A French yacht en route to the Azores was towed to the island yesterday after it was hit by rough weather and mechanical problems.

The Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre said the 40ft French boat Reve D’Oceans IV was en route from the Dominican Republic to the Azores with four people on board when it had rudder problems and turned for Bermuda on May 7.

An incident report said: “RCC Bermuda was able to contact the vessel by satellite telephone and confirm they were making slow progress to Bermuda from a position 240 miles south of the Island.”

But it added the rudder broke off on May 8 and the yacht was left dead in the water.

The report said: “A local marine contractor was prepared to provide a long-distance offshore tow as the weather conditions were suitable.”

The US Coast Guard was contacted about the emergency in case the sailors had to abandon their vessel.

The incident report said that RCC Bermuda and the sailors were in regular contact and, by May 9, the crew had rigged a temporary rudder.

But they found they were unable to sail with the makeshift steering gear and needed more fuel to travel the remaining 180 miles to the island.

The report added: “Additional fuel was provided by a yacht in the area late on Monday afternoon and Reve D’Oceans was towed in through Town Cut in St George’s on Wednesday morning by a local marine contractor.”