**S/V FLYING COLOURS** Attn: NC/VA/MD Coastal Residents

[H733Driver]

Coast Guard Searches for Missing Sailboat
May 8, 2007 - 1:56pm

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Coast Guard helicopters are continuing their search for a missing sailboat from the area -- one day after the Coast Guard rescued nine people off the North Carolina coast. Coast Guard crews are looking for four people from the sailboat "Flying Colours" after the crew sent out a distress signal Monday afternoon off the coast of North Carolina.

Officials believe the four people on board were traveling from the St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to the Annapolis area when they encountered 30-foot seas.

The boat's home port is registered as Washington, D.C., although the Coast Guard says the crew is not from the area.

The Coast Guard identified the missing boaters as: Patrick Topping, 39, the master of the ship; Jason Franks, 34; Rhiannon Borisoff, 22; and Christine Grinavic.

Topping and Franks are experienced sailors and both have their captain's licenses, the Coast Guard says.

Crews have traveled about 5,440 nautical miles since Monday searching for the boat, which may have returned to port and turned off its distress signal, the Coast Guard says.

On Monday, the Coast Guard rescued nine people from three boats, including three people on a makeshift life raft in 34-foot seas about 160 miles east of Cape Hatteras.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service warned sailors that a low pressure system drifting off the southeast U.S. coast would continue to create rough seas.

Anyone with information about Flying Colours should call the Coast Guard Fifth District command center at 757-398-6390.

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


Additional USCG 5th District Press Release:

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/651/155936/

[brunota2003]

Wow, I hope they find them! On a side note, a Marine from Cherry Point was killed on Saturday when he jumped into the water at Atlantic Beach to rescue two kids. If I remember correctly, witnesses said he did not hesitate to jump in after he saw them struggling against the surf. God bless him, and I hope he is enjoying Heaven right now, drowning is one horrible death.

[H733Driver]

Wow, I hope they find them! On a side note, a Marine from Cherry Point was killed on Saturday when he jumped into the water at Atlantic Beach to rescue two kids. If I remember correctly, witnesses said he did not hesitate to jump in after he saw them struggling against the surf. God bless him, and I hope he is enjoying Heaven right now, drowning is one horrible death.

Do you have a link to the article? Thanks!!

[Jack8631]

Wow, I hope they find them! On a side note, a Marine from Cherry Point was killed on Saturday when he jumped into the water at Atlantic Beach to rescue two kids. If I remember correctly, witnesses said he did not hesitate to jump in after he saw them struggling against the surf. God bless him, and I hope he is enjoying Heaven right now, drowning is one horrible death.

Do you have a link to the article? Thanks!!

Found this from the Havelock Times.

[Stephanie]

I hope that the crew is alright, but it does seem like they've been gone a little too long...

[H733Driver]

I hope that the crew is alright, but it does seem like they've been gone a little too long...

We're always hopeful...throw everything we have at it until they're found...

While a couple of days may seem long to some, there's been more extreme instances/cases of sailors disabled and adrift...Steve Callahan went 76 days adrift (alone) in 1982 after a whale collided with his sailboat in the middle of the night. Awesome read if you get the chance.

[H733Driver]

Coast Guard Searches for Missing Sailboat
May 8, 2007 - 1:56pm

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Coast Guard helicopters are continuing their search for a missing sailboat from the area -- one day after the Coast Guard rescued nine people off the North Carolina coast. Coast Guard crews are looking for four people from the sailboat "Flying Colours" after the crew sent out a distress signal Monday afternoon off the coast of North Carolina.

Officials believe the four people on board were traveling from the St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to the Annapolis area when they encountered 30-foot seas.

The boat's home port is registered as Washington, D.C., although the Coast Guard says the crew is not from the area.

The Coast Guard identified the missing boaters as: Patrick Topping, 39, the master of the ship; Jason Franks, 34; Rhiannon Borisoff, 22; and Christine Grinavic.

Topping and Franks are experienced sailors and both have their captain's licenses, the Coast Guard says.

Crews have traveled about 5,440 nautical miles since Monday searching for the boat, which may have returned to port and turned off its distress signal, the Coast Guard says.

On Monday, the Coast Guard rescued nine people from three boats, including three people on a makeshift life raft in 34-foot seas about 160 miles east of Cape Hatteras.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service warned sailors that a low pressure system drifting off the southeast U.S. coast would continue to create rough seas.

Anyone with information about Flying Colours should call the Coast Guard Fifth District command center at 757-398-6390.

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


Additional USCG 5th District Press Release:

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/651/155936/

UPDATE: ACTSUS granted (Active search suspended pending further developments).