Missing sailor Tony Bullimore is found alive and well - again

Veteran yachtsman Tony Bullimore, 67, who has been missing somewhere in the Indian Ocean for 11 days, yesterday made contact with his family.

Bullimore's communications system on his 102ft catamaran Doha went down on 7 November, as he and his crew of four sailed to Australia ahead of a new round-the-world record attempt. Shipping had been alerted and his team admitted they had no idea where he was.

But yesterday, he made contact with his wife, Lalel, after coming close enough to land to get a mobile phone signal. Barry Pickthall, who runs Team Bullimore's control centre, said Bullimore only had a brief chat with his wife, to conserve battery power.

Bullimore was famously rescued in 1997 during the Vendee Globe solo non-stop race when his boat capsized.