Search called off for missing South African sailor in New Zealand

by Kiri Gillespie, Gisborne Herald/Sail-World on 20 Mar 2010 The search for yachtsman Paul Janse van Rensburg, missing on a voyage from Tauranga to Gisborne, has been called off until there is any new information, but even as the search is called off, officials are asking 'How can a yacht simply vanish?'.

After a review of all information in the hands of search authorities, the decision to call off the search was made Friday evening.

The 40-year-old South African sailor vanished after he set sail seven days ago on his 11m yacht Tafadzwa with his dog Juanita. He had been due to arrive on Sunday and search and rescue authorities were alerted after he failed to show for work on the Gisborne wastewater project.

Friend Regan Boocock was meant to come with him but pulled out a few days prior because of other commitments. Mr van Rensburg visited Mr Boocock the night before he left, to check the weather on Mr Boocock's internet. Mr Boocock told The Gisborne Herald he was disappointed the search was suspended but more disturbed that there had been zero sign of his friend.

Mr van Rensburg, who has made the same trip about nine times, had still not made his mind up about sailing to Gisborne until earlier Friday morning.

He left Tauranga Harbour at about 9am. Mr van Rensburg called a mutual friend on a cellphone from sea at 10am. He later called his girlfriend at 1.30am that day. It was the last communication anyone has had with him.

A Royal New Zealand Airforce P3 Orion and three additional aircraft covered approximately 96,000 square miles (328,000 square kilometres) over the past three days in a frantic search for the experienced sailor.

Search and Rescue mission coordinator Dave Wilson said together the aircraft had clocked up 43 hours of search time. 'It has been an extremely detailed and thorough search,' he said. 'We have been lucky to have had excellent conditions for searching and we are confident that had the yacht been in the search area, we would have found it.'

The search spanned 290 nautical miles north of East Cape down to Gisborne, and 430 nautical miles offshore. Helicopters yesterday re-checked the coastline between Tauranga and Gisborne.

'We are obviously very disappointed that we have not found Mr van Rensburg and his yacht Tafadzwa,' Mr Wilson said. 'However, after reviewing all the information gathered so far, and looking at the extensive area covered, we have had to conclude there is nothing more we can do at this stage.'

Mr Wilson said the suspension meant the search would be stood down unless any new information came to light, but broadcasts over maritime radio advising that Tafadzwa was missing and to report any sightings would remain in place.

He thanked the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Philips Search and Rescue Trust and Gisborne Helicopters for the hours they had put in searching for the yacht.

The yacht was fully equipped with appropriate safety gear, so its disappearance remains a mystery. If the yacht had encountered problems why hadn't the EPIRB been set off? Mr Van Rensburg was a very experienced sailor, was known to spend most weekends on his yacht since sailing it to New Zealand from South Africa in 2006.