'Missing' sailor with radio turned off causes wide search

1:02 AM Wed 27 Apr 2011 GMT

'All called out unnecessarily' .

A yacht that went 'missing' and alarmed his colleague sailors and caused much unnecessary searching by UK coastguard personnel has caused authorities to plead with leisure sailors to register their yachts and communicate with coastguards. While the incident happened in the UK this time, the plea is valid worldwide. At 06.37 pm on Tuesday this week, Swansea Coastguard was alerted by the skipper of a yacht called Portessa. The skipper expressed some concern of his fellow yachtsman who had not arrived at the Marina. The overdue vessel is called Summersalt. The skipper of the Portessa reported that he lost sight ...

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by Sail-World Cruising