Much has been made of the tragic events that unfolded earlier this week off the Sicilian coast, with the Morgan Stanley international chairman initially missing before being found dead alongside tech founder Mike Lynch. Adding more intrigue to the tale, a strange link between the sunk Bayesian yacht and hit show Below Deck has been uncovered…

The Italian shipyard Perini Navi, which built the PARSIFAL III — the yacht featured in the popular reality show Below Deck that rammed a pier due to an engine malfunction — is also the maker of the Bayesian, which tragically sank on August 19.

PARSIFAL III Misadventure

Below Deck is an American reality TV series that made its debut in 2013 on Bravo TV. The show, to date, is running on season 11, with a new cast of crews on every luxury superyacht during its chartering season. Their challenges while catering to wealthy guests are depicted on the show. The PARSIFAL III, a 177-foot yacht, suffered a big mishap during an episode of the show’s second Sailing Yacht season which first aired on May 17, 2021.

While trying to maneuver in bad weather, the yacht hit a dock because its engine broke down. In an explanation, Yacht’s Captain Glenn Shephard said:

“I was using a different maneuver mode. And there’s a computer in between the throttles and the propeller that adjusts the load on the engine. Maybe my inputs were too much for the computer and it kind of, I don’t know, froze or didn’t react in the right way. I’m not really 100 percent sure. But I was pushing ahead and it was still moving backwards, which is not normal.”

Some of the wreckage was visible floating in the sea after the accident. Luckily, no serious damage was caused in this crash. Launched in 2005, PARSIFAL III can accommodate up to 12 charter guests in a master suite, two double cabins, and two twin cabins. The yacht also has a Jacuzzi and two Open Bic sailboats for guests to play with.

Not So Lucky

The Bayesian, also created by Perini Navi, was not as lucky. Sailing in a sudden and strong squall that created too much wind and conditions for the yacht to handle, the vessel sank after its mast broke in half off the coast of Sicily near the fishing village of Porticello in the early hours of Monday.

Of the 22 people on board at the time of the tragedy, 15 were rescued, while six others lost their lives, among them being the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, and tech tycoon Mike Lynch.

His daughter Hannah Lynch, 18, is still missing, and rescuers are frantically searching for her. Lynch was a British technology entrepreneur who achieved fame through his software company, Autonomy Corporation, which Hewlett-Packard bought for over $11 billion USD in 2011.