The two bodies recovered from the sea on Wednesday have been identified as Rupert Saunders, 36, of Tooting in South London and Jason Downer, 35, of Broadstairs, Kent. The men have been confirmed as being from the yacht Ouzo, which disappeared on Sunday. Another body – that of 36-year-old James Meaby – was found on Tuesday.

The bodies of Mr Saunders and Mr Downer were recovered five miles south of St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight, 10 miles west of where Mr Meaby’s body was found. Police have still not located the wreckage of the Sailfish 25, which had been on passage from Bembridge to Dartmouth, a trip the men had done before.

In a joint statement the men’s families said they had been friends since school and university, and all had a zest for life, following testing professional careers, along with a love for sports, including sailing.

The disappearance of the yacht remains a mystery. The men were all competent sailors, and no distress call was made.