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UK yacht Cheeki Rafiki missing in mid-Atlantic UK yacht Cheeki Rafiki missing in mid-Atlantic
(about 1 hour later)
Four Britons have been reported missing in the mid-Atlantic Ocean while sailing a yacht back to the UK from a regatta.Four Britons have been reported missing in the mid-Atlantic Ocean while sailing a yacht back to the UK from a regatta.
The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki 40ft performance racer-cruiser ran into difficulties on Thursday while returning from Antigua Sailing Week.The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki 40ft performance racer-cruiser ran into difficulties on Thursday while returning from Antigua Sailing Week.
Contact was lost early on Friday as they diverted to the Azores and a coast guard search has been called off. Contact was lost early on Friday as they diverted to the Azores, and a coastguard search has been called off.
They are feared to have capsized and abandoned to a life raft, Southampton charter firm Stormforce Coaching said. They are thought to have capsized and abandoned to a life raft, Southampton charter firm Stormforce Coaching said.
US and Canadian aircraft and merchant vessels looked for them on Friday and Saturday but have now called off the search, Stormforce director Doug Innes said.
The Royal Yachting Association named the four crew members as Paul Goslin, 56, and Steve Warren, 52, who are both from Somerset, Andrew Bridge, 21, from Farnham, Surrey, and 23-year-old James Male, from Southampton. It described all four as "very experienced offshore yachtsmen".The Royal Yachting Association named the four crew members as Paul Goslin, 56, and Steve Warren, 52, who are both from Somerset, Andrew Bridge, 21, from Farnham, Surrey, and 23-year-old James Male, from Southampton. It described all four as "very experienced offshore yachtsmen".
They are thought to have been delivering the vessel back after it participated in Antigua Week, regarded as one of the world's top regattas.They are thought to have been delivering the vessel back after it participated in Antigua Week, regarded as one of the world's top regattas.
'Lost contact''Lost contact'
Mr Innes said Cheeki Rafiki started taking on water on Thursday. Cheeki Rafiki started taking on water on Thursday, Stormforce director Doug Innes said.
He said: "We were in contact with the skipper and at the time the yacht and crew were keeping the situation stable.He said: "We were in contact with the skipper and at the time the yacht and crew were keeping the situation stable.
"They had not been able to ascertain where the water ingress was from and were diverting to the Azores."They had not been able to ascertain where the water ingress was from and were diverting to the Azores.
"Unfortunately we lost contact during the early hours of Friday morning and we believe it is possible the crew abandoned to the life raft.""Unfortunately we lost contact during the early hours of Friday morning and we believe it is possible the crew abandoned to the life raft."
He added the search efforts were "exceptional" but the company was "devastated that the search has now been called off so soon". Three US and Canadian aircraft and three merchant vessels looked for them on Friday and Saturday 1,000 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the US Coast Guard said it located small pieces of debris, but no sign of the sailors. Mr Innes the search efforts had been "exceptional" but the company was "devastated that the search has now been called off so soon".
Winds were said to have been blowing at more than 50mph while the sea reached heights of 15ft. In a press release, the US Coast Guard said the search area had involved approximately 4,146 square miles and it was "extremely disappointed" not to have found the sailors.
Winds were said to have been blowing at more than 50mph, the sea reached heights of up to 20ft and visibility was reduced to under a mile.
"It is extremely challenging to respond to a distress case so far off shore, which is why it takes a joint effort with our international partners to put forward an effective search," it said."It is extremely challenging to respond to a distress case so far off shore, which is why it takes a joint effort with our international partners to put forward an effective search," it said.
US coast guard officer Rob Simpson told the BBC on Sunday that the yacht's locator beacons had been activated, providing it with some "general GPS co-ordinates".
He said they had not been able to link any debris found to the Cheeki Rafiki, but an overturned hull was spotted by a container ship involved in the search "that did look like it may have been the sailing vessel". However, the ship did not stop to inspect the hull because nobody was seen on board.
Aircraft and ships travelling through the area have been alerted to the missing yacht, he added.
But the search has been called off and would only restart if new information came to light, he said.
The Foreign Office confirmed it was aware of the missing yacht.The Foreign Office confirmed it was aware of the missing yacht.
"We are in contact with the US Coastguard and have offered consular assistance to the families.""We are in contact with the US Coastguard and have offered consular assistance to the families."