Racing yacht wreckage recovered west of San Francisco

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) -- The wreckage of a yacht that lost five crew members during a race that turned fatal has been recovered from the rocky island west of San Francisco where it grounded.

A marine salvage company used a helicopter equipped with a crane to pluck the 15,000-pound Low Speed Chase from one of the Farallon Islands and fly it 28 miles to the Half Moon Bay airport on Monday.

The 38-foot sailboat was swamped by a pair of waves while rounding the island during a race on April 14, sending seven of its eight crew members into the chilly Pacific. One was found dead later that day and four remain missing at sea.

KTVU reports that a tractor-trailer was parked near the yacht at the airport, but that its owner has not revealed his plans.