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PELORUS Yacht, IMO 8977273

Where is the current position of pelorus presently vessel pelorus is a yacht ship sailing under the flag of saint vincent and the grenadines . her imo number is 8977273 and mmsi number is 376613000. main ship particulars are length of 115 m and beam of 18 m. maps show the following voyage data - present location, next port, estimated (eta) and predicted time of arrival (pta), speed, course, draught, photos, videos, local time, utc time..

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PELORUS current position is received by AIS. Ship info reports, fleet analysis, company analyses, address analyses, technical specifications, tonnages, management details, addresses, classification society data and all other relevant statistics are derived from Marine Vessel Traffic database. The data is for informational purposes only and Marine Vessel Traffic is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness and reliability of data reported above herein.

PELORUS LIVE MAP Current Position | FleetMon

What is the current position of pelorus right now ship pelorus is a pleasure craft ship waving the flag of saint vincent and the grenadines. vessel's imo number is 8977273, mmsi number is 376613000. the ship is 115 m long and having a beam of 18 m. live maps hereinunder show present location, next port of call, estimated (eta) and prediced time of arrival (pta), speed, course, draught, photos, videos, local time, utc time..

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PELORUS Current Position and Live Map Location

Where is the current location of pelorus right now ship pelorus is a pleasure craft ship navigating under the saint vincent and the grenadines flag. the imo number is 8977273 and mmsi number is 376613000. general vessel particulars are as follows length overall (loa) of 115 m and beam (max width) of 18 m. live maps below show the following voyage data - present position, next port of call, estimated (eta) and predicted time of arrival (pta), current speed, course, draught, photos, videos, local time, utc time..

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PELORUS (IMO 8977273 ) - Yacht

What are pelorus ship details.

PELORUS (IMO: 8977273) is a Yacht registered and sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands . Her gross tonnage is 5403 and deadweight is 2803 . PELORUS was built in 2003 . PELORUS length overall (LOA) is 115 m, beam is 18.32 m. Her container capacity is 0 TEU. The ship is operated by BURGESS .

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PELORUS current position is received by AIS and displayed on next chart by using of VesselFinder services.

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• Vessels: 209897
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PELORUS , IMO 8977273

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Motor Yacht

Pelorus is a 115m motor yacht custom built by Lurssen Yachts in 2003. The mega yacht’s elegant exterior lines are the work of Tim Heywood. She features interior design by Terence Disdale.

Motor yacht Pelorus has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. With a generous beam of 17.2m, she has a spacious interior with room for up to 22 guests and 42 crew members.

In 2007 Pelorus emerged from a refit carried out by Blohm + Voss shipyard, which saw the addition of a second helicopter pad, new paint and zero-speed stabilizers.

The mega yacht also has a large pool, Jacuzzi, and numerous toys and tender on board.

Pelorus can reach a top speed of 20 knots and cruises comfortably at 18 knots. She is equipped for long-distance cruising, with a range of 6000 nautical miles at 16 knots.

In 2018 Pelorus underwent a major refit by Kusch Yachts.

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For sale - PELORUS seeking new direction.

Published 15 February 2023

The iconic  PELORUS is an apex superyacht of unquestionable pedigree. She is a 115m (377.3ft) motor yacht of 5,403GT, with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure custom-built to DNV-GL classification and delivered by Lurssen in 2003. She was designed by two of the world’s most celebrated yacht designers with sweeping exterior styling by Tim Heywood and beachside villa interiors by Terence Disdale.

She was refitted by Blohm+Voss in 2008, when her second helipad was added, and again in 2017 during her class survey. She is now lying at Kusch in Wewelsfleth, Germany, undergoing routine class maintenance.

Exterior features include a sun deck with a large pool with counter-current jets and a jacuzzi, bar and open-air dining.

There are no fewer than five balconies and sea terraces across main and lower decks, two of which serve the dining room and main saloon and another spectacularly opens up a lower deck guest cabin. There are helipads on the foredeck and forward on the owner’s deck where a companionway leads to a private terrace.

An elevator serves lower to sun decks for multi-generational access. The upper deck is designed for entertainment. A huge al fresco space aft has open-air dining and lounges beneath the overhang and plenty of versatile deck space aft, as well as walkaround sidedecks for promenading.

Inside is a panoramic sky lounge with a huge bar and generous lounge and huge screen. The space has nightclub lighting and sound systems and rug rolls away to reveal an illuminated dancefloor. Forward is a tiered cinema.

• The lower deck wellness centre has a gym with sea terrace... 1 of 5 photos
• massage room... 2 of 5 photos
• hair salon... 3 of 5 photos
• steam room... 4 of 5 photos
• and a hydrotherapy spa with plunge pool and relaxation area 5 of 5 photos

As well as a private terraces forward and aft, the dedicated owner’s deck has a bedroom suite with 200-degree views, a huge bathroom and dressing room, as well as a vast lounge and study aft and a butler’s cabin.

There are VIP and guest suites on the upper deck, two guest suites on the main deck and a further three guest suites complete accommodation for 24 guests in 12 cabins. She also sleeps up to 46 crew including seven engineers to ensure reliability and five personal staff for seven-star service.

Her custom tenders, including 11.2m (36.7ft) limo and 8.5m (27.9ft) sport, both by Vikal, are stowed on the main deck aft and launched on horizontal davits through shell doors. She also has storage for a huge selection of toys and scuba diving equipment. Twin 5,300hp Wartsila diesel engines give her a top speed of 20 knots, she cruises comfortably at 18 knots and has a transoceanic maximum range of 6,000nm at her passage speed of 16 knots. Two sets of Quantum zero speed stabilisers ensure comfort on arrival.

We are very excited to bring this superb, universally acclaimed yacht to market with an asking price of EUR 185,000,000. She is lying in Germany at the Kusch shipyard and inspection is highly recommended to appreciate this yacht’s quality and condition. Contact Burgess for more details and to arrange your visit.

To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter , please contact a Burgess broker . Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London , Monaco , New York , Miami , Singapore or all other locations .

- Yachts, prices and availability are correct at the time of publication.

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Sailing vessel, MMSI 316046456

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The current position of PELORUS is at North West Atlantic Ocean reported 13 days ago by AIS. The vessel is sailing at a speed of 7.1 knots. The vessel PELORUS (MMSI 316046456) is a Sailing vessel and currently sailing under the flag of Canada .

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PELORUS current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of PELORUS data.

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Live updates: Seven dead in 56m superyacht Bayesian sinking tragedy

Seven people have died in the Bayesian sinking disaster. These include the six missing people who were inside the yacht when it sank, as well as a seventh person who was located shortly after the disaster. The seventh person is understood to be the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas. The other six are:

• British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, once dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates'
• Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah
• Morgan Stanley's chairman, Jonathan Bloomer
• Judy Bloomer, wife of Morgan Stanley chairman
• Chris Morvillo, a lawyer working for London-based law firm Clifford Chance
• Neda Morvillo, an American jewellery designer and Chris' wife

It is understood that the yacht was being used to celebrate Lynch's recent victory in a 13-year £8 billion fraud acquittal.

No one remembers the mast snapping before 56m superyacht Bayesian sunk, says crew

No one recalls seeing the mast snap on board the 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian which sank off the Italian island of Sicily on 19 August. The eyewitness account of a crewmember on board the vessel, which was obtained by BOAT International , said that the boat was struck by a freak weather event which led to the yacht heeling at around 20 degrees to starboard. As crewmembers were securing items, the heeling angle began to increase rapidly until the yacht started taking on water and sank rapidly.

The crewmembers who were up on deck were able to evacuate the yacht with minor injuries. The yacht is understood to have sunk in just twelve minutes, and it is believed that a "major ingress" of water from the top down would have caused the sinking, according to a captain who wishes to remain anonymous. This is based on the fact that no breaches have been reported in the yacht's hull, and the fact that the yacht should have been able to remain afloat with two flooded compartments.

"Very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" says captain of sistership

The captain of the sistership to the sunken 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian has said it is "very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" and called the 56-metre Perini Navi series "bulletproof".

David Hutchinson, captain of Rosehearty , said he had taken the yacht around the world multiple times and he had "total faith in the boat".  "We've been to Antarctica and Chile, and we've had her in 70 knots of wind," he says, and the vessel had never put them in a situation that felt unmanageable.

However, Hutchinson noted there were differences between Bayesian and Rosehearty ; notably, Bayesian's  74-metre mast, which would have been heavier and added increased windage. The yacht's layout was also different, with guest accommodation on Bayesian located further forward.

Live updates

• During a news conference on Saturday morning (24 August), prosecutors confirmed they are in the early stages of investigating a "crime hypothesis" of culpable shipwreck and manslaughter. Authorities also said the yacht likely sunk because of a downburst (powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm), rather than a waterspout.
• A search and rescue for six missing people has concluded. The final missing person is understood to be Hannah Lynch. 
• According to Reuters, six bodies have now been found in the sunken yacht. These include Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur who co-founded Autonomy Corporation and founded Invoke Capital, although Italian authorities have not confirmed this.  
• One person was found immediately after the yacht sunk, and this is understood to be the yacht's chef. 
• Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old are among the fifteen people rescued along with Bayesian' s captain, James Cutfield.
• Another sailing vessel in the area, the 42-metre Sir Robert Baden Powell ,  stepped in to offer assistance in the initial rescue.
• Divers have been able to reach Bayesian' s sunken hull, which lies at 45 metres of depth about half a mile from the coast. The yacht had the largest aluminium masts of any sailing yacht on the water.
• Eyewitnesses in the area reported "hurricane" conditions off the coast but local weather websites did not indicate any severe squall, which suggests that the weather event was not forecast.
• At around 5am local time on 19 August, Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk.  The sailing yacht was anchored or idle at the time of the incident.

Built in Italy by renowned builder Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, the yacht's naval architecture was developed by Ron Holland Design while the interior design is by Rémi Tessier . She was formerly known as Salute and was last refitted in 2016. She was listed for sale earlier this year, according to BOATPro . The yacht had accommodation for nine guests and 12 crew.

BOAT International will update the story as it develops.

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'I'm a yacht expert - here's my theory on how Bayesian managed to vanish in 60 seconds'

Experts are continuing to look for those missing onboard the Bayesian yacht, which sank on Monday morning after being struck by a waterspout. Questions have been raised about why the vessel sank in Sicily

• 11:01, 21 Aug 2024

As expert divers continue their fierce search for missing passengers onboard the doomed Bayesian yacht , investigators on the ground are trying to figure out exactly what went wrong.

The £30m vessel, believed to be owned by billionaire business tycoon Mike Lynch , was battered by a fatal storm in the early hours of Monday, resulting in it 'quickly' capsizing into the depths of the Sicilian sea. Fifteen people have survived the freak accident, however six are still unaccounted for.

Those feared to be trapped inside the wreckage are Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah , Morgan Stanley Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, along with jewellery designer Neda Morvillo and her husband Chris Morvillo, who is a partner at Clifford Chance law firm.

Tragically, one crew member - chef Recaldo Thomas - has been confirmed dead. Some reports suggest that the boat's aluminium mast, reported to be the world's second tallest, snapped clean in half amid the 'waterspout' - rotating columns of destructive wind over water.

While this is yet to be verified, a yacht expert argues that the humongous mast could have played a major part in the sinking.

The superyacht was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with its navigation status as "at anchor". Dan Green, 51, Research & Investigations lead at eSysman SuperYachts - a team made up of yacht crew who share insights on the vessels - said the 75m mast can cause issues in extreme weather .

"With bare poles (meaning no sails), the wind could have blown against the rig sideways to her anchor position causing the vessel to heal over (or lean) heavily," Dan told the Mirror . The UK-based expert explained that this type of superyacht has a lifting keel, which is ballasted - the main structural backbone of the ship filled with heavy material, which could have been raised, having a knock-on effect on the boat's stability.

"When these vessels are at anchor, especially in shallow areas, the keel is lifted to increase the draft (depth) to allow them to anchor or dock in marinas," he explained. "The keel when lowered increases the stability of the vessel.

"Especially when the yacht is underway using sails, as it counters the effects of the wind trying to push the vessel over. However it increases the draft (depth) of the yacht making it hard to get into some marinas (without hitting the sea bed/marina bottom).

"The lowered keel can increase the yacht's draft (depth) by 100 per cent. So, the keel is designed to be lifted up into the hull of the yacht. This allows them into more shallow water and marinas - however when raised, this reduces stability as the centre of gravity is raised, as the keel is also weighted with lead.

"It has an adverse effect on the stability of the yacht. Another effect of the keel being in the up position is the vessel will not self-right if it leans far over.

"If you add to that the possibility of hatches being opened on the vessel that would explain why it's saying so quickly." He added: "I would be very interested to know if the keel is in the up or down position - searchers should be looking at the position of the keel."

Survivor James Catfield, who captained the boat, said on Tuesday: "We didn't see it coming." He was described as "limp" as he waited outside an emergency room after he was freed from the sunken vessel .

Meanwhile a local witness in Porticello said: "That vessel was all lit up. At around 4:30 in the morning, it was gone. A beautiful vessel where there had been a party. A normal holiday day spent happily at sea turned into a tragedy. The vessel was not far from the port. It would have taken very little to raise the anchor and head for the port. Evidently they were surprised by the storm that suddenly hit and they were unable to avoid the sinking."

Matthew Schanck, Chairperson for the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the sinking would have likely happened 'very, very quickly'. Highlighting the rarity of such an incident, he explained: "There isn't really much the captain or the crew could do to prepare for these events given how rare they are.

"Reports that people who were in the life raft have had to enter the life raft from the water, and that indicates to me that this emergency has happened very, very quickly. People haven't had time to enter the life raft from the vessel, they've had to enter from the water.

"My understanding is that the flare has gone up from the life raft, according to the reports. We don't know if the vessel had time to send out any electronic distress signals, to use its radio or any other equipment to alert the authorities, but the eyewitness accounts from the shore and the anchorage state they saw the red flare.

"One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the vessel was gone and all he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly."

Mr Schanck also told GB News: "It's sort of unprecedented, really, to have a vessel of that size, being certified and commercially operated, to suffer such a significant event in weather that was pretty severe by all accounts, but should have been within the limits of the vessel itself."

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Experts puzzle over why Bayesian yacht sank. Was it a 'black swan event'?

The Bayesian set off on a leisurely cruise around Italy's southern coast on a sunny day in late July.

The luxurious super yacht − which boasted one of the largest masts in the world and carried a crew of business moguls, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his family and a chair of Morgan Stanley − set sail from the Amalfi Coast, bound for Sicily.

Less than a month later, the ship had sunk 160 feet under the water , leaving its cook dead and six of its passengers, including at least two Americans, missing and prompting a massive search that has drawn international attention.

Now, experts are trying to piece together why in the early hours Monday the Bayesian was quickly pulled under the waves amid a storm that saw at least one tornado spin up over the water.

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A perfect storm led to Bayesian sinking, experts say

The combination of unlikely factors that could have contributed to the ship's fate constituted a "black swan event," Matthew Schanck, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told USA TODAY.

The Bayesian was well-built: A 2008 product of Italian ship maker Perini, it was constructed in accordance with international maritime standards and commercially certified by the U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, according to Schanck.

The bout of bad weather that swept the area when the ship went down was also out of the ordinary in the northern Mediterranean, "which isn't renowned for prolonged, significant stormy weather," he said.

"The fact that those two elements have then resulted in the foundering of a super yacht is pretty extraordinary," Schanck said. "These things don't happen every day."

After the ship sank just before 5 a.m. local time, 15 people, including a 1-year-old, were pulled from the water. Some were rescued from a life raft by the crew of a ship docked nearby.

Ricardo Thomas, the ship's cook and a native of Antigua, was found dead, according to authorities.

As of Tuesday, six people were missing, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. Several missing passengers were involved in Lynch's trial on fraud charges, including Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley chair who served as his character witness, and one of Lynch's attorneys. Lynch, accused of fraud after he sold his company to electronics giant Hewlett-Packard, was acquitted of all charges weeks ago.

Who is Mike Lynch? UK entrepreneur among those missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily

Tornado formed over unusually hot water

Storms in the area that night may have whipped up a water spout, a tornado over the water , according to local meteorologists.

It was likely triggered by the water's unusual warmth, said Rick Shema, a certified consulting meteorologist who served in the Navy.

"The water spout was an uncommon occurrence," he said. "But again, these things happen, especially in warmer water."

At 83.7 degrees, water in the area was more than 3 degrees hotter than average on the day the Bayesian sank, likely the result of climate change, Shema said.

"Hurricanes can form at 80 degrees. This was almost four degrees higher than that," he said.

The water spout may have spun up when cooler air dropped from mountainous places nearby onto the hot water, he said. "A water spout is a vortex, basically like a tornado, spinning real fast, sucking up water and moisture as the column rises," he said.

Although water spouts only reach around 120 mph, as compared with tornadoes on land, which can reach up to 300 mph, "you don't need 200 mph to sink a ship," he said.

"Even an average tornado, 120 miles an hour, that's a lot of wind," he said, "which would heel the boat over for sure."

Water spouts spring up suddenly, Shema said. Before they strike, winds can be slow, but "once the water spout comes over, bam, it's on," he said.

Before sunrise, the ship's crew may not have seen the water spout coming. "The visibility was probably a big factor," he said.

With the windows of the yacht opened, as they likely were in the hot weather, the water spout could have triggered water that flooded through the portholes, Shema said, causing the ship to sink.

Tragedy strikes: Scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

Search continues, but shift to recovery phase approaches

Italian authorities said the Bayesian was probably at anchor when the storm struck, meaning it couldn't maneuver and ride the waves, according to Mitchell Stoller, a captain and maritime expert witness. Other ships in the area that turned on their engines rode out the storm, he said.

"When you're at anchor and you see weather, you start your engine and you put the wind on the bow. You don't let it get on the side," he said.

Schanck said another key question concerns the position of the keel, a heavy weight underneath the boat that acts as a counterbalance to keep it upright, when the ship sank. When lifted, "that's going to affect the stability of the vessel, because, obviously, you've now raised the center of gravity of that vessel," he said.

The Bayesian was floating over 160 feet of water at the time, deep enough that the keel would likely be deployed. But the fact that "the vessel heeled over so heavily makes me question that," Schanck said.

The cause of the disaster may not be known until the ship can be examined in more detail, experts say. Prosecutors in a nearby town have already opened an investigation.

Schanck said investigators will have plenty to work with once the operation moves into a recovery phase.

"The vessel is intact and in good condition on the seabed," he said. "There's a lot of eyewitness accounts from other vessels in the area and the shore."

As the search entered its second day on Tuesday, the rescue effort may shift in that direction soon. "I suspect, later on, today or tomorrow, we'll probably see some mention of a recovery operation being stated," Schanck said.

The decision to would depend on whether rescuers find signs of life in the ship and air pockets or survivable spaces, Schanck said. At this point, survivors on the water's surface looks unlikely. "My professional opinion is that the casualties will be located within the vessel," he said.

"There is a risk versus benefit in all maritime search and rescue incidents," he said. "Where we start transitioning to a recovery phase, that line shifts."

Contributing: Reuters

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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Fires on board greek-flagged tanker after houthi attack in red sea, says maritime agency.

Three fires blazed on a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, one day after rescuers evacuated its crew in the wake of an  assault  by Yemeni Houthi militants.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, said on Thursday that  they had attacked  the Sounion oil tanker as part of their 10-month campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in  the war between Israel and Hamas  in Gaza.

The Houthis  first damaged  the tanker on Wednesday with repeated attacks that caused a fire and a loss of engine power. A European warship later rescued her crew of 25. The uncrewed vessel was anchored between Yemen and Eritrea, a maritime security source told Reuters on Thursday.

On Friday, UKMTO said in an advisory that it had received reports of three fires on the vessel, which “appears to be drifting.” Later in the day, the Houthis posted a video on social media that purportedly showed them setting the tanker on fire.

The damaged tanker, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil, poses an  environmental hazard , the EU’s Red Sea naval mission Aspides said.

Related article Greek-flagged oil tanker poses ‘environmental hazard’ after attack in Red Sea

“A potential spill could lead to disastrous consequences for the region’s marine environment,” the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority said in a post on the social media site X on Friday.

The largest recorded ship-source spill was in 1979, when about 287,000 tonnes of oil escaped from the Atlantic Empress after it collided with another crude carrier in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Tobago during a storm, according to International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation.

The Sounion was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to come under Houthi attack this month.

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“Delta Tankers is doing everything it can to move the vessel (and cargo). For security reasons, we are not in a position to comment further,” the company said in a statement on Friday.

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TOUR Championship: How it works, 'FedExCup Starting Strokes' and FedExCup payouts

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The TOUR Championship will once again feature a staggered start beginning in Round 1 at East Lake Golf Club. Scottie Scheffler leads the FedExCup and begins the week once again at the top of the leaderboard looking to win the FedExCup for the first time and the bonus of $25 million.

The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The No. 2 player will start at 8-under. The No. 3 player starts at 7-under; the No. 4 player starts at 6-under; the No. 5 player starts at 5-under. Players 6-10 start at 4-under; players 11-15 start at 3-under; players 16-20 start at 2-under; players 21-25 start at 1-under; and players 26-30 start at even par.

At the TOUR Championship, the player with the lowest stroke total over 72 holes when combined with his FedExCup Starting Strokes will be crowned the FedExCup champion, be credited with an official victory at the TOUR Championship, earn a bonus of $25 million and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption.

Here's how the final 30 players in the FedExCup standings who qualified through the BMW Championship will begin the TOUR Championship.

Note: Scroll to bottom for full FedExCup bonus money payouts for all 30 players.

FedExCup bonus

There are 3 major theories as to why Mike Lynch’s Bayesian yacht sank so fast

On Thursday, Italian authorities retrieved a fifth body from the Bayesian superyacht that sank in a storm earlier this week, killing British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch. 

The 184-foot British-flagged vessel sank early Monday , and the five identified bodies thus far from the incident include Mike Lynch , founder of Autonomy and investor in Darktrace; Morgan Stanley Bank International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer, and his wife, Neda, were also found. Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah is still missing.

There are several theories as to why the massive $39 million boat sank in just about 60 seconds. And the maker of the ship says the crew should have had time to rescue passengers. 

Theory one: The mast was pushed over by the wind

The first theory is that the mast on the massive vessel was so tall it tipped the boat over when a waterspout— essentially a water tornado —hit the boat. Giovanni Costantino , CEO of the Italian Sea Group , which owns several boat brands including the yacht’s builder, Perini Navi , told the Financial Times the boat was “designed to be absolutely stable” because it had the “world’s second-tallest mast.” But Karsten Borner, the skipper of a nearby boat, suggests the sinking actually could have been caused by high winds hitting the 236-foot mast. Even with sails stowed, the mast and its rigging would have provided a vast surface area for wind resistance. 

The Bayesian “went flat [with the mast] on the water, and then went down,” Borner told Reuters . For reference, the tallest mast on a sailing boat on record was the Mirabella V at nearly 247 feet long, according to Guinness World Records .

Theory two: The retractable keel was in the wrong position

The second theory about the cause of the Bayesian sinking is that the keel was retracted when it should have been lowered, making the boat less stable. The keel is a structural beam that runs under the middle of the boat from bow to stern, giving the boat better stability, a lower center of gravity in the water, and more control while moving forward. “Without the keel, a boat might slip or skim on the water,” according to boat manufacturer Sea Born .

The Bayesian had a keel that could be retracted, according to the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi. It could be lifted to reduce the draught of the boat, making it easier to enter shallow harbors. It’s possible that if the keel had been in the raised position rather than extended, that could have compromised the boat’s stability in a strong wind, causing it to sink.

Theory three: A major hatch was left open to the waves

Perhaps the strongest theory so far is the notion that someone onboard may have left a major hatch or door ajar, causing the boat to quickly fill with water. In fact, Costantino thinks this is the strongest theory after watching back footage of the sinking; the rear of the boat appears to have a hinged door that folds down into a sea-level deck.

Since it was obvious the Bayesian was taking on water, there should have been time to get everyone off the boat and into rafts, Costantino told the FT .

“Jesus Christ! The hull is intact. The water came in from [hatchways] left open,” he said. “There is no other possible explanation. If maneuvered properly, the boat would have comfortably handled the weather—comfortably,” he said.

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Businesses Are Already Girding for Next Phase of the U.S.-China Trade War

Alarmed by the prospect of increased tariffs on Chinese goods if Donald Trump is elected, some American companies are stockpiling parts and delaying expansions.

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By Peter S. Goodman

Reporting from Allentown, Pa.

If not for the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, Easy Signs would now be hiring dozens of workers at its factory in Allentown, Pa. It would be readying plans to build a second plant somewhere out West — Salt Lake City was a contender — generating another 100 jobs.

Based in Australia, Easy Signs manufactures banners and marketing installations for corporate events, using huge printers to press logos and slogans onto rolls of cloth. Its American business has been growing 70 percent a year. Still, the company is putting off an expansion.

Its cloth signs are displayed on aluminum stands made in China. Those products are now subject to a series of tariffs reaching as high as 365 percent under a policy set in motion by former President Donald J. Trump and continued by the Biden administration in the name of protecting American industry from Chinese government subsidies.

The costs of imported components could increase further should Mr. Trump win November’s presidential election and follow through on his threat to add a tariff of 60 percent or more on all Chinese goods, and 10 percent to all imports.

“That’s definitely a scary concept,” said Andy Fryer, co-founder of Easy Signs. “The whole feasibility goes out the window.”

In interviews with two dozen American manufacturers, retailers and shipping agents, many said they were holding off on investments and expansion given the uncertainty over tariffs on imported products and parts — especially on those shipped from China. If Mr. Trump wins the election, the potential for further disruption is great. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins, many of the people said, they expect trade hostilities with China to continue, threatening increased costs for components used by American businesses.

“Companies have kind of decided that, regardless of what government is coming into power, tariffs on China are going to continue to get higher,” said Mandeep Singh, whose business, Via Indigos in Cincinnati, connects American factories with suppliers in India.

Mr. Singh was recently contacted by a company that makes air purifiers and was eager to shift production from China to India. “They want us to take care of the entire product range,” he said. “They would like to find a solution earlier than later.”

Mr. Trump began imposing broad tariffs on imports from China in 2018. President Biden has extended that policy, adding tariffs to new categories of Chinese goods including electric vehicles and solar cells.

Both administrations said the levies were intended to spur the return of factory jobs to the United States. But even as tariffs on Chinese imports have pressured manufacturers and retailers to reduce dependence on China, they have typically caused production to shift to other low-wage countries like Mexico , Vietnam and India .

Some businesses are stockpiling inventory by increasing imports, according to a recent analysis by Project44, a company that provides technology used by businesses to manage their supply chains. In June and July — the peak time for retailers amassing inventory for the holiday season — the volume of ocean shipments reaching the United States from China increased more than 4 percent from the previous year, according to the report.

Other companies are riding out the current confusion, having grown accustomed to unrelenting chaos in the supply chain. The pandemic upended global manufacturing and shipping, yielding floating traffic jams off ports and product shortages .

The Suez Canal has been rendered nearly off limits by strikes on vessels by Houthi rebels in Yemen acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, sending shipping prices skyward. The Panama Canal has limited traffic in the face of a drought. Rail workers in Canada are threatening to strike along with dockworkers at ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

“My approach is wait and see, and then move as fast as we can if it does happen,” said Sam Shackleton, whose Boston e-commerce business, Cross Path Capital, relies on Chinese factories to produce home décor and garden design products that it sells on Amazon.

Previous tariffs have increased the costs of some of his products by more than 30 percent. He has raised prices to pass on roughly half that cost. His suppliers in China have reduced prices on some items, sharing the burden of the tariffs, he added.

Mr. Shackleton has considered finding suppliers in other countries but has stuck with China because it presents an unbeatable combination of high quality and low prices, he said.

“We are busy with a lot of other aspects of running the business,” he said. “Moving around pieces on a board falls down the priority list even if we could argue that it’s existential.”

Many importers are placing faith in the assumption that Mr. Trump would stop short of imposing 60 percent tariffs because that would sow chaos in the economy, menace the stock market and lift prices to uncomfortable levels.

“Nobody I see is planning for it,” said Sara Dandan, founder of FourOneOne, a Chicago business that books shipping containers for importers. “It comes down to an American consumer thing. We’re used to being able to go to Walmart and buy a $2 spatula.”

But Mr. Trump has time and again breached traditional norms. Eight years ago, trade experts scoffed at his vows to add across-the-board tariffs to Chinese imports.

With such false reassurances as a guide, some companies are concerned enough by the tariff talk to make contingency plans.

“You have to take it seriously,” said Chris Taylor, chief executive of GridStor, a company in Portland, Ore., that develops energy storage projects. “I think you would ignore that at your peril.”

GridStor has been placing early orders for batteries for a project planned for the Houston area. Mr. Taylor has been urging his suppliers to move faster to set up factory operations in the United States or nearby to limit dependence on Asia. “In every meeting, that conversation comes up,” he said.

Larger companies are hanging on to extra inventory of parts and finished goods, accepting higher costs for warehousing and insurance as a hedge against future tariff increases, said Ara Ohanian, chief executive of Netstock, which designs software used by companies to manage their supply chains. Some of his customers have been shifting orders to Mexico to avoid tariffs on Chinese imports.

But Chinese companies have themselves set up factories in Mexico , using the North American trade agreement to gain duty free access to the United States. Some American importers assume that a second Trump term would halt that arrangement. Auto companies are especially concerned, given that Mexico has become a major supplier of parts for automotive plants in the United States.

“Everybody is getting skittish,” said Ross George, a supply chain consultant focused on the auto industry. “They say: ‘We know we are buying from a Chinese company, but it says, “Made in Mexico.” It’s not quite as clear cut as we’d like.’”

The solar industry appears especially vulnerable to an intensifying trade war given its heavy dependence on imported cells from Southeast Asia. Chinese companies have in recent years set up plants in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to avoid American duties on exports from China. That has prompted fresh tariffs on exports from those countries, a trend expected to broaden if Mr. Trump returns to office.

Even the expectation of further trade impediments risks slowing the emergence of solar energy, said Mike Hall, the chief executive of Anza, a company that matches buyers and sellers of solar energy gear. “It makes things more expensive and creates uncertainty and fear,” he said.

In Pennsylvania, Easy Signs recently received two shipping containers full of aluminum stands at the Port of Philadelphia. Rather than pay the extra duties, it declined to accept them, instead paying extra shipping costs to return the cargo back to its warehouse in Australia.

But the company is consoled by one key area of growth. “We’re going to do a lot of election signs,” said Amanda Strait, the factory’s operations manager.

Peter S. Goodman is a reporter who covers the global economy. He writes about the intersection of economics and geopolitics, with particular emphasis on the consequences for people and their lives and livelihoods. More about Peter S. Goodman