A POLISH ship which had been missing since Saturday after leaving the Tyne as part of the Tall Ships Race has been found.

Concern over the safety of the Smialy, with three adults and five youngsters aboard, had been raised after the vessel had been out of radio contact for more than two days.

Race organisers said the ship, which was last in contact when it was 15 miles from Newcastle, had been found off the island of Heligoland, near Germany.

The Humbers Coastguard and their counterparts throughout northern European had been alerted about the missing ketch.

Corinne Hitching, spokeswoman for Sail Training International, which has organised the race, said last night: "We had a message from the owner of the ship this morning and he said the ship had finally come through with a message to say they were safe and well.

"They are off course, but had electrical problems that meant they lost their radio, GPS (global positioning system) and engine.

"Obviously, when they had not got in touch, we had to take it seriously."

She added: "The crew had a mobile on board and had to wait until they got near land to get a signal to call their office in Poland.

"They realised we would be looking for them and were very grateful to hear of the concern there was for their well-being."

Severe weather conditions forced half of the ships to retire from the race, due to sea sickness, and torn sails. One ship suffered a broken mast.

Meanwhile, rookie sailors from the North-East have described how they helped save a sinking yacht.

Violent winds had started to tear the mast from the 17-man Excelsior sailing ship, causing water to gush in through the deck. A mayday call was picked up by the nearby Prince William Tall Ship, off Aberdeen.

The vessel, carrying 26 first-time sailors from the North- East, went to its aid.

Prince William crew member Catherine Todd, 18, of High Spen, Gateshead, said: "It was very dramatic and they were taking on a lot of water. They were at risk of losing a mast and all the crew were on board at the time."

The race ended with the Norwegian vessel Christian Radich taking first place in Class A, as well as overall. The second placed vessel is provisionally the Class B Stina Mari, with the Russian Class A ship Mir, third.