Update on search for missing yachtsman

<p><strong>15 February 2012 - 11.30am</strong><br /> <br /> An aerial, land and on water search is continuing in the Bay of Plenty this morning for missing yachtsman Richard Rusbatch.<br /> <br /> The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) 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.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Today&rsquo;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&rdquo; RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator John Ashby said.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;We currently 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.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.</p>