Satellite track shows yacht hitting island

Data from a commercial GPS tracking system suggest a yacht wrecked during a race off Mexico grounded on a rocky island, race organizers say. The Aegean, one of more than 200 sailboats in the race from Newport Beach, Calif., to Ensenada, Mexico, was destroyed early Saturday morning, and all four people on board were killed. The tracking system Spot shows the boat hit North Coronado Island at 1:36 a.m., the Los Angeles Times reported. Spot, a satellite tracking company, provides Web pages that allow people to follow a boat. The bodies of three men in the crew have been recovered. The San Diego County coroner reported Monday that two died of blunt force trauma and one drowned. The Coast Guard suggested Monday the Aegean might have been hit by a freighter or tanker. Lt. Sean Groark said the agency is aware of the report from the satellite tracking company and intends "to investigate all possibilities." He said the Coast Guard cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information. Scot Tempesta, who competed in the race, said swells were running at about 4 feet off the Coronado Islands when he sailed past them late Friday. That would be enough to break up a boat that hit the rocks. Brad Avery, director of the Orange Coast College School of Sailing and Seamanship, said the theory can be tested by diving for the Aegean's engine or keel off North Coronado. Both are heavy and would sink where the boat broke up.