in existence with about 300 still in racing condition. Photo: Nancii Bernard

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British International Six Metre Association

Welcome to the online home of the British International Six Metre Association.

Over 1,200 Six Metre boats were built in total, of which some 450 are still in existence today and the UK has one of the largest fleets. Some early Fife boats built in 1907 are still sailing – often against Moderns. Some Classics have been beautifully modified for cruising and others race regularly.

The class covers a wide range of sailing, whilst at the same time retaining the heritage of international racing in thoroughbred boats that don’t have to break the bank. All have one thing in common: their distinctive sailing silhouette and an adherence to a tried and tested formula. A tribute to the designers and builders. There is no doubt the class generates a passion and devotion driven by the stunning appearance of the boats and their historical significance.

Now well over 100 years since the first rule was written, metre boats have been at the forefront of yacht development ever since – they were amongst the first boats sailing in the Olympics, right from the 1908 London Olympics until 1952 in Helsinki. 6mRs were also used for the British-American Cup (team racing and an event far more prestigious than the America’s Cup in its day) and the Seawanhaka Cup (match racing) throughout the 1930’s.

Of the other international rule classes, the 8mRs have been the first choice boat for European Royalty, some of the 23mR were converted to ‘J’-class yachts and the 12mR were the boats used to challenge for the America’s Cup for 30 years once racing started again after the war and until a more modern derivative was designed.

Hull designs have always been technologically advanced. Wing keels, rod shrouds and the latest in sail design and build on the Moderns contrast with the ageless wooden decks and fittings of the Classics. Both classes sail together; often the fastest Classics mixing it with the Moderns. There has been a real resurgence of interest with many old boats being restored, new boats being built and some of the mega-stars of the sailing world choosing metre boats for their personal sailing. The International Six Metre Association has members in many European and American sailing centres.

Aims of BISMA

The UK 6mR fleet is largely based in the Solent with another group of boats in the West Country. The programme is devised to provide maximum opportunity to sail together, combined with the ability of the boats to get to each venue by sailing or transport. Many boats have a 7.5 ton lorry which is sufficient to move the boats and at each venue launching facilities are organised.

Friends & Crewing

If you have an interest in the class, please  register as a ‘Friend’  or become an Associate Member to support the class. Regular crew are encouraged to become Associate Members. Click here for Membership details .

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Six Metre Worlds

31 August to 8 September – Cowes, UK

Cowes is the historic home of yachting on the south coast of the UK and is a world renowned regatta venue.

The International Six Metre World Championships in 2023 will be hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) from its stunning waterside clubhouse overlooking the Solent.

The Squadron’s race management team is world class and runs multiple international regattas and championships each season. Racing for the Six Metre Worlds will be held on windward leeward courses in the eastern Solent area.

Cowes offers plenty of places to stay at a range of levels and further information about this can be found on our Accommodation page . There is also a wide range of cafes, bars and restaurants and well as great local shops and galleries.

Further afield the Isle of Wight is a wonderful tourist destination with a host of interesting places and attractions to visit. Click here for more information about visiting the Isle of Wight.

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Sailing yachts

35′ International Six Metre

• Designer: Stephens, J.G.
• Builder: Alex Stephens and Sons, Glasgow
• Location: Southampton
• Length on deck: 35'
• Tonnage: 4.5 Displ

Enquire about 35′ International Six Metre

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Full specification

Wooden ships comments on this 35′ International six metre

Designed by J.G. Stephens

Built by Alex Stephens and Sons, Govan , Glasgow in 1932.

Alexander Stephens & Sons was a famous Clyde shipyard already 200 years in existence when this yacht was built and Stephens senior had had considerable success with his racing yacht designs.  One of his 6-meter designs, Coila won the coveted Seawanhaka Cup on several occasions

This was his son, J.G “Wee John”. Stephens’ early entry into the world of racing yacht design and the young man incorporated some interesting new ideas.

According to an article in Yachting Monthly at the time of her launch, young Stephens had tank tested his adventurous designs finding some of his ideas proven and others not so.

Amongst other ideas, he is known for putting his mast in the boat “the wrong way round” – a traditional pear-shaped cross section but placed with the fine end forward.

As a reflection of his confidence in his design, he was a part owner along with two others, one the local MP.

The design is rather extreme with an almost straight line from the stemhead to the rudder heel and a vertical stern post. The hull is unusually full forward of the mast with a limited forward overhang and some quite flat sections and the counter runs off to a very fine end finishing in a small archboard.

Maida is famous for having lost the Seawanhaka Cup to Jill in 1932.  “Wee John” Stephen and co-owner Maj. C.G. MacAndrew both had experience of the Seawanhaka Cup and despite high hopes their failure must have been a great disappointment at the time.

In later life a dog house and an engine were added to convert her for cruising. She also spent an extended time onshore in one owner’s garden from 1972.

The rebuild was begun around 1986 by Scottish boat builder David Spy who replaced all her ribs and some planking.

The restoration was completed by Peter Wilson in Aldeburgh using the original plans. Some design changes were made on deck and some modern techniques and materials used but the spirit of the original design has been retained.

Maida has proved to be a good boat to sail in competition since her rebuild and with a practiced crew can still make a good show.

Conventionally planked in what was described on original drawings as African white mahogany on a yellow pine back-bone.  All steam bent oak timbers with a few double thickness for extra strength.  All fastened with copper nails, clenched in the Scottish tradition.

The oak timbers are ring right round the inside in one piece.  Alternate oak floors and galvanised strap floors  right up through the bow.

Galvanised steel floors in the midships area and up into the counter on every second timber. It is believed these strap floors were all replaced new sometime between 1972 and 1986.

Timber rudder with vertical stock through a bronze stock tube.

In the refit in Aldeburgh, the deck was replaced using a ply sub deck with yellow pine overlay yacht laid to a varnished king plank, the coverboards finished varnished, the seams payed with butyl rubber.

New varnished mahogany cock-pit coamings.

The interior of the hull is varnished in way of the cock-pit, painted in the ends.

Sail trays forward under the fore deck.

Foot rests each side in the cock-pit.

Slatted teak cock-pit sole boards

Pair of new stainless steel hanging web knees each side incorporated in the chain plates which in turn are attached to a new deck plate to take the shrouds.

Single centre-line mooring cleat forward and aft.

A small bridge deck across the middle of the cock-pit with a pair of full width deck beams carries the main sheet swivel block.

Stainless steel wrap-round stemhead fitting with stem band takes the anchor cable. Fractional Bermudian sloop rig on new Collars mast in varnished spruce, stepped through the deck on the keel.

Triple spreaders. The upper spreaders incorporate a pair of jumper struts to give a very well supported mast with diamonds and jumpers above, cap shrouds, intermediates and lowers.

Single standing back-stay to the counter.

Fore-stay through the fore deck aft of the stem set up to a rigging screw to the inside face of the stem.

Shrouds made up to a stainless steel each side, tied in to straps and hanging knees below.

Headsail sheet tracks down the cover boards each side with cars.

2 pairs of Lewmar top action 2-speed sheet winches on the decks alongside the cock-pit, tails lead into the cock-pit through jammers

Halyard led down the mast and through original bronze glands on the deck to turning blocks on the mast step and led aft to cleats in the cock-pit.

A pair of modern stand-up blocks on the deck in way of the mast.

Tufnol bottom action winch on the forward coaming with cleats.

Main sheet made off to an anchor point on the aft deck with the twail led forward and down to a swivelling stand-up block with jammer attached on the mini bridge deck across the middle of the cock-pit.

New varnished spruce boom by Collars. Slab reefing with fittings on the boom.

Tackle kicker.

Sails by Ratsey and Lapthorne, new 2003 and some newer Doyle Sails

2 x loose footed mainsails.

Varnished spinnaker boom.

Compass on each side deck.

Tictac on the mast below the boom.

12v battery

12v bilge pump.

Manual bilge pump

The yacht has been laid up for two seasons and will need some light refitting before she is ready to be campaigned again.

A good opportunity to acquire an historic Six in near race condition for a very reasonable price.

Wooden Ships classic yachts brokers have an extensive database of boats for sale. With a wide range of sailboats , classic yachts , motor yachts and small classic boats , Wooden Ships has one of the largest selections of traditional wooden boats and yachts for sale in the UK.

Disclaimer:

These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.

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• MYA Districts
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• Six Metre Class (6M)
• Measurement & Certification

Status of Class: Adopted Administrative Body: MYA

This MYA national class is a scaled down version of the full sized International Six Metre class rule. The overhangs make the boats elegant and graceful on the water. Being displacement boats they rely on the hull shape, as well as the ballast, for their stability. It therefore provides a somewhat different, distinctly ‘yacht like’ sailing experience. It is particularly suited to lakes with restricted depth.

It is a class that lends itself for those who enjoy home building with a number of designs available. This, together with the need for only one mast, a main boom and a jib boom together with just two suits of sails, helps make this an ideal class of boat for the more cost conscious sailor.

• Six Metre Class Events here
• Contact the Six Metre Class Captain here
• Six Metre Class GBR website here
• Six Metre Class Rules attached below
• Six Metre Class Measurement Procedure here
• Six Metre Class Measurement Forms attached below
• Six Metre Boats For Sale or Wanted here
• Please visit our  Knowledgebase  or  Q&A  for more help

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Luxury yacht captain faces manslaughter investigation after deaths of British tech mogul, 6 others

Bayesian captain james cutfield under investigation after yacht sinks, kills 7.

Moment luxury yacht sinks off coast of Italy caught on camera, with 6 presumed dead

Grainy CCTV footage shows the moment a storm struck the Bayesian luxury yacht, which sank Aug. 19, 2024, off the coast of Italy. Six people are missing, officials say. (Giornale di Sicilia)

The captain of the superyacht that sank off the coast of Italy last week during severe weather, killing seven, is under probe by Italian prosecutors.

James Cutfield, 51, of New Zealand, is under investigation on suspicion of manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, Italian media reported Monday.

He and 15 others survived the sinking of the Bayesian. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others died. 

"The Bayesian was built to go to sea in any weather," Franco Romani, a nautical architect who was part of the team that designed the yacht, told daily La Stampa in an interview published on Monday. He added that the yacht could have taken on water from a left open side hatch.

Prosecutors said the event was "extremely rapid" and could have been a "downburst" – a localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.

BRITISH TECH ENTREPRENEUR, AMERICANS AMONG MISSING AFTER YACHT SINKS OFF ITALIAN COAST, KILLING AT LEAST 1

James Cutfield was captain of the Bayesian at the time of its sinking off the Italian coast.  (Facebook/James Cutfield)

Similar to U.S. law, being investigated does not imply guilt nor that formal charges will be filed against Cutfield. 

On Saturday, chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio not only confirmed an investigation, but said his team will also consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.

MORGAN STANLEY INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN, WIFE AND 4 OTHERS STILL MISSING AFTER LUXURY YACHT SINKS OFF SICILY

Italian firefighter divers work at the site of a shipwreck, in Porticello, Sicily, southern Italy, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

The Bayesian was a 184-foot British-flagged luxury yacht deemed "unsinkable" by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi. 

Its crew survived the sinking, minus the chef. Six passengers were trapped in the hull. 

This picture taken on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, shows the Bayesian, left, and the Duch sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell at anchor off the Sicilian village of Porticello near Palermo, in southern Italy. (Fabio La Bianca/Baia Santa Nicolicchia via AP)

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Fox News Digital spoke with eSysman of the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts , to find out what could have gone wrong with the vessel. 

"Obviously, any voyage plan will take into account the weather. Wind, wave sizes, and frequencies of the waves will be studied and precise prediction of weather has improved over the years, but it’s still not 100%," the host said, noting that it is ultimately the captain who is responsible for the vessel. 

Fox News' Bradford Betz, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Divers find 5 bodies during search of superyacht wreckage after it sank off Sicily, 1 still missing

The bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) british-flagged yacht, went down in a storm early monday, by nicole winfield, danica kirka and andrea rosa | the associated press • published august 21, 2024 • updated on august 21, 2024 at 4:18 pm.

Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht  that sank off Sicily found the bodies of five passengers Wednesday and searched for one more as questions intensified about why the vessel sank so quickly when a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Rescue crews brought four body bags ashore into port at Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, said a fifth body had been located. Divers at the scene said they would try to recover it on Thursday while continuing the search for the sixth.

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Video shows moments before superyacht went down in storm off Sicily

Missing revealed as divers search superyacht that sank in storm off Sicily

The discovery made clear the operation to search the hull on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) underwater had quickly turned into a recovery one, not a rescue, given the amount of time that had passed and with no signs of life emerging over three days of searching.

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The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, went down in a storm  early Monday  as it was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Fifteen people escaped in a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby sailboat. One body was recovered Monday — that of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, of Antigua.

Thomas was born in Canada, according to his cousin David Isaac, but would visit his parents’ homeland of Antigua as a child, moving permanently to the tiny eastern Caribbean island in his early 20s. Italian officials previously listed Antigua and Canada as the nationality of people on board.

The fate of six missing passengers had driven the search effort, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter and associates who had successfully defended him in a recent U.S. federal fraud trial.

Lynch’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Meanwhile, investigators from the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office were acquiring evidence for their criminal investigation, which they opened immediately after the tragedy  even though no formal suspects have been publicly identified.

Questions have abounded about what caused the superyacht, built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, to sink so quickly, when the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat was largely spared and managed to rescue the survivors.

Giovanni Costantino, head of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the shipmaker, blamed human error for the disaster, which he said took 16 minutes. “The ship sank because it took on water. From where, the investigators will say,” he told RAI state television after he met with prosecutors.

Costantino cited AIS ship tracking data which he said showed the Bayesian had taken on water for four minutes when a sudden gust of wind flipped it and it continued taking on water. The ship straightened up slightly and then went down, he said.

But was it merely the case of a freak waterspout that knocked the ship to its side and allowed water to pour in through open hatches? What was the position of the keel, which on a large sailboat like the Bayesian might have been retractable, to allow it to enter shallower ports?

“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to whether it had a lifting keel and whether it might have been up,” said Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the editor of the Journal of Sailing Technology. “But if it had, then that would reduce the amount of stability that the vessel had, and therefore made it easier for it to roll over on its side,” he said in an interview.

The captain of the sailboat that came to the Bayesian’s rescue said his craft had sustained minimal damage — the frame of a sun awning broke — even with winds that he estimated reached 12 on the Beaufort wind scale, which is the highest hurricane-strength force on the scale.

He said he had remained anchored with his engines running to try to maintain the ship’s position as the storm, which was forecast, rolled in.

“Another possibility is to heave anchor before the storm and to run downwind at open sea,” Karsten Bornersaid in a text message. But he said that might not have been a viable option for the Bayesian, given its trademark 75-meter (246-foot) tall mast.

“If there was a stability problem, caused by the extremely tall mast, it would not have been better at open sea,” he said.

Yachts like the Bayesian are required to have watertight, sub-compartments that are specifically designed to prevent a rapid, catastrophic sinking even when some parts fill with water.

“So for the vessel to sink, especially this fast, you are really looking at taking water on board very quickly, but also in a number of locations along the length of the vessel, which again indicates that it might have been rolled over on its side,” Souppez said.

Italian coast guard and fire rescue divers continued the underwater search in dangerous and time-consuming conditions. Because of the wreck’s depth, which requires special precautions, divers working in tag teams could only spend about 12 minutes at a time searching, though reinforcements outfitted with special equipment to enable longer dives were also on the wreck Wednesday.

In all, some 27 divers were taking rotations, including four who helped with the recovery of the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster off Tuscany. They called the Porticello wreck a “little Concordia,” fire crews said in a statement, which for the first time Wednesday referred to the operation as a “recovery.”

The limited dive time was designed in part to avoid decompression sickness, also known as the “bends,” which can occur when divers stay underwater for long periods and ascend too quickly, allowing nitrogen gas dissolved in the blood to form bubbles.

“The longer you stay, the slower your ascent has to be,” said Simon Rogerson, the editor of SCUBA magazine. He said the tight turnaround time suggested the operation's managers were trying to limit the risks and recovery time after each dive.

“It sounds like they’re operating essentially on no decompression or very tight decompression, or they’re being extremely conservative,” he said.

Additionally, the divers were working in extremely tight spaces, with debris floating around them, limited visibility and air tanks on their backs.

“We are trying to advance in tight spaces, but any single thing slows us down,” said Luca Cari, spokesman for the fire rescue service. “An electric panel could set us back for five hours. These aren’t normal conditions. We’re at the limit of possibility.”

“It’s not a question of entering the cabin to inspect it,” he added. “They’ve arrived at the level of the cabins, but it’s not like you can open the door.”

This article tagged under:

Divers recover 5 bodies from wrecked superyacht off Sicily; 1 still missing

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

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily found the bodies of five passengers Wednesday, leaving one still missing as questions intensified about why the vessel sank so quickly when a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Rescue crews brought four body bags ashore at Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, said a fifth body had been located. Divers on-scene said they would try to recover it on Thursday while continuing the search for the sixth.

The discovery made clear the operation to search the hull on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) underwater had quickly turned into a recovery one, not a rescue, given the amount of time that had passed and with no signs of life over three days of searching.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, went down in a storm early Monday as it was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen people escaped in a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby sailboat. The body of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas of Antigua, was recovered Monday.

Italian Firefighters scuba divers return to the harbor with a body bag, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in the Sicilian village of Porticello near Palermo, in southern Italy. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Salvatore Cavalli

Thomas was born in Canada, according to his cousin David Isaac, but visited his parents’ homeland of Antigua as a child, and moved permanently to the tiny eastern Caribbean island in his early 20s. Italian officials previously listed Antigua and Canada as the nationality of people on board.

The fate of six missing passengers had driven the search effort, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch , his 18-year-old daughter and associates who had successfully defended him in a recent U.S. federal fraud trial.

Lynch’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office investigators were acquiring evidence for their criminal investigation, which they opened immediately after the tragedy despite no formal suspects having been publicly identified.

Questions have abounded about what caused the superyacht, built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, to rapidly sink, when the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat was largely spared and managed to rescue the survivors.

Giovanni Costantino, head of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the ship maker, blamed human error for the disaster, which he said took 16 minutes. “The ship sank because it took on water. From where, the investigators will say,” he told RAI state television after he met with prosecutors.

Costantino cited AIS ship tracking data which he said showed the Bayesian had taken on water for four minutes when a sudden gust of wind flipped it and it continued taking on water. The ship straightened up slightly and then went down, he said.

But was it merely the case of a freak waterspout that knocked the ship to its side and allowed water to pour in through open hatches? What was the position of the keel, which on a large sailboat like the Bayesian might have been retractable to allow it to enter shallower ports?

“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to whether it had a lifting keel and whether it might have been up,” said Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the editor of the Journal of Sailing Technology. “But if it had, then that would reduce the amount of stability that the vessel had, and therefore made it easier for it to roll over on its side,” he said in an interview.

The captain of the sailboat that rescued survivors said his craft sustained minimal damage — the frame of a sun awning broke — even with winds that he estimated reached 12 on the Beaufort wind scale, which is the highest hurricane-strength force on the scale.

He said he had remained anchored with his engines running to try to maintain the ship’s position as the forecast storm rolled in.

“Another possibility is to heave anchor before the storm and to run downwind at open sea,” Karsten Borner said in a text message. But he said that might not have been possible for the Bayesian, given its trademark 75-meter (246-foot) tall mast.

“If there was a stability problem, caused by the extremely tall mast, it would not have been better at open sea,” he said.

Yachts like the Bayesian are required to have watertight, sub-compartments that are specifically designed to prevent a rapid, catastrophic sinking even when some parts fill with water.

The underwater search continued in dangerous and time-consuming conditions. Because of the wreck’s depth, which requires special precautions, divers working in pairs could only spend about 12 minutes at a time searching, though reinforcements outfitted with special equipment to enable longer dives were on the wreck Wednesday.

In all, some 27 divers took rotations, including four who helped with recovery after the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster off Tuscany. They called the Porticello wreck a “little Concordia,” fire crews said in a statement.

The limited dive time was aimed in part at avoiding decompression sickness, also known as the “bends,” which can occur when divers stay underwater for long periods and ascend too quickly, allowing nitrogen gas dissolved in the blood to form bubbles.

“The longer you stay, the slower your ascent has to be,” said Simon Rogerson, the editor of SCUBA magazine. He said the tight turnaround time suggested the operation’s managers were trying to limit the risks and recovery time after each dive.

“It sounds like they’re operating essentially on no decompression or very tight decompression, or they’re being extremely conservative,” he said.

Divers were also working with debris floating around them, limited visibility and air tanks on their backs.

“We are trying to advance in tight spaces, but any single thing slows us down,” said Luca Cari, spokesman for the fire rescue service. “An electric panel could set us back for five hours. These aren’t normal conditions. We’re at the limit of possibility.”

Winfield reported from Rome and Kirka from London. Associated Press journalists Trisha Thomas in Rome; Andrea Rosa in Porticello; and Anika Kentish in St. John’s, Antigua, contributed to this report.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Thomas was born in Canada, not Antigua.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Deep seas and tight spaces impede search for 6 missing after yacht sinks off Sicily

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

The luxury sailboat, off Porticello near Palermo, was about 50 meters (164 feet) underwater — far deeper than most recreational divers are certified for and a depth that requires special precautions. Recovery crews could only stay for 12-minute shifts, a measure that slowed efforts to reach the cramped inside of the wreck.

Divers tag-teamed the shifts and were using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, or ROV, to help in the search. They hadn't been able to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by furniture that shifted during the violent storm that struck the vessel early Monday. Rescue crews said they assume the missing six are in those cabins because the storm struck when most would be sleeping, but the teams haven’t verified their presence there through portholes.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore when a storm rolled in before 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly .

Grainy film from closed-circuit cameras from shore, broadcast on the website of the Giornale di Sicilia, showed the majestic, illuminated 75-meter (246-foot) mast of the Bayesian weathering the storm and then disappearing over the course of a minute.

Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body was recovered, identified by officials as the Antiguan-born on-board chef. The rest of the 10-person crew survived, including the captain whom prosecutors reportedly sought to interview.

The survivors were rescued by a nearby sailboat after getting into a lifeboat.

Lynch, who was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology, was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. His wife, Angela Bacares, survived the sinking. Hannah Lynch, the couple’s 18-year-old daughter, is reportedly unaccounted for.

Also unaccounted for are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s lawyers, and his wife, Neda; and Jonathan Bloomer, a chairman at Morgan Stanley International and the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified in Lynch’s defense, and his wife.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which rescued the survivors, said he was close enough to see the Bayesian as the storm came in.

“A moment later, she was gone,” he said.

“It’s a great, great tragedy,” said Britain’s ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn, who visited Porticello on Tuesday. Britain sent four investigators to the scene, given the disaster involved a British-flagged ship and British citizens were among the missing.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, said the search was proceeding much more slowly than another big shipwreck in Italy, the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscany's coast, because of the depth of the wreck and the limited space divers have to maneuver.

“That was much simpler. Here everything is more tight," he said.

The outing was intended at least in part as a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal and a “looking forward to what was coming next,” said Reid Weingarten, a Washington attorney and a member of Lynch’s defense team who was not on the yacht.

“A lot of people went, a lot of people were planning to go and then, of course, this happened,” Weingarten said.

Weingarten worked with Morvillo and said he “was like a brother.”

Aki Hussain, CEO of international insurer Hiscox Group, where Bloomer was chairman, said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.”

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation,” he added.

Among the survivors, the Emslie family was released from Palermo's pediatric hospital on Tuesday. Charlotte Golunski had reported that she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter, Sofia, in the water but then managed to hold her up over the waves until they were both pulled to safety, doctors said.

The father, identified by ANSA news agency as James Emslie, also survived.

“They don't talk much, primarily because they consider themselves survivors and they don't understand why they survived given what they went through,” said Dr. Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at Di Cristina pediatric hospital.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Cipolla said the parents had been in touch with other survivors, who are being housed at a nearby hotel and were waiting for other family members to arrive in Sicily.

The Bayesian, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, is registered to Revtom Ltd., according to online maritime database Equasis. Bacares, Lynch's wife, is listed as Revtom's sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

According to online charter companies, it had been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and was notable for its massive 75-meter-tall (246-foot-tall) aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

The coast guard said to date there was no trace of fuel leaks from the wreckage.

In an unrelated event, Lynch's co-defendant in the Autonomy trial who was also cleared, Stephen Chamberlain, was killed Sunday when he was hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire, England, said Chamberlain's lawyer, Gary Lincenberg.

Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; and Danica Kirka and Kelvin Chan in London, contributed to this report.

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