Four inquests to open into Sicily yacht disaster

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah died when their ship sank in bad weather

Inquests into the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, who died when their yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, will open on Friday.

Seven people died when the Bayesian, a 56m (184ft) sailing boat, sank during bad weather in the early hours of 19 August.

Inquests into four of those that died, including Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah, will be held at The Coroner's Court in Ipswich. Mr Lynch lived at the Loudham Hall estate near Wickham Market, Suffolk.

The court will also investigate the deaths of Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer, who were on board.

Of the 22 passengers and crew on the yacht, 15 managed to escape on to a lifeboat, including a one-year-old and Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares.

Mr Lynch was a well-known figure in the UK tech industry, but he became embroiled in a long-running legal dispute which resulted in him being extradited to the US to face fraud charges.

He was cleared of all charges in June.

Rescue boats and divers were involved in a search operation after the Bayesian sank

After Mr Lynch's death was confirmed, Andrew Kanter, a close friend and colleague, described him as "the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known".

"Over nearly a quarter century, I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business," he said.

The former Sun editor, David Yelland, said Mr Lynch was "the UK's greatest tech entrepreneur of recent decades"

The former Sun newspaper editor David Yelland said Mr Lynch was "an irreplaceable loss not only to those that loved him but also to the country".

He added: "He is the UK's greatest tech entrepreneur of recent decades, a family man, a long-time client of my business and a friend.

"To think Mike Lynch lost his life just as he began to rebuild it is devastating for all those that know him."

Mr Lynch's colleague Stephen Chamberlain died in hospital in August after being hit by a car while running in Stretham, Cambridgeshire.

An inquest into his death has been opened and adjourned.