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Owner of 60m Feadship superyacht ROCK.IT owner explains his design choices

• Superyachts

Feadship's 60-metre beauty ROCK.IT is testament to the custom superyacht experience...

“When the doors slide open on the main deck, every time I come in there it just blows me away!” says Jimmy John Liautaud. Words spoken by a proud owner show just how 60.34-metre ROCK.IT has more than lived up to expectations after her first year on the water.

“ ROCK.IT is very sleek and bold without being pretentious,” says exterior and interior designer Sander Sinot of Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design. “A natural flow of lines and surfaces makes the yacht breathe speed and exude elegance.”

A marriage of cool Dutch design and hot American passion has given the yacht a unique soul, and, after her first year of cruising , ROCK.IT has taken on a personality of her own.

“The owner wanted to have a yacht that was fast from the outside and cosy from the inside,” says Sipke Halbertsma, sales manager at Feadship. “ ROCK.IT has a classic Feadship hull from the front, but if you look at her profile you’ll see the exterior lines work to make her look fast.”

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However, the aggressive, forward movement of the exterior is softened by the interior, also by Sinot: a marriage of old Americana mahogany and modern Dutch minimalism. A surprising pairing, perhaps, but one that works hard to earn its keep as both a cosy family retreat and a raring-to-go party space.

Nothing is out of place, and the rooms don’t feel busy, but there is a warmth that pervades above all. It manages to be both contemporary and comfortable.

However, this is not just any mahogany. The highest quality crotched mahogany was sourced and then ‘folded’ out, so that the panels all match symmetrically, a difficult and lengthy process. Lavish use of glass throughout means the interior benefits from lots of natural light, stopping the wood from feeling too heavy.

A well-stocked bar with backlit white onyx proves the focal part of the room, from which the spaces divide out into individual lounging areas, each made distinct by their own soft cream carpet.

ROCK.IT feels voluminous, and while the high ceilings certainly aid this, so does the interior design, which allows for spaces to flow from one designated area to the next, creating capsule environments. Rather than having the feeling of a bridge deck salon, the room is separated into useful and efficient spaces, which makes it feel much larger.

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Bars are a recurring theme on board, with each deck hosting a unique and ample-sized offering. On the main deck, the bar, complete with full-height wine chiller, is the first thing you see when you walk through the sliding doors.

Resplendent in backlit onyx and glossy mahogany and based in a circular ante-chamber, it separates the formal dining space, with a stunning table by Pollaro, and the outside entertaining space, immediately imparting the good-time vibe felt throughout ROCK.IT .

In the centre is a table and chairs, made in-house by Feadship, and drawing the whole area together as a relaxed lounging space that accommodates all twelve guests. Aft of the central bar is a row of deckchairs and a large tender and two Yamaha Waverunners.

“We have some owners that want two or three tenders and lots of toys, but the owner of ROCK.IT is really about yachting and diving, so the guest tender we store up top and the rescue tender is in a big hatch forward of the bridge,” says Halbertsma.

Not having the tenders stored in the beach club gives a feeling of more space elsewhere on the yacht, especially in the guest and crew accommodation.

As a yard, Feadship is known for focusing its efforts on offering bespoke superyachts , where there is no ordinary and exceptional is the new normal. And exceptional is no hyperbole. Liautaud took the ability to create a custom superyacht and ran with it.

“During his many visits to the yard, we had terrific fun with this unconventional and no-compromise client,” says CEO Henk de Vries. “His between-your-eyes honesty and tremendous respect for and appreciation of Feadship craftsmanship pushed us to new heights.”

ROCK.IT is one of the quietest yachts Feadship has ever made, and also was the first to utilise an intuitive control and manoeuvring system, commonly used on navy ships. The system allows ROCK.IT to keep her heading at anchor by hovering on the main engine and thrusters.

“I was willing to accept this new system because it comes from a proven military background,” says ROCK.IT ’s build captain. “The manoeuvring system represents a real step towards the future. To make it happen took real vision and considerable skill.”

This allows all the guest cabins, consisting of two large doubles, a smaller double and a twin, to be large and well-appointed, keeping a democratic harmony and reinforcing the feel of the yacht as a family home away from home.

Unsurprisingly, however, the owner’s cabin is pretty spectacular. Full beam and located on the main deck, the suite is accessed via an opulent marble lobby, past the dramatic mahogany-panelled staircase which links the guest areas.

A private study opens out into the full-beam cabin, which is characterised by the same deep mahogany as seen throughout the rest of the yacht, and soft furnishings in creams and whites. Huge windows ensure the room is always full of light.

Forward are large his’n’hers bathrooms, gleaming with marble and backlit stone. The sink in Liautaud’s bathroom is crafted from a single block of black Portoro marble, weighing almost 500 kilograms.

His wife Leslie’s side boasts a large French-style free standing bath, a rarity on a superyacht, as well as a wealth of Staturio marble and an elegant vanity unit.

With so much effort put into creating such a homely space, it would be easy to expect the owners to never leave their suite, however this is far from the case. There is no favourite space on board: “You know what, I love them all,” says Liautaud.

“We spend least time on the main deck, we spend most of our time on the swim platform and the sundeck, and we live in the bridge deck.”

The bridge deck is a compromise between the formal main deck and the relaxed sundeck. An al fresco dining table aft can be sheltered from a breeze by sliding glass panels, and the large doors into the salon create an easy inside/outside entertaining space.

Further aft, two smaller tables surrounded by sofas move up and down to serve either as coffee tables or dining tables, and match the larger table to create a symbiosis between the areas.

“Sander Sinot and Leslie did all of the art on board,” says the owner. “A couple of friends and musicians gave us a couple of pieces. I did the hardscape and Leslie did all the soft and the colour. That’s our deal.” The art makes the rooms feel personal, and adds a vitality to the otherwise flawless walls.

“Each Feadship is totally unique and no two Feadship owners are the same,” says De Vries. “It is our privilege to create the most amazing yachts on the oceans for the most fascinating people on the planet, and it has been a great experience to partner with the owner of ROCK.IT .”

The experience is, of course, of an owner involving himself in every aspect of the creation of his yacht, which, although perhaps not always easy, is what allows it to come alive in such a palpable way.

This is perhaps what gives her such a tangible soul, the passion that went into creating something that would still excite so much after so many days spent aboard. ROCK.IT is an apt name for a yacht that makes an owner’s heart soar, like a rocket into outer space.

First published on SuperYachtWorld.com on April 20, 2016

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By SuperyachtNews 18 Dec 2017

An interview with Jimmy Liautaud, owner of 60m Rock.It, to find out why he is now selling his beloved first build…

I begin my conversation with James ‘Jimmy’ Liautaud, owner of 60m Feadship  Rock.It,  with a challenge. Can he tell me what is his most valuable takeaway from his journey with  Rock.It ? “That is one heck of an icebreaker,” he replies. Such straight-talking is a feature of our interview, and indicative of the realities of his superyachting experience. Reflecting on his foray into yacht ownership so far, Liautaud sees the past eight years – from the beginning of the design of  Rock.It  to the present day – as a period of continual growth and a shift in priorities. “Eight years ago, when I began this journey, my life was a lot different; I was 45. I am 53 now. A lot of things change in that time. The biggest difference is that my kids and I are eight years older, my interests are eight years older and the way I spend my time is eight years older.” Something that hasn’t changed in those eight years is Liautaud’s high level of enthusiasm, be it his attitude to life (“I enjoy the journey of life! It’s short. This is not a dress rehearsal. This is the big show. It is great, maximise it!”) to his description of his latest cruise (“Glorious, glorious, best ever!”). He is a man who is happy on, and with, his yacht. Since her launch in 2014,  Rock.It  has been at the heart of Liautaud’s family life. Seeing the vessel as another family home, the yacht has travelled almost 40,000 miles, from the Great Lakes to the Galapagos, to the Mediterranean, which is where he is when we speak. Although he has chartered frequently in the region, this is the first appearance of  Rock.It  in its waters. When we speak, Liautaud is deep in the process of finalising the designs and moving into the engineering phase of his next project. Now with his knowledge of the design and build process, and ability to apply it to this next project that is still very much under wraps, Liautaud is seeing the new build through experienced eyes. Using his time with  Rock.It, he has a higher level of understanding of the intricacies of new construction and the final product, and this means that every aspect of the next vessel is in line with his thinking. Having learned that the design and build process can take a substantial amount of time, Liautaud is aware it will be at least another three years before he can set foot on his next yacht. Therefore, he is planning for what his life will be like then, rather than now. “I am looking further ahead; how am I going to use the vessel? What am I going to do with it? Where am I going to go? What do I want? And so I am way more educated,” he says. For the next project, he has a clear vision, and a precise programme, of what he wants, as well as what he doesn’t want.

“You are going to make some mistakes and that is half the fun. What’s more, the fun is the journey of understanding and the exploration! It is a journey not a destination, and it is a glorious journey. I love the chase, I love the journey, and if you love that, it’s a blast!”

A fundamental difference between  Rock.It  and Liautaud’s new project is the use of the new vessel.  Rock.It  was used exclusively by the family, something Liautaud will move away from in future. “I built the boat around the idea that I am not going to charter her and I don’t like a lot of people on board,” says Liautaud, who sees  Rock.It  as a personal space. However, once she was delivered, he quickly realised that his use of the boat didn’t marry well with this opinion. Using  Rock.It  for a maximum of eight or ten weeks a year made him rethink his position on private versus charter, something that will influence the design of his second build. “For the next vessel, I am going to charter it and I will put things in the boat that might not necessarily work great for me, that I may not use, but charter guests may want,” he says. Like many owners, Liautaud views chartering as an option for recuperating some of the running costs of a yacht as well as an opportunity to ensure the vessel and its crew are maintained to a high standard. “I’ll charter to maximise the asset, it needs to move. If they don’t move they get rusty (both the crew and the boat).” Since  Rock.It  was launched, it’s safe to say that Liautaud has most definitely enjoyed the ride. His positive outlook, combined with a continual drive to improve his vessels, is the mentality that helps this industry continue to evolve and grow. His passion for his yacht is infectious and is the apogee of what an owner’s experience of the industry should be. So what is Liautaud’s reply to my initial question? What is his most valuable takeway from the journey with  Rock.It?  “Go for it. You are going to make some mistakes and that is half the fun. What’s more, the fun is the journey of understanding and the exploration! It is a journey not a destination, and it is a glorious journey. I love the chase, I love the journey, and if you love that, it’s a blast!” To that I say, ‘Rock on.’ This interview originally appeared in issue 181 of The Superyacht Report. To find out if you’re eligible for a complimentary VIP subscription,  click here.

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ROCK.IT Yacht – Extravagant $69M Superyacht

The ROCK.IT yacht was launched by Feadship in 2014 and measures an impressive 60.35 meters.

Dutch design company Sinot Exclusive was responsible for both the interior and exterior design of this magnificent vessel.

ROCK.IT yacht interior

The ROCK.IT yacht was interiorly designed by Sinot Yacht Design to comfortably accommodate 10 guests and 13 crew members. She has four staterooms in addition to the owner’s luxurious stateroom.

Measuring an impressive 60.35 meters, the ROCK.IT yacht has a beam of 10.8 meters as well as a draught of 3.3 meters. She has a steel hull with an aluminum superstructure.

The exterior is laid with stunning teak decks that perfectly contrast the standard yacht’s white color with the black windows further adding to the aesthetics.

ROCK.IT has three bars and multiple outdoor spaces for lounging. She has a gorgeous sun deck and a jacuzzi.

Specifications

Powered by twin MTU diesel engines ROCK.IT has a cruising speed of 12 knots with a range of 5300 miles. Her fuel capacity is 120,000 liters and her water storage is 24,000 liters.

ROCK.IT yacht price

As of 2022 ROCK.IT was listed for sale at an asking price of $US 68,500,000. Based on this valuation it is estimated that the annual running cost is between 4 and 6 million dollars per year.

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• Jimmy John Liataud

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ROCK.IT YACHT CHARTER

60.05m  /  197'   feadship   2014 / 2020.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Timeless and elegant interiors
• Choice of 3 bars make her ideal for entertaining
• Expansive sundeck with elevated jacuzzi
• Master stateroom en suite with marble sink and floors
• Skylounge with widescreen TV

With her Feadship craftsmanship and elegant, yet cosy interior styling, luxury yacht ROCK.IT is the perfect charter yacht for socializing at sea.

The 60.35m/198' 'Rock.It' motor yacht built by the Dutch shipyard Feadship is available for charter for up to 11 guests in 5 cabins. This yacht features interior styling by Dutch designer Sinot Yacht Design.

Offering an abundance of social and dining options, as well as a highly attentive crew, luxury charters aboard motor yacht Rock.It are set to be truly magical whatever the destination.

Guest Accommodation

Rock.It is great for families thanks to her child-friendly setup. Built in 2014, She offers guest accommodation for up to 11 guests with a layout comprising a master suite located on the main deck, two VIP cabins, one double cabin and one twin cabin. The supremely spacious full beam master suite features extensive storage space provided by the dressing room benefits from a his and her bathroom. There are 7 beds in total, including 3 king, 1 queen, 2 singles and 1 pullman. She is also capable of carrying up to 14 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Keeping comfortable and entertained on Rock.It is easy thanks to the available amenities, particularly a state-of-the-art movie theatre for movie nights.

Rock.It benefits from some excellent features to improve your charter, particularly Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to stay connected at all times, should you wish. Guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin MTU engines, she comfortably cruises at 12 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 15 knots with a range of up to 5,300 nautical miles from her 126,000 litre fuel tanks at cruising speed. Rock.It features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels.

Equipped with a selection of water-toys Rock.It lets you and your guests turn the Mediterranean into your own private playground. Take to the sea on the Jet Skis offering you power and control on the water. Also there are six waterskis that are hugely entertaining whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro. Another excellent feature are two SEABOBs, that allow you to skim along the surface or steer under the crystal water and see a variety of aquatic sea life. If that isn't enough Rock.It also features wakeboards, fishing equipment, scuba diving equipment, paddleboards and snorkelling equipment. When it comes to Tenders, Rock.It has you covered - with two tenders, including a 15.85m/52' Spencer Chase Tender.

Rock.It and her crew are available for charter this summer for cruising within the Mediterranean. She is already accepting bookings this winter for cruising in the Caribbean.

Showcasing meticulous craftsmanship coupled with high-end luxurious finishes, motor yacht Rock.It certainly has the "wow" factor, along with state-of-the-art amenities and array of water toys, promising truly unforgettable yacht charters for even the most discerning guests.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for Rock.It, please provide .

Rock.It Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Rock.It has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Rock.It is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 15.85m  /  52' Spencer Custom Chase Tender with 2 x CAT
• 7.01m  /  23' Pascoe Tender Mercury 250 HP engine

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

Rock.It Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2015 Displacement Motor Yachts of 500GT to 1,299GT Finalist
• The ShowBoats Design Awards 2016 Interior Design Award – Motor Yacht over 500GT Finalist
• The ShowBoats Design Awards 2016 Naval Architecture Award – Displacement Motor Yacht Finalist
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2015 Best Power 40m - 65m Nomination
• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'Rock.It' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€425,000 p/week + expenses Approx $473,500

High Season

€450,000 p/week + expenses Approx $501,000

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean France, Italy, Monaco

HOT SPOTS:   Corsica, French Riviera, Sardinia

Winter Season

October - April

$395,000 p/week + expenses

$425,000 p/week + expenses

Caribbean Antigua, Saint Martin, St Barts

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

Charter Rock.It

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker or

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Yacht Review: 60m Feadship Superyacht Rock.It

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Popular news this week, popular news this month, latest news.

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Written by Rachel Kelly

Every Feadship yacht tells its own unique story and 60.35m (197’) superyacht Rock.it is one-of-a-kind, created for an owner who fell in love with the Feadship brand after chartering one himself. Accommodating up to eleven charter guests in five deluxe suites, the yacht was entirely designed by Sinot Yacht Design, offering elegance, comfort and deluxe amenities.  

Superyacht Rock.It

CONTINUE TO FULL YACHT REVIEW…

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Yacht Review: 60m Feadship Superyacht Rock.It".

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Motor Yacht

The 60.35 metre superyacht ROCK.IT launched from the Feadship yard in 2014, bringing an effortless style to the water thanks to exterior design from Sinot Yacht Design and engineering and architecture from De Voogt Naval Architects. A new wave of contemporary style with traditional comforts, ROCK.IT was designed and built for an experienced owner who made the leap from chartering Feadships, to creating thier own custom superyacht.

Fast, sleek and modern styling gives way to a cosy and expertly designed interior, also by Sinot Yacht Design, which accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms.  Dark precious woods and light stones are blended in a fantastically detailed classic modern interior. Splendidly spacious thanks to the full-beam throughout, crotched mahogany and striking diagonally veneered sycamore panelling create a very personal touch. Backlit pure White Onyx in combination with the most exquisite Portoro and other marbles elevate the interior to a higher level without losing its main purpose of being a true family yacht. But ROCK.IT is also a party boat when the time is right.

One of the most striking features is the skylight in the sun deck canopy, which dims automatically depending on the strength of the sunlight. This allows for an open feel while optimising comfort levels. The bespoke superyacht project features an innovative control and maneuvering system developed for naval applications, never before seen on a yacht. This allows ROCK.IT to keep her heading at anchor, hovering on the main engine and the thrusters. Optimal use of the various manoeuvring modes is made by means of a three-axis steering joystick with a rotational factor.

• Yacht Builder Feadship View profile
• Naval Architect De Voogt Naval Architects No profile available
• Exterior Designer Sinot Yacht Design No profile available
• Interior Designer Sinot Yacht Design No profile available

Yacht Specs

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Superyacht Rock.It launched by Feadship

Dutch superyacht builder Feadship welcomed its latest launch this weekend with the 60.35-metre motor yacht Rock.It .

Feadship hull No 687, the fully custom superyacht Rock.It was built for an experienced yacht owner who had chartered Feadships prior to building with the yard. Rock.It 's owner, who Feadship's Director Henk de Vries describes as 'unconventional and no-compromise', was hands-on, making many visits to the yard in The Netherlands.

'His between-your-eyes honesty and tremendous respect for and appreciation of Feadship craftsmanship pushed us to new heights,' says de Vries. 'This is the epitome of the Feadship experience, which encompasses the entire design and construction process. Rock.It is a true 21st-century Feadship: stunning aesthetic design nestled in a super-stable oceangoing package that will truly rock the waves.'

The sleek, glass-laden exterior styling is by Sinot Yacht Design, who worked to meet the owner's brief for a striking, innovative and sporty yacht. ' Rock.It is very sleek and bold without being pretentious,' says Sander Sinot. 'A natural flow of lines and surfaces makes the yacht breathe speed and exude elegance.'

Sinot was also responsible for the modern-meets-classic interior design, which makes use of dark-tone precious woods and light stone materials, including backlit white onyx. Rock.It 's generous 10.8-metre beam allows for spacious living areas. She accommodates 10 in an owner's stateroom and four guest cabins, and there is accommodation for 12 crew members on the lower deck.

Rock.It is equally designed as a family yacht and for entertaining, afforded by her ample outdoor spaces. A particularly striking feature outdoors is a skylight in the sun deck canopy, which automatically changes its opacity depending on the sun's strength.

The biggest wow factor on Rock.It , though, isn't in plain view. This is the new cutting-edge intuitive control and manoeuvring system technology, which comes from a military background and is employed for the first time on a superyacht with the installation on board Rock.It . The system includes a semi-DP autopilot system, and it will allow Rock.It to maintain her heading at anchor, hovering on the main engines and thrusters. The optimal use of various manoeuvring systems are employed and utilised with a three-axis steering joystick.

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ROCK.IT Yacht

Status: This yacht is only on our website as a sold yacht.

Motoryacht ROCK.IT

The ROCK.IT yacht is a 198.2ft / 60.4m luxury yacht built and launched by yacht builder Feadship . Delivered to a proud yacht owner in 2014 and refit in 2020, this luxury yacht sleeps up to 11 guests in 5 staterooms and has accommodations for 14 crew. She has a beam of 35.4ft / 10.8m, a draft of 10.8ft / 3.3m, and she measures in at 1,052 gross tons. Her hull is steel and her decks are teak. Her max speed is 15 knots and cruising speed is 12 knots. She is propelled by MTU engines at 1,520 hp each. Her interior design is by Sinot Design with exterior styling by Sinot Design .

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About ROCK.IT

ROCK.IT combines space-age looks with traditional comforts. Created for an experienced owner who chartered Feadships and appreciated the essence of the Feadship brand, the outstanding 60.35-metre motoryacht ROCK.IT has raised the bar of what can be achieved in an entirely bespoke project. Fast from the outside, cosy on the inside, ROCK.IT features the first-time application on a superyacht of an intuitive control and manoeuvring system developed for naval applications.

The yacht contains cutting edge technology, as in the installation of a unique control system that includes a semi-DP autopilot system. This will allow ROCK.IT to keep her heading at anchor, hovering on the main engine and the thrusters. Optimal use of the various manoeuvring modes is made by means of a three-axis steering joystick with a rotational factor.

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The 5 tragic minutes that sank a superyacht

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claudia Rizzo is an Italy based journalist.

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

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

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Tech billionaire's sunken superyacht claimed to be 'unsinkable' by CEO after capsizing in storm, six bodies found

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the company that built the superyacht which sunk off the coast of Sicily on Monday, said he was in "disbelief" upon learning of the vessel's tragic fate, revealing the yacht was meant to be "unsinkable". 

Tech billionaire Mike Lynch's sunken yacht has been touted as "unsinkable" by the CEO of the company that built it, with six bodies recovered since the vessel went down off the coast of Sicily in Italy.

The vessel, with 22 tourists and crew aboard, was caught in a ferocious storm in the early hours of Monday (local time) while anchored at the popular holiday destination.

It is understood those on board were asleep at the time, many in their cabins on the lower decks. 

Emergency services raced to the scene, rescuing 15 people, including a one-year-old baby and her mother.

CCTV footage shows the final moments before Mike Lynch’s superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily. #Bayesian #MikeLynch pic.twitter.com/XqwohFubsO — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 21, 2024

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the company that built the Bayesian yacht, told Sky News UK the vessel's structure and drift keel made them "unsinkable bodies".

"Being the manufacturer of Perini (boats), I know very well how the boats have always been designed and built," he said.

"And as Perini is a sailing ship, sailing ships, it is well known, are the safest in the most absolute sense." 

The body of Canadian-Antiguan chef, Recaldo Thomas, was located in the water near the shipwreck shortly after the incident.

Italian authorities have since recovered five more bodies since the $27 million superyacht sank including tech billionaire Mike Lynch,  Morgan Stanley International chair, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo. 

Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is still unaccounted for, with divers continuing their search efforts. 

Mr Costantino said learning the yacht had sunk "put (him) in a state of sadness on one side and of disbelief on the other".

"This incident sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact," he said.

Mr Costantino also told local television he blamed “human error” for the yacht’s sinking.

“It drives me insane,” he said.

“Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

CCTV footage from a nearby villa emerged soon after the disaster, revealing the 56-metre luxury vessel, had sunk in less than a minute as a wild storm smashed the boat.

The 50-second clip showed the intense weather lashing the lit-up superyacht anchored some 200 metres from the shore before it disappeared and sank into the water.

“In just sixty seconds you can see the ship disappear," the owner of the villa told Italian news agency ANSA about the video.

“Of about twenty cameras installed in the house, only one was not disturbed by the wind and rain. You can clearly see what is happening. There was nothing that could be done for the boat. It disappeared in a very short time.”

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Search Resumes for British Mogul and 5 Others After Yacht Sinks Off Sicily

The body of the vessel’s cook was recovered while divers searched the hull of the Bayesian for passengers, including the tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

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By Elisabetta Povoledo

Deep-sea divers with Italy’s firefighter corps resumed their search on Tuesday for six missing passengers — including a British software mogul and his daughter — of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily the previous day.

Twenty-two people were on board the 180-foot British-flagged sailing yacht, the Bayesian, which was anchored near the port of Porticello, when it was hit by what witnesses described as a waterspout, a small tornado on water, during a sudden and violent storm.

Fifteen people who managed to get to a raft were rescued by the captain of a nearby sailing cruise ship. The body of the yacht’s cook, identified by news outlets as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan, was recovered on Monday. But several people are still unaccounted for, according to Salvatore Cocina, an official with Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Those still missing are Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur; his daughter Hannah; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Christopher J. Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Mr. Lynch was acquitted of fraud in a U.S. trial in June, ending a high-profile, decadelong legal battle against accusations that he had defrauded Hewlett-Packard when he sold his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett for $11 billion.

Mr. Lynch and the others went missing days after Mr. Lynch’s co-defendant at the fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance at Autonomy, was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out for a run, his lawyer, Gary S. Lincenberg, said in a statement.

Prosecutors in the Italian city of Termini Imerese, east of where the yacht sank, are opening a formal investigation into the yacht’s sinking. Reached by telephone, the chief prosecutor declined to comment.

The search for the missing passengers began on Monday but was suspended late that night as crews found themselves limited to the bridge deck and items like furnishings “obstructing passage,” the firefighters’ corps wrote on social media .

When divers resumed the search on Tuesday, ships trawled the waters near the site, the corps said in a statement. The Italian Coast Guard also said in a statement that search operations were “continuing unabated,” with the deployment of helicopters. There was no evidence that gasoline was leaking from the yacht, the Coast Guard said.

The yacht was lying on its right side in about 165 feet of water, meaning that divers, working in pairs, could stay underwater for only about 12 minutes at a time, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the firefighters’ corps.

Divers were seeking a safe point of access to the vessel’s cabins. “Obviously, everything fell and the space is very tight,” Mr. Cari said, adding that the divers were having to remove obstacles, like furnishings and electrical wiring, that were “completely blocking passages.”

The firefighters’ corps said in a statement that it was impossible to verify whether people were inside the hull.

Mr. Cari said that several divers had been part of the search-and-rescue operations when the Costa Concordia, a cruise liner, capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio in 2012, killing 32 people. It is considered one of the worst maritime disasters in modern Italian history.

“It’s like the Costa Concordia, but much smaller,” Mr. Cari said in a telephone interview, comparing the search operations. “In the Costa Concordia, we came across many obstacles but we somehow were able to overcome them. Here, the obstacles block the passages and have to be removed.” He added, “This makes it more difficult.”

Crews were also trying to raise the yacht, which experts will examine to try to determine why it sank. Until then, experts can only hypothesize what happened.

Karsten Borner, the captain of a ship, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which picked up the Bayesian’s 15 survivors, said in an interview that when the wind picked up around 4 a.m. Monday, the Bayesian was about 490 feet behind his vessel. Once the wind wound down, he said, he could not see the yacht anymore.

“My theory was that she was capsized first and then went down over the stern,” Mr. Borner said.

Dario Boote, a ship structures and naval architecture professor at the University of Genoa, said: “Now I imagine that a whole series of lawsuits will be triggered, obviously to ascertain whether there is any responsibility, as always happens very unpleasantly in these situations.” He said, however, that in this case, responsibility might be hard to determine. “Clearly, only once the wreck is raised will we know more,” he added.

Several fishermen told Italian news outlets that they had witnessed a waterspout. Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said they were relatively common in the Mediterranean, though their occurrence and intensity are unpredictable.

“Until one actually forms, you can’t start telling people where it is,” Mr. Inness said, or “how to get out of the way.”

The inclement weather — with lightning intermittently streaking through the sky — made it hard to know exactly why the yacht sank. Col. Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said the agency had registered intense lightning activity and strong gusts of wind in the area at the time the boat sank.

The Bayesian had one of the tallest aluminum masts in the world, according to its builder, Perini Navi. “Having a tall aluminum mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm,” said Andrea Ratti, associate professor of nautical design and architecture technology the Politecnico di Milano. The type of intensity unleashed by a violent lightning storm “could have created a significant shock wave,” he added.

He, too, cautioned that “a lot of questions will remain until we have other elements at our disposal.”

Modern yachts are built to withstand meteorological events of reasonable intensity, and all international naval registers suggest that new ships be designed for higher waves and more frequent and extreme weather events.

But “this seems a case of an unreasonable extreme event,” said Emilio Fortunato Campana, an expert in Naval Hydrodynamics at Italy’s National Research Council. “In that case, no ship is 100 percent safe,” he added. “I think the Titanic showed that nothing is unsinkable.”

Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

British tech magnate Mike Lynch, 5 others missing after luxury superyacht sinks off Sicily

ROME -- British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, Italy's civil protection and authorities said. Lynch's wife and 14 other people survived.

Lynch, who was acquitted in June in a big U.S. fraud trial, was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. A tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight, said Salvo Cocina of Sicily's civil protection agency.

One body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said. They returned to the site after 10 p.m. to see if it would be possible to search through the night, when weather conditions were expected to worsen, said Luca Cari, spokesman of the fire rescue service.

The ship had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, the Italian coast guard said. A sudden fierce storm had battered the area overnight, and a waterspout struck precisely where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian had been moored.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Cocina, noting that another big ship nearby, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, wasn't as badly damaged and helped rescue the 15 survivors - including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.

The Bayesian was notable for its single 75-meter (246-feet) mast - one of the world's tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Golunski, said 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 a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived, said Cocina.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, said he had noticed the Bayesian nearby during the storm but after it calmed he saw a red flare and realized the ship had simply disappeared, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported. Borner said he and a crew member boarded their tender and found a lifeboat with 15 people, some of them injured, who they then took aboard and alerted the coast guard.

Eight of those rescued were hospitalized while the others were taken to a hotel. One body believed to be the cook was found near the wreck, but six others were unaccounted for and believed inside the hull, said Cari, the fire rescue spokesperson.

The rescue operations, which were visible from shore, involved helicopters and rescue boats from the coast guard, fire rescue and civil protection service.

Fisherman Fabio Cefal ù said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4:30 a.m. and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

"But for the rest, we didn't find anyone," he said from the port hours later. He said that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on-site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors. "I think they are inside, all the missing people."

He said he had been up early to check the weather to see if he could go fishing, and surmised that a sudden waterspout had struck the yacht.

"It could be that the mast broke, or the anchor at the prow pulled it, I don't know," he said.

Cocina said the crew and passengers hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, he said.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families."

Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson Casper Soetekouw said the lone Dutch citizen on board, a man, had been rescued and was not in life-threatening condition.

Lynch, once hailed as Britain's king of technology, was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The not guilty verdicts followed an 11-week criminal trial in San Francisco that delved into the history of HP's 2011 acquisition of Autonomy, a business software firm founded by Lynch.

The fraud accusations represented a dramatic turn in the fortunes of an entrepreneur once described as the Bill Gates of Britain - a title he seemed to live up to when he netted an $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

The acquittal vindicated Lynch, who had vehemently denied wrong doing and portrayed HP as a technological train wreck.

"I'm looking forward to returning the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field," Lynch said in a statement released after the verdict.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.

The vessel, which previously was named Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag, featured a sleek, minimalist interior of light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions and photos on the charter sites.

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