The pair, 55-year-old Irish national Nick Dwyer and 44-year-old French national Barbara Heftman, activated the yacht's emergency position-indicating radio beacon following high winds and heavy swells.

Photo by: AFP

A New South Wales police vessel responded, battling six-metre swells and gale force winds on a 13-hour voyage to reach the yacht and safely haul the pair on board.

Two sailors have survived six metre high waves and gale force winds in the middle of the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

Authorities said the crew, an Irish and a French national, were travelling from New Zealand to Australia aboard a 12-metre yacht when trouble emerged about 210 nautical miles from Sydney.

The rescue vessel took 13.5 hours to reach the yacht during the six-metre swells and southerly winds.

The two sailors who were travelling with a broken rudder since March 4, were safely transferred ashore and are not injured.

TRT World's Ben Saidhas their story.

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French, Irish yacht sailors survive high seas off Australia's coast - TRT World