Two sailors were missing and feared dead last night after a desperate attempt to abandon ship in stormy seas off Bermuda.

The 44-year-old American woman and 47-year-old Swiss man were en route to the Island from Long Island, New York, aboard the 42-foot sailboat Albatross.

According to a spokesman for Bermuda's Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (RCC), the vessel had experienced more than 24 hours of high winds and heavy seas due to the extratropical storm Noel passing between Bermuda and the US.

The crew called for help on Saturday night when they were 260 miles north of Bermuda.

"The skipper of the Albatross reported that several crew were severely seasick and that one had also suffered a minor head injury as a result of their battering in 40 foot seas and reported wind gusts of 50 knots," said the spokesman.

"While reassured by RCC Bermuda that weather conditions were forecast to improve, the crew of the yacht were insistent at being taken off as soon as possible."

The Bermuda rescue centre together with its counterpart in Norfolk, Virginia, therefore asked the 645-foot car vessel Martorell to assist.

It was diverted to the Albatross on Saturday evening with a US Coast Guard aircraft also sent to oversee the rescue effort.

"It was during the ship's initial pass alongside the yacht that, rather than taking additional safety equipment passed to them from the ship, the apparently desperate sailboat crew, who were all wearing life jackets, leapt across to the ship.

Three of the crew were able to cling to hanging cargo nets and were pulled aboard, while the other two fell into the sea," said the RCC spokesman.

The Martorell immediately began a search of the area with three more planes and a helicopter from the US Coast Guard and Air Force joining in.

According to US Coast Guard Petty Officer Kip Wadlow, the rescue effort was continuing last night with another merchant ship and the US Navy also set to assist.

Petty Officer Wadlow said he was not able to reveal the names of the missing sailors, as the authorities were still trying to contact family members in Switzerland.

Besides the missing man and woman, there were three other men sailing on the Albatross — two Swiss nationals and one US national.

They remained on board the Martorell last night, which was heading for Charleston, South Carolina.