British yachtsman, 73, rescued in Atlantic by luxury ocean liner Queen Mary 2

A 73-year-old British yachtsman has been rescued in the Mid Atlantic by luxury ocean liner the Queen Mary 2.

The man, understood to be former Royal Marine Mervyn Wheatley, was taking part in a transatlantic race when he got into difficulties during a ferocious storm.

His boat, Tamarind, suffered severe damage, the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) of England said. But Mr Wheatley was reported to be uninjured and in good spirits.

The UK Coastguard said: "He has been assessed by the Queen Mary 2 medical team who have advised he is uninjured and in good spirits. "

A North Atlantic storm, with 60-knot winds and 15-metre seas, has hit competitors of the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) which left Plymouth at the end of May.

The RWYC said the extreme conditions, which began in the early hours of Friday, caused damage to many boats and triggered three emergency beacons.

The Canadian coastguard in Halifax immediately put out a mayday request to ships and air support to help all the boats in distress.

As well as Tamarind, four other boats were affected but no injuries were reported.

On its website, the RWYC said: "The RWYC would like to thank all personnel at the Halifax Coastguard for their immediate and magnificent response to this emergency situation. All seafarers owe them a debt of gratitude."

A Cunard spokesman said: "We can confirm that Queen Mary 2 was involved in a rescue operation at the request of the MRCC at Falmouth, (UK Coastguard). The rescue was coordinated by Canadian Coastguard in Halifax.

"The lone yachtsman is now safely on board Queen Mary 2."

Master of Queen Mary 2, Captain Chris Wells, who led the rescue mission, said: "It is standard seafaring practice to go to the aid of a vessel in distress.

"We were pleased to be able to help and delighted that the yachtsman is safe and well and now on board Queen Mary 2."

Daniel Bailey, maritime operations officer for the UK Coastguard said: "We are extremely grateful for the support and professionalism that the RMS Queen Mary 2 provided during this rescue."