A yacht has gone missing on passage from the Isle of Man to Ardglass in Northern Ireland. A major search is under way for the yacht which left the Isle of Man on Sunday night.

The brother of the man on board says he spoke to him early this morning and he told him he was having difficulty with a strong tide, the BBC reports.

Coastguards teams from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are taking part in the search.Coastguard officials say they have been trying to reach the man on his mobile phone.

Portaferry lifeboat is searching Strangford Lough and coastguard teams from the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland have been searching harbours and marinas.The focus of the search moved to an area south of the Isle of Man, and Liverpool coastguard joined the effort.