Crew of five rescued from grounded yacht

Five crew members had to be rescued after a yacht ran aground west of Diamond Harbour.

The Coastguard responded to the incident near Pāua-o-Hinekotau Head and all five crew members were safely dropped off at Lyttelton on Wednesday night.

The 12m racing yacht remains at the base of a cliff, with 15 litres of diesel on board in sealed tanks.

The regional council said the diesel onboard was in sealed tanks, and the risk of any environment impact was low.

Environment Canterbury regional on-scene commander Emma Parr said an attempt to safely recover the yacht may not be possible until after the SailGP this weekend.

"The yacht has remained in the same position but is significantly damaged. It is now secure via ropes to the shore," Parr told Chris Lynch Media.

"We are currently monitoring the situation closely and working with the owner, insurers and salvors to collect debris as required.

"There may be loose debris under the surface of the water. We are asking the public to stay well clear of this operational area."

The grounding is not expected to impact the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix on Saturday and Sunday at Lyttelton Harbour.