Missing British sailor was Londoner Charles Todd
His family say they are "heartbroken" by their "sudden loss".
The family of a London father-of-five missing in the Bay of Biscay have revealed they are "heartbroken" by their "sudden loss".
Charles Todd, 73, set off a distress beacon on January 25 around 50 miles west of France, having previously told a cargo ship he was safe after not responding to radio messages.
The search for Mr Todd was called off the following day after divers who winched down to the yacht, called Tiger PA, found no sign of the 73-year-old man, according to the Prefecture Maritime de l'Atlantique.
His daughter Nadine Gowan told the BBC that Mr Todd was sailing to the Caribbean when the tragedy occurred.
She described him as someone who "lived life to the full and was "loving, charismatic, young-at-heart".
Born in Ghana, Ms Gowan said her father moved to Manchester when he was young and lived in Germany for more than two decades before returning to London in the 2000s.
The north of Spain and western France were belted by heavy rain and wind during January's Storm Herminia.