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Pendiente de traducción
By Vanessa Allen
Last updated at 6:52 PM on 10th August 2009
A millionaire widow and her socialite daughter whose £6milllion luxury yacht has been linked to the latest clue in the Madeleine McCann hunt have offered to help the two-year investigation.
Rhonda Wyllie, 52, and Melissa Karlson, 31, said they would do all they could to help Kate and Gerry McCann's detectives.
Their superyacht was spotted in Barcelona's Port Olimpic marina on May 6, 2007 - three days after Madeleine's disappearance.
One theory is Madeleine was transported by sea to the Spanish city after being snatched from Praia da Luz.
Investigators revealed last week that a new British witness had come forward with information about an unidentified woman he spotted at Port Olympic.
He said the well-dressed woman spoke with an Australian accent and said she asked him: 'Are you here to deliver my new daughter?'
The link to Mrs Wyllie's 105ft Sunseeker arose because it was the only Australian-registered vessel moored in the Spanish marina that night and the private investigators now hope to speak to its captain.
There is no suggestion that Mrs Wyllie, the widow of property tycoon , is connected to Madeleine's disappearance.
But detectives will want to speak to crew who could have been aboard the boat, and to check if they hold any information which could provide new clues in the search.
Relatives of the Australian socialite said she would do all she could to help the worldwide hunt for the missing child.
Her brother Wayne McGrath said: 'I have spoken to my sister and she is absolutely devastated. She doesn't know anything about this.'
He added: 'She is happy to co-operate with and help any investigation.'
A family spokesman added: 'Rhonda and Melissa are perplexed by the media coverage of the past 24 hours, especially given that neither of them was actually in Spain on the night in question.'
The British witness described the woman he saw as slim, glamorous and around 5ft 2in tall with short spiky brown hair.
She was described as resembling celebrity Victoria Beckham and was said to be aged between 30 and 35.
The yacht's former skipper, a British man who asked not to be named, confirmed the Willpower was moored in the marina on May 6, but said there were no Australians onboard.
He said: 'There is absolutely no link between the boat and Madeleine... I'm afraid this is a total red herring.'
He added: 'The owner and her guests had left for the South of France a day or two previously. The only people onboard were myself, my girlfriend, who is blonde and as British as they come, and an American couple who were working as crew.
'I am happy to speak to the private investigators and will do anything I can to help the investigation. I completely understand that the McCanns want to follow up every lead, no matter how tenuous.
Investigators unveiled an artist's impression of the woman spotted in the marina and have received up to 600 calls about her.
But one Australian woman named as a match for the image said she had not left Australia for years.
Judith Aron, of Glen Iris in Victoria, was said to bear a striking resemblance to the woman but said: 'I'm 53 years old and I certainly don't look like a Spice Girl.
'I'm totally shocked anybody may have thought I have some connection to the case. I have been looking after my sick father and I haven't left the country since 2000.'
Madeleine vanished from her family's rented holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz just days before her fourth birthday.
There has been no confirmed information about her since then, despite a worldwide publicity campaign which has triggered countless potential sightings.
Her parents Mr and Mrs McCann, 41, have vowed never to give up their search for their missing daughter.
Their investigators were said to be willing to speak to Mrs Wyllie and the yacht's captain, but sources said they believed the boat's presence in the marina was 'a bizarre coincidence'.
McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell refused to comment about Mrs Wyllie, but said the McCanns were grateful for any offers of help to the investigation.
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Pendiente de traducción
By Vanessa Allen
Last updated at 6:52 PM on 10th August 2009
A millionaire widow and her socialite daughter whose £6milllion luxury yacht has been linked to the latest clue in the Madeleine McCann hunt have offered to help the two-year investigation.Rhonda Wyllie, 52, and Melissa Karlson, 31, said they would do all they could to help Kate and Gerry McCann's detectives.
Their superyacht was spotted in Barcelona's Port Olimpic marina on May 6, 2007 - three days after Madeleine's disappearance.
One theory is Madeleine was transported by sea to the Spanish city after being snatched from Praia da Luz.
Investigators revealed last week that a new British witness had come forward with information about an unidentified woman he spotted at Port Olympic.
He said the well-dressed woman spoke with an Australian accent and said she asked him: 'Are you here to deliver my new daughter?'
The link to Mrs Wyllie's 105ft Sunseeker arose because it was the only Australian-registered vessel moored in the Spanish marina that night and the private investigators now hope to speak to its captain.
There is no suggestion that Mrs Wyllie, the widow of property tycoon , is connected to Madeleine's disappearance.
But detectives will want to speak to crew who could have been aboard the boat, and to check if they hold any information which could provide new clues in the search.
Relatives of the Australian socialite said she would do all she could to help the worldwide hunt for the missing child.
Her brother Wayne McGrath said: 'I have spoken to my sister and she is absolutely devastated. She doesn't know anything about this.'
He added: 'She is happy to co-operate with and help any investigation.'
A family spokesman added: 'Rhonda and Melissa are perplexed by the media coverage of the past 24 hours, especially given that neither of them was actually in Spain on the night in question.'
The British witness described the woman he saw as slim, glamorous and around 5ft 2in tall with short spiky brown hair.
She was described as resembling celebrity Victoria Beckham and was said to be aged between 30 and 35.
The yacht's former skipper, a British man who asked not to be named, confirmed the Willpower was moored in the marina on May 6, but said there were no Australians onboard.
He said: 'There is absolutely no link between the boat and Madeleine... I'm afraid this is a total red herring.'
He added: 'The owner and her guests had left for the South of France a day or two previously. The only people onboard were myself, my girlfriend, who is blonde and as British as they come, and an American couple who were working as crew.
'I am happy to speak to the private investigators and will do anything I can to help the investigation. I completely understand that the McCanns want to follow up every lead, no matter how tenuous.
Investigators unveiled an artist's impression of the woman spotted in the marina and have received up to 600 calls about her.
But one Australian woman named as a match for the image said she had not left Australia for years.
Judith Aron, of Glen Iris in Victoria, was said to bear a striking resemblance to the woman but said: 'I'm 53 years old and I certainly don't look like a Spice Girl.
'I'm totally shocked anybody may have thought I have some connection to the case. I have been looking after my sick father and I haven't left the country since 2000.'
Madeleine vanished from her family's rented holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz just days before her fourth birthday.
There has been no confirmed information about her since then, despite a worldwide publicity campaign which has triggered countless potential sightings.
Her parents Mr and Mrs McCann, 41, have vowed never to give up their search for their missing daughter.
Their investigators were said to be willing to speak to Mrs Wyllie and the yacht's captain, but sources said they believed the boat's presence in the marina was 'a bizarre coincidence'.
McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell refused to comment about Mrs Wyllie, but said the McCanns were grateful for any offers of help to the investigation.
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