Fears for missing sailor as yacht found drifting crewless off Cork coast

The Irish Coast Guard has located a British yacht missing for a week off the Cork coast but has found no trace of its lone crew member, who it is feared may have fallen overboard and been lost at sea.

The UK registered yacht Minke left Plymouth on June 18th to take part in the Jester Challenge, which involved 43 vessels heading for Baltimore in west Cork in a non-racing 250 nautical mile voyage.

The Minke was skippered and crewed by Duncan Lougee, an experienced yachtsman, and was due to arrive in Baltimore on June 22nd. A search operation was launched when the yacht failed to arrive.

The Minke, like the other boats participating in the challenge, should have taken a route via the Isles of Scilly and Mr Lougee was last seen near the Helford River estuary in Cornwall at 2pm on June 19th.

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The Irish Coast Guard, which had been liaising with HM Coastguard based at Falmouth, Englang, received a report on Thursday afternoon of a boat matching the description of the Minke off east Cork.

The Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard Sikorski helicopter Rescue 117 was tasked to investigate. Shortly after 4.30pm it located the yacht 75 nautical miles southeast of Ballycotton.

No trace

A winchman was lowered on to the eight metre yacht and he reported there was no trace of anyone on board, prompting fears for Mr Lougee’s safety.

The Irish Coast Guard is liaising with HM Coast Guard as the vessel is in the British search and rescue zone and efforts are currently underway to secure the vessel and bring her under tow to land.

Mr Lougee, who was in his late 60s and from Dedham, Essex, is described as “an experienced sailor having navigated the Atlantic three times solo, from Plymouth to Azores and back”.

A yacht broker and boat builder, he had also made the trip from Devon to Baltimore previously. He took part in the Jester Challenge in 2010, sailing solo from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island.

The Minke was reportedly equipped with an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Beacon) and a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon), but neither device had been activated.