SAN FRANCISCO -- Two of four sailors who were injured when their 67-foot racing yacht was damaged by high seas over the weekend will be flown to San Francisco on Monday.

The four members of the Geraldton Western Australia's crew were wounded Saturday in stormy weather as they sailed from China to San Francisco for a leg of the Clipper Round the World Race, organizers said. The rest of the crew was described as "uninjured but shaken."

Rough waters hindered initial attempts to airlift the wounded from the yacht.

Sunday evening, a Coast Guard rescue boat transferred the two seriously hurt sailors to the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf where they were medically evaluated.

Race organizers had earlier identified them as Jane Hitchins, 50, a doctor with four suspected broken ribs; and Max Wilson, 62, with two suspected cracked or broken ribs.

The cutter will head to shore Monday with the pair.

The other two crew members who were hurt -- Nik Brbora, 28, a software engineer with a possible pelvic sprain; and Mark Burkes, 37, with a back injury -- remain on board the yacht which is making its way to its designated mooring in Oakland.




The yacht had been on the sixth of the eight-leg, 11-month race when it was damaged.

The contest pits 10 yachts crewed by amateurs against each other on a 40,000-mile journey around the world's seas.