Superyacht saluted as an engineering marvel
Ben Clatworthy
Transport Correspondent
The superyacht Bayesian was celebrated as a masterpiece of engineering and opulence.
Built in Italy by Perini Navi, one of the world's leading yacht makers, the 56-metre vessel was launched in 2008 under the name Salute, which translates as "health" in Italian.
It is thought that the boat cost at least £14 million when new, and was available to charter for £166,000 a week.
By the time the vessel was refitted in 202, it was sailing under the name Bayesian and was no longer available for private hire.
The design, by the prominent yacht architect Ron Holland, featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, which towered 72 metres above the deck and carried almost 3,000 square metres of sail.
Bayesian's interiors were the brainchild of Rémi Tessier, who has also designed vessels for the Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli as well as suites for Claridge's hotel in London.
Fifteen guests could sleep in six beautiful cabins, while up to 12 staff attended to their every whim. Much of the design of the ship focused on outdoor areas for alfresco dining entertaining and drinks on deck.
The lower deck was separated into three distinct sections: an area for crew accommodation towards the bow, guest staterooms in the middle and the owner's cabin at the aft.
Tessier's brief was to create a superyacht with a familiar, pure and natural atmosphere. He looked to Japanese interiors for inspiration, settling on whitened sycamore and teak surfaces in the communal areas.
Stainless steel, ebony and leather were employed for the cabins.
Yet the real fun was had aft, where the watercraft and toys were stored in a garage. A jet ski, doughnuts, banana boat, water skis, wakeboards and sea kayaks were all on offer to those lucky enough to embark on a voyage. Here was also the tender to take guests into ports and secluded bays.
The captains of the ship were understood to rotate depending on the season. One former staff member described it as a "very creative job with a young, active crew".
She said that entertaining friends and their two daughters was of the "utmost importance" to the owners, and the crew would create games on board, ashore and in the water.
A former captain of the yacht said the "main technical achievement on this boat was taming the world's tallest aluminium mast, transforming its dynamic behaviour and stability when sailing and mooring".
The ship had a clean safety record, with the mast and rigging assessed before the summer.
A former member of staff for Mike Lynch, the billionaire businessman and owner, said he "clearly had a lot of pride" in the ship, and adorned the walls of his home in Chelsea, west London, with pictures of the boat.
Those pictures — and a miniature model of the yacht — are now all that remain.
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