Searchers confident of finding lost rowers

L-R: Matthew Hampel, Billy Gammon, Peter Staples (top) and Tom Wigram had been reporting daily on their progress until Saturday. Photo / Supplied

A patrol boat has been sent to find four New Zealand rowers in the Indian Ocean after contact with them was lost on Saturday.

The team, rowing from Australia to Mauritius to raise money for a prostate cancer charity, last reported to race organisers when they were about 980km from their destination.

Organisers say the crew's GPS system has been faulty and their phone stopped working at the weekend.

Rowers Tom Wigram, Peter Staples, Billy Gammon and Matthew Hampel - all expatriate Britons living in New Zealand - had been reporting daily throughout their 71 days at sea.

Race spokesman Alan Gwyer said there was nothing to suggest the boat had anything more than communication problems.

A support boat was sent on Monday night to the boat's last confirmed position, Mr Gwyer said.

Michelle Staples, wife of Peter, said that as long as the rowers stayed on their route they should be found.

"The organiser's boat only needs to come within six miles (9.6km) of them so it can make radio contact. But it could be like finding a needle in a haystack," she said.

A Navy vessel had also been alerted to keep an eye out for the team.

Tom Wigram's wife Rebecca said the lack of contact was not unusual. "When I last spoke to them they were surfing down waves, making great progress and having a ball."

Ms Staples hoped a problem with a solar panel charging batteries was the only reason they were out of contact. Mr Gwyer said the boat's emergency beacon had not been set off.

Weather maps on the race website showed southeasterly winds with waves between 3 and 5 metres.

The last daily blog on the team's website was posted on Saturday. Mr Gammon said the team were optimistic but "mentally fragile" because of bad weather.

The rowers had endured a challenging night, with large swells, no moon and winds gusting to nearly 40km/h.

The team was aiming to raise awareness of prostate cancer because Mr Gammon's father had struggled with the condition.

The race from Geraldton in West Australia, to Mauritius, off Africa, was won by a British crew last Thursday in 68 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA