Glen YATES
Glen YATES
Glen Yates was last known to be on board vessel ‘Bonne Idee’ off the coast of Eden NSW on November 20, 2020. The vessel ‘Bonne Idee’ has since been recovered. Police, family and friends hold serious concerns for the welfare of Glen.
Anyone with information which may assist in locating the whereabouts of Glen is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Victorian Water Police are coordinating an air and sea search for a lone yachtsman missing off Victoria’s east coast. Glenn Yates is believed to have been delivering his newly-purchased yacht, Bonne Ide'e from Bellerive in Hobart to Lake Macquarie in NSW.
The alarm was raised when the missing yachtsman contacted NSW Marine Command, whilst travelling north along the east coast from Tasmania, stating he had lost his sails but was not in distress, in the early hours of Friday 20 November.
He was to maintain two hourly radio contact with the intention of motoring his way into Eden NSW.
When Yates failed to maintain regular radio contact, NSW Marine Command contacted the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) who deployed an aircraft to the last known location, locating the yacht about 50 nautical miles south-east of Gabo Island.
Paynesville Water Police were deployed and about 1.45am this morning, locating the yacht with no persons on board.
Victoria Water Police with the support of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) in Canberra; along with NSW Marine Command, are utilising all available air and marine assets in the search for the missing man.
Police are in contact with the missing 62-year-old NSW man’s family and are providing regular updates.
Anyone who sees or has contact with the yachtsman is urged to call Triple Zero (000) or with information call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report to www.crimestoppers.com.au.
By Jonathon Kendall and Kellie Lazzaro
Police have called off the search for a missing yachtsman, whose vessel was discovered 145 kilometres off the coast of Lakes Entrance in eastern Victoria on Friday night.
The 62-year-old New South Wales man left Hobart on Friday, November 13, heading for Eden on the NSW coast.
After a week of sailing solo, the man came into strife in significant winds, in the darkness of night early Friday morning.
He made contact with the volunteer Marine Rescue Group, which monitors radio channels, about 2.00am to say his sails had been damaged in 75 km/h winds, rendering the vessel inoperable.
He told the volunteers he planned to wait until morning to pull the damaged sails down and put a new one up before making his way into Eden.
The officer in charge of Water Police in Victoria, Inspector Greg Barras, said a high-tech jet plane was dispatched by the Australian Maritime Search Authority in Canberra to search over rough seas.
"Sea conditions at the time were 'sea state five' and that's waves of between 2.5 - four metres and that creates a really big challenge when you are looking for a small object in the water," Inspector Barras said.
The man's nine-metre yacht was spotted 81 nautical miles offshore at 8.00pm that night.
A police boat based at Paynesville was dispatched but it was a 22-hour return voyage from port to collect the yacht from so far offshore.
"Clearly from a fixed-wing it is very difficult to work out whether the person's on board," Inspector Barras said.
"We actually diverted a container ship to the location and the container ship tried to call him on radio and also sounded the horn and there was no presence on the boat."
Inspector Barras said the water temperature was between 15-17 degrees Celsius at the time, and that in those conditions, the man would have only been able to survive for between 12-14 hours.
"By the time the searchers were able to get to him it was probably too late."
Police are preparing a report for the Victorian Coroner.
On behalf of the International OK Class Association of Australia, the extended Australian OK community and the International OK community, I would like to extend our sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Glenn Yates particularly to his partner Yan, stepson Joseph and sister Ruth.
The news that Glenn has gone missing at sea on a Covid delayed trip to bring his new yacht Bonne Idee’e from Bellerive to his home base at Lake Macquarie is a tragedy and Glenn will be sorely missed.
I have personally known Glenn through OK sailing for many years and enjoyed racing against him and pre and post-race banter. Glenn was a well-known figure in sailing, particularly in the OK class but also more recently the NSW Impulse fleet. Glenn’s contributions to OK sailing and especially his support in the establishment of the Queensland fleet were well recognised. Glenn’s multiple boat and gear delivery trips up and down the east coast of Australia have been a recent feature, as has been his home and market visits with his partner Yan.
Glenn took up sailing as an adult and sailed in OKs for many years. He and I often had close competition in the middle of the fleet at OK Nationals but Glenn was not without podium finishes. I recall one race at an Adelaide Nationals where Glenn legitimately blocked multiple national champion and 2 times world champion Roger Blasse at the final mark rounding. Roger’s comment at the mark, having been narrowly beaten out of buoy room was “Well just don’t f… it up from here”. A nice illustration of the spirit of OK racing. Glenn didn’t “f… it up” and went on to finish second beating Roger in to third place in that race.
Glenn was a competitor in many OK Worlds where his cheerful nature and good will on the course and at the bar after made many friends amongst the international fleet. He will be missed by all.
Seeking tributes, anecdotes and photos about the life and times of Glenn
Yates.
The NSW association is collating a tribute booklet to present to Glenn's
surviving family members and loved ones.
Please send any material to paul.foster
RIP Glenn” Yatesy” Yates.
David Ketteridge President IOKCAA