Tauranga Coastguard and the Harbourmaster helped rescue a man left clinging to his 5-metre catamaran after it capsized in the main channel towards Omokoroa on Tuesday.
Tauranga Coastguard operations manager Simon Barker said the Harbourmaster and the Coastguard responded to the mayday call made around 5.45pm.
Mr Barker said the rescued man was sailing alone and one hull was full of water.
He said after taking the injured man onto the rescue vessel, rescue personnel righted the catamaran, towed it to Pane Pane Wharf, dragged it up the beach, emptied out the water, and towed it back to Sulphur Point.
The rescue took almost three hours.
