The wife of a Hong Kong mariner, feared drowned after his classic schooner sank in a cyclone, aims to help realise his dream by taking part in today's tall ships race.
Six days after Australian authorities abandoned their search for the Queen Charlotte, owned and skippered by Bob Cornell, 50, his wife Mimi will set sail this morning for Osaka in his place.
Race organisers secured a berth on the 46-metre Japanese ship Kaisei in response to a request from Mrs Cornell, who lives in Hong Kong with daughter Bobby.
The family has endured an agonising week waiting for news about the Queen Charlotte and is in daily contact with Australian maritime authorities.
Ms Cornell said her mother had not given up hope her father and four crew members might be alive.
Rescuers last week pinned their hopes on the crew getting into a life raft before the 14-metre schooner broke up after running into tropical cyclone Justin in the Coral Sea, 1,000 kilometres southeast of Papua New Guinea.
The Queen Charlotte had set sail from Mr Cornell's native New Zealand last month to take part in today's race and after losing time switched course for Okinawa and the event's second leg.