News from Maritime New Zealand
An aerial, land and on water search is continuing in the Bay of Plenty this morning for missing yachtsman Richard Rusbatch.

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand began the search for Mr Rusbatch, 56, with assistance from Western Bay of Plenty Police, around 9am yesterday, after a member of the public reported his unmanned 38 foot, single-masted yacht, the Honfleur circling about 11 nautical miles east of Mayor Island.

“Today’s search is focusing on and around Mayor Island and an area out to the east, as this is where our search modelling predicts he is most likely to be” RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator John Ashby said. “We have two LandSAR teams combing Mayor Island for signs of Mr Rusbatch, with a Coastguard vessel searching the shoreline, and a fixed wing aircraft searching an approximately 900 square kilometre area from Mayor Island out to the East.”

Aircraft spent much of yesterday looking for the missing yachtsman, focusing on a large area between Mayor and Motiti Islands. The search continued overnight, with the New Zealand navy vessel HMNZS Pukaki carrying out a shoreline search of Mayor Island with the aid of searchlights, and a search further offshore.

Mr Ashby said evidence indicated it was likely Mr Rusbatch was intending to anchor off Mayor Island in an area called Honeymoon Bay, hence the focus of the search in that area today. Weather conditions in the area remained favourable for searching, he said.

News from NZ Police – February 14
The Rescue Co-ordination Centre, along with Western Bay of Plenty Police, launched a search following the discovery of an unmanned yacht off the Bay of Plenty coast this morning. The 38 foot, single-masted yacht, was located by a member of the public approximately 11 nautical miles east of Mayor Island in the Bay of Plenty.

Western Bay of Plenty Police Area Commander, Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair says an immediate search of the yacht determined that there was no-one on board. He says the motor was running and the yacht’s anchor was dragging in the water.

“Police and the Rescue Co-ordination Centre were notified and an aerial and water search is underway.”

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre has undertaken an aerial search that covered a 900 square kilometre area between Motiti and Mayor Islands. A sea search was also underway, involving Coastguard and a vessel that has been working on the Rena operation.

Inspector Wright-St Clair says Police believe the yacht, with one person on board, left Tauranga for Paihia on Sunday.

“We would urgently like to hear from anyone who may have seen the yacht since Sunday. Please contact Tauranga Police on 07 577 4300.”

UPDATE from NZ Police
The unmanned yacht is the ‘Honfleur’. The man believed missing from the yacht is Richard Rusbatch, a 56 year old charter boat operator from Russell in the Bay of Islands.