One Dead, Four Missing After US Yacht Race

A sailing boat crew member has died and four others are missing after a powerful wave hit their boat during a race in San Francisco.

The eight-member crew aboard the 38-foot Low Speed Chase were taking part in a yacht race from San Francisco Bay around the Farallon Islands when their craft ran aground.

Seas were running high at 10-12ft when the boat was hit by a bigger wave and the five were washed overboard, coast guard spokesman Levi Read said.

"They turned the boat around to go rescue those people and they got hit by another wave," he added.

A mayday call reporting the accident went out at about 3pm local time.

Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters as well as more boats rescued three crew members who were clinging to rocks, around 300ft from their boat.

The body of the dead crew member was pulled from the water.

Dozens of boats were registered for the Full Crew Farallones Race, running from the St Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay to the islands and back - a 60-mile round trip, Mr Read said.

They were wearing life vests and cold weather gear - equipment that gave rescuers hope in the search for the missing.

"There is the possibility that the other four were also in the same kind of gear," Mr Read added.

A Coast Guard helicopter, a cutter and a smaller boat were searching the waters around the islands, 27 miles west of San Francisco for the missing crew members.

The names of the crew members have not been released, and there was no immediate word on the condition of the three survivors.