 Police have named the yachtsman |
The search for a sailor, started after a crewless grounded yacht was found off the Devon coast, has been called off. A member of the public alerted the coastguards at 0718 BST after seeing the 21ft-long vessel drift ashore at Elberry Cove, near Paignton.
"The Tattie Bogle" had her sails up but coastguards have confirmed there was nobody on board.
Police have named the missing yachtsman as 68-year-old Donald McKinnon, from Yeovil in Somerset.
The yacht, which is normally moored at Powderham, on the Exe estuary near Exeter, had her mainsail up, her foresail half up, and the anchor was raised.
 |  It is a possibility that he has gone overboard |
An entry regarding the weather was made in the boat's log at 0535 BST.
The Torbay and Teignmouth lifeboats were launched, and two rescue helicopters from RAF Chivenor and Portland Coastguard were scrambled to scour the sea for the missing yachtsman.
Coastguard rescue teams from Torbay and Berry Head carried out shore-based searches along the south Devon coastline.
Open mind
The search was called off by coastguards on Thursday afternoon.
Fred Caygill, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "It would appear that this yacht was anchored off Elberry Cover last night.
"It is unknown what has happened to the skipper but it is a possibility that he has gone overboard.
"The fact that an entry had been made at that time and that the yacht has washed up on rocks in the state that it's in points to somebody being onboard a couple of hours before the call."
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