Two men and ginger cat rescued from yacht

Two men and a cat have been rescued after their yacht got into trouble off Fraser Island overnight.

The pair were attempting to sail from Yeppoon to Geelong but only got as far as the sand island when one of the sails on their 38-foot yacht tore just after midnight.

When the motor failed the men dropped an anchor but eight-foot swells damaged the rope and they were forced to call for help.

The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter was called to the scene but it was deemed too dangerous to winch the men up in the dark.

"We decided to leave the light on them as the boat washed into the beach and just kept in communication via radio" air crew officer Shayne White said.

The chopper landed on the island and picked up the pair, as well as their ginger cat.

The cat, named Soy Boy, had spent the ordeal locked in the yacht’s glove box.