LAST UPDATE | 30 Jun 2023

DEVON AND CORNWALL Police have said that there are signs that the now missing sailor who was journeying from Plymouth to Cork on a solo challenge hadn’t made a fresh entry in the ship’s journal in at least nine days. 

The search for Duncan Lougee, an experienced boatsman who was partaking in the ‘Jester Challenge’ that was to see him dock in Baltimore, Cork, has been stood down. 

Today Detective Inspector Daniel Massey said that the ship Lougee had been aboard, but was found empty with no indication of his whereabouts, has been docked in Cornwall.

“Whilst Mr Lougee remains officially a missing person, responsibility of searches in open water sits with the Coastguard. However, yacht Minke has been missing since it left Plymouth on Sunday 18 June, and initial enquires appear to show no fresh entries in the ships journal for at least nine days.

“Therefore, due to the potentially vast and prohibitive area of search at sea, at this time there is currently no new searches planned by Coastguard,” he said. 

Massey further stated: “We have informed the family of these initial updates and our thoughts are with them at this time; the family of Duncan Lougee have asked for privacy.”

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said that extensive searches were coordinated, but that the search was stood down once the “period of survivability had passed”. 

Sighting off Cork coast led to ship being found 

Duncan Lougee, an experienced boat builder and sailor, set sail from Plymouth, Devon for Baltimore on the Cork coast on 18 June in his yacht the ‘Minke’ and was expected to have arrived by the 22nd.

The Dublin Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was advised of a possible sighting of the Minke 120 kilometres south east of Ballycotton, Co Cork yesterday and Coast Guard helicopter R117 was dispatched, the Irish Coast Guard said.

Upon discovering that Duncan Lougee was not aboard, R117 departed the scene and the yacht drifted south east into UK territory.

In a statement issued this morning, the UK Coast Guard said:

“The yacht was found yesterday approx. 70 miles North West off Trevose Head, Cornwall, sadly the skipper was not on the vessel.”

The Jester Challenge issued a statement on its website this morning paying its respects to Duncan Lougee.

“The UK authorities took over, sending a helicopter and a lifeboat to retrieve Minke.”

“Duncan, tragically, was no longer on board. When and how he had become parted from his much-loved Minke is yet to be determined. The investigations of the UK coastguard and the Devon and Cornwall Police continue.”

“In the meantime the Jester Challenge community holds firm and sends its full support to Duncan’s nearest and dearest.”

- Additional reporting by Jamie Mc Carron.