A serious incident has struck the world of yachting with the sinking of the Perini Navi superyacht Bayesian, launched in 2008 under the name Salute, off the coast of Sicily.

The incident occurred under circumstances still under investigation, but it appears that a combination of adverse weather conditions and possible human errors contributed to the tragedy.

Local sources report that the Bayesian sank at 4:05 AM, hit directly by a tornado while it was anchored 300 meters from the Porticello harbor, near Palermo, next to another sailing ship that provided assistance. There were reportedly 22 people on board, but unfortunately, six are missing, feared to be trapped inside the hull. The hull sank to a depth of about fifty meters, where search operations are currently underway.

On board, according to news agencies, were foreign tourists on vacation in Sicily. Mostly British, but also a New Zealander, a Sri Lankan, two Anglo-French citizens, and an Irishman. As mentioned, there was also a small child under one year old on board, who has already been rescued along with his mother.

The Bayesian, currently flying the British flag, is a 56-meter sailing yacht launched in 2008 by Perini Navi, with naval architecture developed in collaboration with Ron Holland. It is the last unit of the successful 56-meter Perini Navi series, entirely made of aluminum, rigged as a sloop, and equipped with a 75-meter mast, the largest ever built in aluminum.

Its interiors were designed by Rémi Tessier in his third collaboration with Perini Navi.