Exhausted sailor due to reach Opua today

A solo French yachtsman and his 13m sloop was expected to arrive under tow at Opua, in the Bay of Islands, today after sending out a Mayday call near Cape Reinga on Sunday night.

The Northland Electricity rescue helicopter, found the exhausted but unhurt sailor at 11.45pm near Pandora Bank, southwest of Cape Reinga, but weather and sea conditions prevented him from being lifted off his vessel.

A fishing boat, Pacific Explorer, went to help and took the Frenchman on board while a fishing crewman boarded the sloop, Teno Zaranza.

The yacht, on a voyage from Tahiti to Auckland, was taken in tow by the Pacific Explorer to shelter in Spirits Bay, between Cape Reinga and North Cape, while the situation was assessed.

The yacht mast broke during the tow. Far North Coastguard radio operator Maureen MacMillan said the sailor was very tired.

"He needed some good sleep," she said.

Late yesterday, another fishing boat, the Medea, began towing the yacht from Spirits Bay to Opua, expected to take about 10 hours, depending on conditions.

Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman Lindsay Sturt said that when the Mayday call came through, there was some initial confusion about the yachtsman's position because the Frenchman spoke little English.

"We got the Mayday part but the rest was difficult until we got a French speaker."

The Far North rescue was the second of a solo yachtsman off the New Zealand coast in two days.

A 71-year-old American was rescued from his yacht near Stewart Island by a fishing boat on Sunday after he lost power in heavy seas.

His vessel was towed to shelter off the western side of Stewart Island before he transferred to the fishing boat and was then winched up into a helicopter and taken to Invercargill for a medical check.

"Our job is to rescue anyone calling for help," Mr Sturt said.

The Maritime Safety Authority encourages people to get a weather forecast before they set out and take shelter wherever possible.

"If you're going solo, you should listen to a five-day forecast and act appropriately," Mr Sturt said.

"Of course, if you're solo you can't take a rest, especially in storm conditions and in this [Far North] case, he was sailing from Tahiti so he might have thought he could make Opua."