Kiwi captain James Cutfield of sunk superyacht Bayesian was top sailor, brother says

James Cutfield, the Kiwi captain of S/Y Bayesian, the superyacht that capsized off Palermo. Photo / Perini Navi / Facebook

• James Cutfield, 51, originally of North Shore, Auckland, captained the Bayesian, which sank off Sicily’s coast during a storm.
• Six people remain missing, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch.
• Rescuers continue searching the yacht on the bottom of the sea floor.

The brother of the Kiwi who captained the luxury yacht that sunk off the coast of Italy said he is a “well-respected” captain who has worked on boats his whole life.

New Zealand citizen James Cutfield, 51, captained the Bayesian, the boat that sank off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo during a storm.

Cutfield told Italian media of the abrupt nature of the water spout that made a death trap out of the superyacht.

“We just didn’t see it coming,” he said.

Cutfield’s brother Mark told the Herald his brother was a “very good sailor” and was “very well respected” in the Mediterranean.

He said he is currently in hospital but was not suffering from injuries “too dramatic”.

“He’s safe, he’s okay.”

New Zealand citizen James Cutfield, 51, was the captain of the Bayesian, the boat that sank off the coast of Italy.

Mark was frustrated media around the world had repeatedly reported his brother’s name incorrectly.

Mark said they had received a call from James’ wife Cristina before the news broke so they would not worry about their brother’s life. She had flown from their home in Palma, Mallorca, to be by his side in Italy and has been updating the New Zealand family.

James had been a captain on luxury yachts for eight years and had previously been working on them and involved in building them for the past 30 years in various locations around the Mediterranean.

He said before he worked for the British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, he had worked for a Turkish billionaire.

Mark said James was a “top sailor” in his youth and raced 470s competitively in his youth.

James married his wife last year in Palma, Mallorca with his Kiwi family joining him for the celebration.

When the Bayesian went down, James was rescued alongside 15 other people, including a Kiwi lawyer. Six others were reported missing and one body has been recovered after the British-flagged Bayesian sank about 5am local time (3pm NZT).

Kiwi lawyer Ayla Ronald’s employer speaks out

Also aboard the yacht were Kiwi Ayla Ronald, 36, a senior associate for Clifford Chance in London, and her partner Matthew Fletcher. They were among the 14 people who were rescued, along with another New Zealand citizen.

Ayla Ronald is from Christchurch and studied at the University of Otago.

Kiwi lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, was on board the stricken luxury yacht Bayesian that sank off the coast of Sicily.

Christopher Morvillo, a litigator and partner at UK law firm Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda are among the six people still missing after the 56-metre-long sailboat sank half a mile off the coast of Porticello in a freak storm on Monday.

Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are still missing, as are Morgan Stanley International bank chair Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer. The body of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as chef onboard, was found near the yacht.

In a statement Clifford Chance said they were “in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident” and their thoughts were with the Morvillos’ families.

“Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident.

“Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honoured during this period.”

Ronald’s father Lin Ronald told the Herald yesterday his daughter was “very shaken” following the tragedy.

He earlier told the Daily Telegraph his daughter had texted him that “there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive”.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson confirmed two New Zealanders were involved in the disaster and were both safe.

Divers continue searching for six people missing

Rescuers and divers are continuing their search for the six people still missing, with efforts focused on entering the yacht.

The local coastguard told media the group were probably still inside the yacht, which sank 49m to the seabed after a tornado hit the area and reportedly caused it to capsize.

A search at that depth means divers can only spend around 10 minutes underwater before returning to the search, one emergency responder told local media.

Divers are continuing their search for the six people still missing. Photo / Vigil Fuoco

Furniture and debris is also blocking passage through the yacht, with rescuers reportedly unable to see inside through windows.

Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby boat, told Reuters that when the storm hit he turned his engine on to keep his vessel under control, and to avoid colliding with the Bayesian.

When the storm passed he realised the luxury yacht had disappeared.

His crew had then found some of the survivors on a life raft, including three seriously injured, and took them on board.

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese are investigating how the tragedy occurred.

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.