Search fails to find sign of yachtie

An extensive land and aerial search has failed to find any sign of a missing yachtie, whose unmanned vessel was found doing circles in the Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Searchers had hoped Richard Rusbatch's strong swimming skills had got him to Mayor Island, some 20km from where his yacht was, but a land and shoreline search of the island today didn't find any trace.

However, searchers were not giving up hope and an aerial search would continue until as late as 8.30pm today, a Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand spokesman said.

"Once they've completed searching the area we will reassess everything and see if there's anything further we can do this evening but until that search is complete we won't make the call about what happens next.''

Mr 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 spotted with the motor still running yesterday.

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 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