Hong Kong registered sailing yacht Europa goes missing
by RHKYC Media on 6 Oct 2015
Europa Yachts General Manager Robin Wyatt - Missing Sailing Yacht Europa SW
A Hong Kong registered 18.2m sailing yacht Europa, owned by yacht broker and experienced offshore sailor Robin Wyatt, left Hong Kong for Subic Bay on Thursday 1 October 2015 with an ETA at Subic Bay no later than 5 October 2015.
On Saturday 3 October the boat’s EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was activated indicating the boat was experiencing some difficulties.
Hong Kong’s MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) dispatched a fixed wing aircraft to search the area. Vessels in the vicinity of the EPIRB’s position were also asked to be on the lookout. No yacht, life raft or debris was detected and HKMRCC continued to monitor the signal.
With the yacht’s ETA in the Philippines subsequently being missed, two fixed wing aircraft (one from Hong Kong and one from the Philippines) were dispatched on the morning of Tuesday 6 October in a coordinated search effort. Ships in the area have also been put on alert.
The boat is new and on board are the skipper Robin Wyatt and four other crew members, all of whom are very experienced seamen; each having crossed the China Sea a number of times. Coordination is taking place between HKMRCC, Hong Kong Government Flying Service, Philippines Navy, Philippines Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard Auxiliary, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and friends of the sailors in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
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