Coast Guard: Debris not related to missing yacht

BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard says debris found in the remote area of the Atlantic Ocean where a British yacht went missing last week does not appear to be related to the Cheeki Rafiki, which had been returning to England from a regatta in Antigua when it reported trouble about 1,000 miles east of Cape Cod.

Capt. Anthony Popiel, who is overseeing the search operation, said in a statement Thursday that no debris found so far correlates to the 40-foot yacht, which had four sailors on board.

Additional Photos

Undated photos provided by the Royal Yachting Association show the missing crew of the high-performance yacht Cheeki Rafiki. From left: Paul Gosling, James Male, Steve Warren and Andrew Bridge. A search for them has been restarted at the request of the British government. AP

Operations unit controllers at the command center at the U.S. Coast Guard district headquarters in Boston check search pattern maps while trying to find the Cheeki Rafiki and its crew off the coast of Massachusetts. The Associated Press

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Anthony Popiel addresses reporters during a news conference regarding the search for the Cheeki Rafiki on Wednesday in Boston. The Associated Press

The Coast Guard had confirmed earlier that a private vessel reported seeing a wooden plank and a piece of plastic in the area Wednesday night. The search, which resumed Tuesday, continues with American, Canadian and British aircraft and vessels involved.

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