Concern mounts as yachtsman Tony Bullimore is out of contact for eight days
Veteran yachtsman Tony Bullimore has failed to make contact with his control centre for more than a week after communications links on his catamaran went down in the Indian Ocean, it emerged.
Bullimore, 67, from Bristol, and his crew of four were last heard of eight days ago as they made their way from the Maldives to Australia ahead of a new solo round-the-world record attempt.
His giant 102ft vessel, Doha 2006, is believed to be somewhere between the Maldives and Fremantle in Western Australia.
But his UK-based control centre admitted they did not know exactly where he was, prompting fears he could be in trouble.
Bullimore was famously rescued from the Southern Ocean in 1997 during the Vendee Globe solo non-stop race when his boat capsized.
His team have asked commercial ships to report any sightings of the boat, while Australian maritime authorities have also been attempting to radio Bullimore and his crew.
Barry Pickthall, running Team Bullimore's control centre, said: "There is no concern for the crew at this stage. We know that their satellite communications system has gone down, so Tony is unable to contact us by phone or email.
"We expect the crew to make a stop at Fremantle or another port to get the system repaired, and since the catamaran should be close to the shipping lanes by now, have asked the coastguard to alert vessels in the area to report any sightings."
The yacht is also equipped with emergency beacons, which operate independently of the catamaran's satellite communication system.
Bullimore and his team were expected to dock in Fremantle, but the team's weather forecaster Lee Bruce said headwinds had delayed their arrival by "a further day or two".
The yachtsman hit the headlines nine years ago when he spent five days in the upturned hull of his yacht, surviving on what he described at the time as "a little chocolate, water and sheer determination".
He was dramatically rescued by the Australian Air Force and Navy, but the incident sparked a debate over whether the risks and costs of sailing in the Southern Ocean were justifiable.
Bullimore is attempting to beat Dame Ellen MacArthur's solo round-the-world record of 71 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes, which she set last February.
He and his four crew left Doha, in Qatar, late last month and are due to dock in Fremantle in Western Australia later this week before sailing on to Hobart, Tasmania, where he will begin his world record attempt.
