FOUR men had to be rescued after their yacht overturned when its mast broke off, leaving the quartet clinging to the vessel's hull in rough seas off northern Tasmania.
The men had been racing in the 9m trimaran Flagmaster about 8km off Devonport on Saturday afternoon when they abandoned the race because of wild waves, police said.
On its way to port, the boat speared off one wave and into another, causing it to lose its mast and capsize.
The yacht's skipper told police that they had been sailing about 20 knots at the time.
Waves were averaging 3m high, with some peaking at 5m.
It took crew members 25 minutes to reach and activate an emergency beacon (EPIRB) at 2.30pm, prompting a police rescue boat and helicopter search.
A police boat found them less than an hour later, clinging to the hull.
The crew had to swim to the police boat for rescue.
Flagmaster had been leading the race from Ulverstone to Devonport and return when it pulled out.
The crew were assessed by ambulance officers for exposure, cuts and an intake of salt water but none needed hospital treatment.
The yacht's owner was yesterday afternoon organising an aerial search for the abandoned trimaran's hull.
But bad weather had delayed the search.
The 9m Swedish Built SeaCart trimaran class has been described as a tough racing yacht, designed for speed rather than comfort.
"She's fast in the right conditions," said Mersey Yacht Club commodore Tim Grant.
Mr Grant said the trimaran was the latest to join a long list of competent offshore vessels that had fallen foul of Bass Strait.
He said the emergency response involving a Police Sentinel vessel, the Westpac police rescue helicopter and Tasports' Devonport pilot boat had been prompt and flawless.
Flagmaster was yesterday understood to be drifting in Bass Strait and was logged as a navigational hazard.
-- with AAP
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