NEW : The lost sailboat is tough , and so is its captain , his sister says . Three observers are buzzing over beaches and islands in the country 's north in a twin-engine propeller plane , looking for a life raft or the seven crew members who may have washed ashore . The Nina left Opua , headed for Newcastle , Australia , when it encountered stormy seas . The wooden racing schooner built in 1928 had seven people on board . It was a small boat with no engine or sails.
NEW : The lost sailboat is tough , and so is its captain , his sister says . The Nina left Opua , headed for Newcastle , Australia , when it encountered stormy seas . The wooden racing schooner built in 1928 had seven people on board . It was a small boat with no engine or sails.