OREGON Search ended for lost sailors [View All]

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The sailors were on the final phase of a global journey to deliver a luxurious fiberglass catamaran to a new owner in Seattle. The Voyage 440 -- a 44-foot, oceangoing cruiser with four staterooms -- sells for about $600,000. It was manufactured in Cape Town and slated to appear next month at a boat show in Seattle.

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Anstess' sister, Lindy Roberts of England, said in an Internet posting that her brother "lives for adventure and survived many bad seas. He was also a crew member on a lifeboat in Durban, South Africa, for many years so he knows all about the dangers and how to combat them."

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"In San Francisco, they were going to do a crew change," Gasparin said. "They may have been in San Francisco overnight. When they're out on delivery, they don't want to waste any time in port."

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On the day the catamaran made its last log entry, the seas had become hazardous, with sustained winds of 40 mph and swells from 20 to 25 feet. Later that night, the swells reached 30 to 40 feet.

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