Search for Chinese sailor suspended

Beijing: The US Coast Guard suspended its Pacific Ocean search for star Chinese sailor Guo Chuan, it said, after rescuers boarded his drifting yacht and confirmed he was not there but found his lifejacket.

Guo “was a professional mariner with a deep passion for sailing”, the Coast Guard’s Captain Robert Hendrickson said in a statement on Thursday Chinese time.

“Our deepest condolences go out not only to his family and friends but also to his racing team and the sailing community.”

Footage released by the US Coast Guard showed Guo’s 97foot trimaran Qingdao China drifting across the waves hundreds of kilometres west of Hawaii, its red sail emblazoned “Peace and Sport”.

During two days of searches over around 12,000 square kilometres both a US Navy helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Hercules aircraft overflying the vessel had been unable to contact Guo, it said.

Guo, by far the country’s biggest sailing star, became in 2013 the first Chinese sailor to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe.

The 51-year-old set off from San Francisco on October 18 in an attempt to set a record solo crossing of the Pacific, but his team lost contact with him on Tuesday afternoon Beijing time.

They alerted US authorities, and rescuers from the USS Makin Island amphibious assault ship reached the Qingdao China on Thursday Beijing time.

“The boat crew confirmed Chuan was not on the vessel although his life jacket remains aboard,” the Coast Guard statement said.

They lowered the mainsail and left the Qingdao China — originally built as the Idec 2 for French yachtsman Francis Joyon — at sea, it added, saying his racing team was arranging to salvage the vessel.