Search for Suffolk sailor Duncan Lougee missing in solo challenge

Duncan Lougee, from Ipswich, set sail from Plymouth as part of the Jester Challenge at midday on 18 June

A search is under way for a sailor who was due to arrive at his destination a week ago.

Duncan Lougee, from Ipswich, set sail from Plymouth as part of the Jester Challenge at midday on 18 June.

There has been no contact since his departure and he was due to arrive in Baltimore, Ireland, on 22 June.

HM Coastguard has been looking for his boat, The Minke, and said it is liaising with the Irish Coastguard, UK police and the RNLI.

The coastguard at Falmouth has confirmed a military aircraft was involved in the search overnight.

The Minke is a 25ft fibreglass folkboat with a white hull and white sails. Her sail number is FB597.

Search coordinator, Paddy Corcoran, said it was "very much an ongoing and heavily resourced search".

"We've had a number of fixed-wing aircraft out searching deep water including military aircraft and we've had a number of other coastguard agencies in the European region also involved," he said.

"If anybody has got any information then please call Falmouth Coastguard."

The Minke is a 25ft fibreglass folkboat with a white hull and white sails. Her sail number is FB597.

The boat was last seen near Helford River at 14:00 BST on 19 June.

Mr Lougee was taking part in the single-handed sailing challenge with a plan to sail the route via the Isles of Scilly, HM Coastguard said.

All other vessels have been accounted for.

'Experienced sailor'

A statement on the Jester Challenge website said Mr Lougee had both an emergency position-indicating beacon and a personal locator beacon, neither of which had been activated.

It added that conditions in the Celtic Sea had "generally been benign" in the last week and "hope has not yet been lost that after some major setback, Duncan is still trying to reach a safe haven".

In a Facebook post, Mr Lougee has been described as an "experienced yacht broker, boat builder and sailor" who has undertaken many miles of sailing including single-handedly crossing the Atlantic Ocean and making three return trips from Plymouth to the Azores.

He works at Clarke and Carter, an international boat brokerage in Ipswich.