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After three days of searching there is still no sign of missing Wanaka Yacht Club member Trevor Hawke, who fell overboard while sailing in Roys Bay, Lake Wanaka, on Thursday night.
Search and rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Aaron Nicholson said the police dive squad had completed a search of the main area.
The search will resume this morning, with a review at lunchtime.
Mr Hawke fell into the water when the yacht he was sailing in lurched unexpectedly. His sailing partner tried several times to try to pick him up but he could not get back on to the vessel and disappeared.
After a surface and shoreline search on Thursday evening and Friday morning, members of the police dive squad began searching a small area of the lake about 200m off Eely Point on Friday afternoon, but found nothing.
Mr Hawke is presumed to have drowned.
On Saturday, the search area was extended further out towards Ruby Island.
Divers spent all of Saturday out on the water and repeated the exercise again yesterday, searching at depths of up to 50m.
Following a debriefing last night, Coastguard Wanaka Lakes president and marine adviser Jim Talboys said yesterday's rain and moderate winds had not hampered the effectiveness of the search.
Visibility remained good throughout the weekend.
Mr Hawke was a founding member - and life member - of the Wanaka Yacht Club. He was an extremely accomplished sailor with more than 40 years' yachting experience.
He was acknowledged in 2009 in the Yachting New Zealand honour awards for his contribution to the Wanaka club, including as a sailing instructor and general maintenance member.
His presumed drowning has been described as a huge blow to the sailing fraternity.
