Historic yacht repaired in NZ

The Gipsy Moth IV yacht that carried the late Sir Francis Chichester on the first solo one-stop round-the-world voyage is bound for Auckland -- and a million dollar repair job -- on the deck of a cargo ship.

The Gypsy Moth ran aground on a coral reef north of Tahiti last month leading to the sacking of two crew members by the yacht's owners, the UK Sailing Academy.

On Wednesday, the damaged yacht was lifted on to a cargo ship at Tahiti heading for Auckland, where the owner has estimated that the cost of the rescue and of repairs could run to £300,000 ($908,000).

- NZPA