A 46-foot yacht, Marzupilami, with three crew on board was last night stranded 350 miles off Bermuda with a broken headstay.

Harbour Radio said an oil tanker, the Greek-registered Alkyonis stopped to offer assistance on March 18 at 12.30p.m., but was unable to effect any repairs. The crew decided to stay rather than abandon the German registered yacht.

A Harbour Radio spokesman said: "The headstay is a very thin piece of metal wire that supports the mast and it runs from the bow to the mast. They can still hoist their sails, but the mast would not be supported and can easily break.

"However, they are determined to come to Bermuda for repairs. We have been in periodic contact them, but their progress is slow."