There has still been no sign of a missing yachtsman whose
unmanned vessel was found doing circles in the Bay of Plenty
yesterday, but searchers are hanging onto hope that he made
it to a nearby island.
Richard Rusbatch, 56, set sail on his 11.6m yacht Honfleur
from Tauranga on Sunday, bound for the Bay of Islands. But
the deserted yacht was found with the motor still running by
a member of the public yesterday, about 20km east of Mayor
Island.
It is there searchers are focusing their attention today,
with Mr Rusbatch's family pinning their hopes to his strong
swimming abilities.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) rescue mission
coordinator John Ashby said search modelling predicted he was
most likely to be on the island.
Two Land Search and Rescue teams were combing the 35km island
while a coastguard vessel was searching the shoreline.
A fixed-wing aircraft was searching a 900sq km area to the
east.
Aircraft spent much of yesterday looking for Mr Rusbatch,
focusing on a large area between Mayor and Motiti Islands.
The search continued overnight, with the Navy vessel HMNZS
Pukaki searching the Mayor Island shoreline with the aid of
searchlights.
Mr Ashby said it was likely Mr Rusbatch was intending to
anchor off Mayor Island in an area called Honeymoon Bay.
Weather conditions in the area remain favourable for
searching, he said.
Mr Rusbatch's sister Jane Willing told the Herald the family
were hoping Mr Rusbatch, who has several daughters, had made
it to land.
"He's a very strong swimmer and he's used to being at sea.
So, I've just got my fingers crossed, with his daughters,
that he's swum somewhere _ to one of the islands. That's what
we're hoping for,'' she said.
Mr Rusbatch runs charter trips between Russell and Tauranga.
Mrs Willing said he had been running his charter business for
"many years''.
Police were urging anyone who had seen the Honfleur since
Sunday, after it left Tauranga, to contact them urgently.
- APNZ and New Zealand Herald staff
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