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A missing round-the-world yacht and its 70-year-old solo skipper are now on their way back to Tauranga, police say.
Police and Coastguard had managed to contact the skipper of the yacht, Lunatic, which got into difficulties during bad weather on Tuesday, Tauranga police said today.
Senior Sergeant Wayne Mills, of Tauranga police, said that radio contact was made this morning and that the skipper of Lunatic was not injured.
"A Coastguard boat is now making its way to the yacht's location."
The yacht was making its way back to Tauranga and was expected to reach land by 5pm today.
Earlier, Mr Mills said someone had contacted the skipper by radio and police were trying to confirm the report.
Police had been concerned at the apparent disappearance near Tauranga of the yacht being skippered by an elderly man on a round-the-world voyage.
The yacht had disappeared from an area known as the Astrolabes, 14 miles from the entrance to Tauranga Harbour.
The skipper was a Slovenian man engaged in a solo round-the-world voyage. He was an experienced sailor who had undertaken similar voyages in the past, police said.
Last contact with the yacht was just after 1.30pm on Tuesday when the skipper indicated by radio he was sailing to Tauranga to make repairs to his water purifier.
It was arranged for the yacht to berth at the Harbour Bridge Marina but it failed to show up and efforts to contact the yacht have failed.
The 9m sloop is not fitted with any kind of engine.
A fixed wing aircraft and Coastguard searched the area late yesterday afternoon.
- NZPA
