A YACHT carrying the body of a round-the-world sailor who died after being struck by the boom will arrive in the central Queensland port of Gladstone early today.
Colin Craig, 62, and his wife Glynis, 58, had been on sailing from Bundaberg to Vanuatu on their 15-metre South African racing yacht Deja Vu when they ran into gale force conditions.
Mrs Craig sent out a mayday call at about 5.30am (AEST) on Sunday, saying her husband was dead after being struck on the head by the boom.
Rescue crews made the 150 kilometre trip out to sea and had to brave sharks and a dwindling fuel supply to pick up Mrs Craig, while dropping a police officer and a Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) member to salvage the yacht.
A distraught Mrs Craig was flown to Hervey Bay, but the Deja Vu has made slow progress back to port, with three-metre waves and 60km/h winds hampering progress.
The vessel, which is carrying Mr Craig`s body, is expected to arrive in Gladstone around 4am (AEST) today.
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