A Japanese bulker has come to the aid of a round-the-world yachtsman whoise vessel suffered a steering failure 2,700 kms east of New Zealand.

The Polish sailor had reportedly been reluctant to leave his yacht when 81,600-dwt Key Opus (built 2015) arrived on the scene late on Saturday.

However, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) arranged a flyover of the yacht with a Polish speaker onboard to convince him to be rescued.