Missing yacht shows up in Ireland

The Golden Eagle, missing since August 21, showed up exactly where it was supposed to - in Ireland. Photo / Thinkstock

A missing yacht with a New Zealand man on board has arrived in Ireland, Irish media has reported.

The Golden Eagle had not been heard from since it left Bermuda on August 21, sparking a massive air and sea search.

The Coast Guard confirmed the crew were safe and well when they arrived in Portmagee in County Kerry, at 3pm today (3am NZT), the Press Association reported.

The men, a 60-year-old New Zealander and the 69-year-old Norwegian yacht owner, had been unaware of the drama.

"They had a little handheld VHF radio but were sparing the batteries so they hadn't got it on at all until they were coming in," a Coast Guard spokesman said.

"They said they had some slight damage to the sails and rigging because of bad weather. They also had to motor for a while because they had no wind for the first part of the trip."

The Golden Eagle was due to arrive in Crookhaven in west Cork on September 15.

The alarm was raised two days later when the family of the Norwegian man called the Norwegian Coast Guard. They alerted Irish authorities.

The Irish navy and air corps helped search southwest of Ireland while ships in the mid-Atlantic were asked to try to contact the yacht.