‘Below Deck’ Captain Glenn Shephard Chimes In On Sinking Of The Bayesian

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Captain Glenn Shephard has more than 20 years of experience in the sailing industry. He has a lot of experience with severe weather while out on the open seas. He knows exactly how dangerous weather can be for those on marine vessels. Earlier this year the sailing superyacht Bayesian sank off of the coast of Italy, killing seven people. Captain Shephard is clearing up some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the sinking.

Disaster Strikes

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Captain Glenn Shephard has many years of experience on superyachts and sailing. He has been Captain of Parsifal III for five seasons. The Parsifal III is made by the same yacht maker as the superyacht Bayesian. Perini Navi designed both ships. Captain Glenn is very familiar with how both yachts function.

The Bayesian was purchased in 2021 by The Italian Sea Group. CEO Giovanni Costantino. The Bayesian was designed by Perini Navi to be “Unsinkable.” Investigators determined that on the morning of August 19, 2024, a downburst struck Bayesian, as the vessel sat off the coast of Sicily, which led to catastrophic failure and the sinking of the sailing yacht.

Captain Glenn Shares His Input

According to Captain Glenn Shephard Perini Navi “Have a very distinctive style.” He said that the Parsifal III and yachts like it are known as “ketches,” meaning they have two masts. The Bayesian, while familiar to Parsifal III, only has one mast. The Bayesian mast was also among the tallest in the world at 240 feet. Captain Glenn acknowledges the danger of such severe weather when at sea. He says…

“You can predict a thunderstorm but you can’t predict the conditions you will have. Sometimes there’s hurricane winds, and I’ve seen [winds] go from [no wind] to 65 knots in the Sea of Naples in 15 minutes.”

The National Weather Service says that “Downbursts are strong localized downdrafts that fan out on the Earth’s surface as straight-line winds.”  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says these are “High impact phenomena when they are strong.” They can be incredibly destructive. Captain Shephard says “A downburst? I don’t think you can conspire that, and to me, that’s what happened.” The investigation of the Baysian’s sinking is still ongoing. In addition, the captain, machine engineer, and the sailor on watch the night of the incident continue to be under investigation for the manslaughter of the seven individuals who died.

What do you think of Captain Glenn Shephard’s input on the Bayesian’s sinking? Let us know in the comments. Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 is now streaming Peacock.