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Four British yachtsmen missing in mid-Atlantic Four British yachtsmen missing in mid-Atlantic
(35 minutes later)
Four Britons are missing at sea after the yacht they were sailing to the UK from a regatta in the Caribbean is feared to have capsized in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. One of Britain's youngest star yachtsmen is missing at sea along with three crew members after the boat they were sailing from the Caribbean is feared to have capsized in the Atlantic Ocean.
The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki ran into difficulties on Thursday while returning from Antigua Sailing Week. Contact with the four yachtsmen was lost in the early hours of Friday while they were diverting to the Azores. Andrew Bridge, 21, was skipper of the Cheeki Rafiki 12-metre (40ft) yacht, which ran into difficulties on Thursday while returning to the UK from Antigua Sailing Week.
US and Canadian aircraft and merchant vessels looked for them throughout Friday and Saturday but have now called off the search, according to the British yacht training and charter firm Stormforce Coaching. Bridge was on board the vessel with Paul Goslin, 56, Steve Warren, 52, and 23-year-old James Male.
Stormforce's director, Doug Innes, said: "The yacht Cheeki Rafiki, a Beneteau First 40.7, was on passage from the Caribbean to the UK with a crew of four yachtsmen. On Thursday she started taking on water. Contact with the four yachtsmen was lost in the early hours of Friday after the yacht began taking on water and diverted to the Azores, in the north Atlantic Ocean.
"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. Unfortunately we lost contact during the early hours of Friday morning and we believe it is possible the crew abandoned to the life raft. A two-day search involving US and Canadian aircraft and merchant vessels was called off as darkness fell on Saturday night, with the four men believed to have abandoned the vessel to a life raft.
"Search and rescue authorities were mobilised and a mixture of Canadian and US aircraft along with merchant vessels searched throughout Friday and Saturday. Although the search efforts co-ordinated by Boston were exceptional we are devastated that the search has now been called off so soon. Our thoughts are with the four yachtsmen and their families and we hope and pray for them all." Doug Innes, director of the British yacht training and charter firm Stormforce Coaching, praised the extensive search efforts but said he was "devastated" they had been called off so soon.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a missing yacht off the east coast of the USA with four British nationals on board. We are in contact with the US coastguard and have offered consular assistance to the families." Stormforce, which was acting as managing agent for the Cheeki Rafiki yacht, said in a statement: "The yacht Cheeki Rafiki, a Beneteau First 40.7, was on passage from the Caribbean to the UK with a crew of four yachtsmen. On Thursday she started taking on water.
"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.
"Unfortunately we lost contact during the early hours of Friday morning and we believe the crew abandoned to the life raft. Search and rescue authorities were mobilised and a mixture of Canadian and US aircraft along with merchant vessels searched throughout Friday and Saturday. Although the search efforts coordinated by Boston were exceptional we are devastated that search has been called off so soon after the abandonment to a life raft.
"Our thoughts are with the four yachtsmen and their families and we hope and pray for them all."
The four were described as "very experienced" yachtsmen and Bridge, the youngest of the group, as a highly qualified skipper.
It is believed that Goslin and Warren, who were coastal skippers, had volunteered to do the transatlantic crossing.
Bridge had two high-level yachtmaster qualifications from the Royal Yachtmaster Association that meant he could skipper a yacht a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles.
To qualify for the yachtmaster ocean certificate, the skipper must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles.
Bridge, nicknamed "the bear", was described as "undoubtedly one of the top bow men in the country" in a biography on Stormforce's website. It said: "He [Bridge] was formerly bowman onboard Encore (First 40.7) when it won its fleet in the 2010 Round Britain & Ireland Race and was the 1st First 40.7 in the Fastnet 2009 race.
"He has won numerous RORC English channel races and has raced onboard Cheeki Rafiki with Ifan countless times, again with several podium positions to his name. Andy is a yachtmaster offshore and keelboat instructor."