Wellington - A 73-year-old German sailor is presumed to have died when his yacht capsized as he made a solo voyage from New Zealand to the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, police confirmed Tuesday. Police said the name of the man, whose 9.5-metre yacht Motu was found by a fishing boat drifting last week off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, would not be released until next of kin had been informed.
The New Zealand Herald reported that the man's daughter was on her way to New Zealand.
Police said the yachtsman last made radio contact on May 29 after leaving the port of Opua, in the Bay of Islands, for Noumea.
Reports said that the yacht's sails were torn and a safety harness was hanging over the side, indicating that it had capsized and the sailor was unable to climb back on board. Avon Hansford, a Whitianga charter yacht operator, said the Motu was totally off course when found.
