A French yacht has capsized 750 nautical miles southeast of the Chatham Islands.
Rescue Coordination Centre NZ has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion, which was understood to be close to the yacht just before 9am today. The distress signal was received around 6pm yesterday.
It’s believed there is one person on board the yacht, named No Comments.
Maritime NZ says the ship has flipped back over, but has been dismasted, and has taken on water.
The lone man on board was completing a circumnavigation of the world, beginning and ending in France.
He has had some satellite phone contact with the French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, which is working closely with the New Zealand centre.
An NZDF P3 Orion was able to drop a package of essential supplies, including a life-raft, food, water and a radio, but the man aboard the yacht was reportedly unable to reach it.
The crew aboard the Orion will provide rescue centre with information about the state of the yacht and the man at sea.
An oil tanker, Lindanger, has been diverted from its usual trade route between New Zealand and South America towards No Comments, but it is still over a day away.
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