The search for a missing sailor who disappeared during a solo challenge from Plymouth has been officially called off after his boat was found.
Duncan Lougee, in his late 60s, disappeared while single-handedly navigating to Baltimore, Ireland, via the Scilly Isles off the Cornish coast.
He was taking part in the Jester Challenge with dozens of others.
He left aboard his vessel The Minke - a 26ft Varne folkboat - at midday on June 18 and was expected to arrive at the finish on June 22.
There had been no communication from the experienced sailor since his departure.
A major search operation was launched before the yacht was discovered on Thursday evening, the UK Marine and Coastguard Agency said.
The boat was found 70 miles north west of Trevose Head but Mr Lougee, who lived in Dedham near Colchester, was not onboard.
The UK Marine & Coastguard Agency said: "The search for the yacht Minke and its skipper, who was taking part in the single-handed Jester Challenge, from Plymouth to Baltimore, Ireland, has been stood down.
"The yacht was found on 29 June approximately 70 miles north-west off Trevose Head, Cornwall; sadly the skipper was not on the vessel."
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police confirmed Mr Lougee "remains missing".
They added: "The Minke is due to be brought to shore and Coastguard will continue searches in the area.
"Mr Lougee’s next of kin has been informed of this update."
A spokesman for Clarke and Carter, a yacht broker firm where Mr Lougee was a director, said: "We are deeply concerned for the wellbeing of Duncan.
"On behalf of the entire yachting community here in Suffolk, we would like to express our huge gratitude to the authorities for their ongoing search.
"Our priority at this time is supporting Duncan’s family."
It is unclear in what condition the missing vessel was found in.
Fellow challenge competitor Kris Matuszewski told the Mirror on Wednesday Mr Lougee may have drifted into a shipping lane while he was asleep.
As a result, his boat could have been struck by a larger vessel.
Mr Matuszewski, 75, completed the challenge in his Carabela 650 Junk Schooner called 'Anna Lucja 2'.
He said all sailors are aware of the risks before setting out but were all deeply concerned for the safety of Mr Lougee.
"As far as I know it is the first time that someone has gone missing within a Jester Challenge," he said.
"But it’s not something I would say is impossible or extraordinary. It may happen at any time."
Mr Matuszewski, from Opole, Poland, has been sailing since he was 14.
It was his first time competing in a Jester event, which also runs competitions across the Atlantic to Azores.
Mr Lougee has competed on both routes before.
He was last seen around Falmouth Bay near the Helford River at around 2pm on Monday, June 19.
The first Mr Matuszewski was aware of the disappearance was when he went down to the eating area after arriving at around 7.30pm last Friday.
"We were all very sad about it. It was making us down. However, we did not widely discuss the case," he explained.
"We didn’t make any kind of speculation, everyone was keeping him in their heart."
Sailing blogger Sallu Lucy-Ann Stamford, whose partner Jim also competed, setting off from Pwllheli, Wales, confirmed to the Mirror she last spotted Mr Lougee on the Radar App around the Scilly Isles.
Falmouth MCA and the Irish Coastguard searched the area between the Scillies and Baltimore before finding the vessel.
The Minke was understood to be carrying both an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Beacon) and a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon), but neither were activated.
