Birthday vigil held for missing SA yachtsman

Friends of missing Durban yachtsman Reg Robertson gathered at the Royal Natal Yacht Club to mark his 60th birthday on Friday.

The day also marked 61 days since Robertson and his crew disappeared at sea after setting sail from Cape Town on December 14 to deliver a catamaran to Phuket, Thailand.

Robertson, skipper Anthony Murray and Jaryd Payne, were expected to arrive on February 2. The last time they made contact with family and friends, by satellite phone, was on January 18. Their last reported position was 2000 nautical miles from their destination.

Their friends and family have not given up hope, and on Friday raised their glasses to mark Robertson's birthday.

Sandy Samways, a close friend of Robertson, shares a birthday with him.

Her husband, Kurt Ostendorf, was part of the six-man crew of the ill-fated Moquini yacht, which disappeared while taking part in the Mauritius to Durban yacht race in 2005. The men were never found, but the Moquini's hull was spotted off the Transkei coast a few months later.

She said: "Reg's friends at the yacht club decided to have a drink to mark his birthday. I missed getting his phone call to wish me a happy birthday. I know how his partner and the other crew members' family and friends are feeling because it is a difficult time. But we are hopeful and remain positive," said Samways, who turned 51.

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She described Robertson as a relaxed and "chilled guy".

Robertson's last message, on the day the yacht went missing, was to his girlfriend, Vijay Naicker: "Hi sweetie pie hope u ok, we battling bad weather here, still thinkin bout u."

An online search campaign, Lost Catamaran & Crew at Sea, has been launched. This enables people to scour satellite images for signs of the missing Leopard 44 catamaran.

Naicker said: "He had done these trips many times, but it was the first time I had picked up distress in his voice. It was first time he spoke of the weather. I have been tormenting myself thinking of the cyclone.

"I continue praying for him. I have faith that there has to be a miracle."