SA Yacht crew rescued in Mid Atlantic

The crew of the Spirit of Izivunguvungu have been rescued after the yacht was damaged during the return from the Cape to Rio race, the City of Cape Town said on Friday.

"The City received the good news [on Thursday evening] that the crew had been located just north of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic ocean after a cargo ship was diverted from its course to intercept it," said city councillor Brett Herron.

"The yacht was badly damaged by a storm... it lost its mast, had a broken rudder, and there was a hole in the hull. The engine stopped working and the tracking device stopped working."

The four-man crew were one of two development teams made of sailors from Cape Town townships, sponsored by the city.

The crew members are in their twenties and this was their first international sailing trip.

They are due to arrive back in Cape Town next week.

Herron said the yacht lost telephone contact on Sunday and lost tracking contact two days later which prompted the decision to send out an 'all ships alert' message.

The yacht was left to sink.