The search for the crew of the Don’t Panic yacht, which was found washed up on the Yorkshire coast, has been called off.

An extensive search involving HM Coastguard Rescue Teams from Scarborough and Burniston, lifeboats from Scarborough and the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Humberside was carried out after the blue and white yacht was spotted aground in the early hours of this morning.

The yacht had been spotted on CCTV leaving Scarborough at around 5.30pm yesterday evening.

At around 4.20am this morning, a fishing vessel reported to the UK Coastguard Operations Room that they had seen a yacht run aground off West Pier which turned out to be the yacht Don’t Panic.

The two people on board have made contact with North Yorkshire Police to say they are safe and well.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: ‘The search and rescue operation launched this morning after a yacht was reported run aground has ended. We are satisfied that the crew is not at sea but are unable to confirm that both have been spoken to. We always advise anyone who finds themselves in trouble at sea or at the coast calls 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

Wrecked Don’t Panic yacht is towed to a pier by Scarborough RNLI. Credit: RNLI/Dave Barry

A Scarborough RNLI spokesman confirmed that the same yacht had been rescued by the lifeboat crew last June, but said it now had a different owner.

He added: ‘The yacht Don’t Panic, was observed bobbing about on a gentle swell by the rock armour on Marine Drive.

‘Both Scarborough RNLI lifeboats were launched just before 6am.

‘No-one was on the yacht, which was boarded and towed back to the harbour by the Shannon all-weather lifeboat.

‘The inshore lifeboat and coastguards searched several miles of shoreline for the yacht crew, assisted by the coastguards’ Sikorsky search-and-rescue helicopter. The police were also involved in the search.

‘At one point, the ILB was recovered and cleaned before being relaunched to search more extensively, as far north as Burniston and as far south as Cayton Bay, plus the harbour.

‘Nothing was found and the ILB was stood down at 9.25am.’

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: ‘Police assisting the Coastguard with a search have located two people safe and well in Scarborough.’