Billionaire yacht tragedy 'caused by 80mph winds'

TYCOON Mike Lynch’s superyacht was blown over by 80mph winds and could not recover, say investigators.

- By Neil Lancefield and Ted Hennessey

The billionaire and daughter Hannah were among seven who died as the 184ft Bayesian sank off Sicily.

An interim report into the disaster by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch says gusts of 73mph on the vessel’s beam were sufficient to tip it.

Vulnerabilities to lesser winds were “unknown to either the owner or the crew” as they were not in the on-board stability information book.

At 4.06am last August 19, winds above 80mph knocked the £30million vessel over in less than 15 seconds and “people, furniture and loose items fell across the deck”, the report noted.