A distraught mother has called for mariners in Bermuda to help find her 26-year old daughter who has gone missing while sailing from the British Virgin Islands to Maryland.

Christine Grinavic is one of four sailors onboard the 54-foot Flying Colours which has not been heard from in almost a week after leaving St. Thomas on April 30 and getting caught in a brutal storm.

The US Coast Guard suspended its active hunt for the vessel on Saturday evening after conducting 50 searches covering more than 280,000 square miles of ocean.

Ms Grinavic's mother Mary said her daughter normally worked on the boat Arabell> but wanted to crew Flying Colours so she could be home for Mother's Day yesterday.

"I spoke with her one hour before she got on the boat and she said she would call me in nine or ten days when they would be getting into port," said Mrs. Grinavic. "She also said she would be back for Mother's Day. I lost my mother only in December so I was really hoping I could have her (Christine) back. We're hoping by asking for help another boat might see them and let us know."

At 3.30 a.m. on May 7 the blue-hulled, white-top boat issued a distress alert but the signal stopped at about 7 a.m. when the boat was 160 nautical miles off North Carolina. Also onboard were captain Patrick Topping, 39; Jason Franks, 34, and Rhiannon Borisoff, 22.

Anyone who has information regarding Flying Colours should call the Coastguard on (757) 398-6390.