Aussie sailor Deirdre “Cookie” Sibly and her companion have died in mysterious circumstances on her yacht off the coast of South Africa.

Ms. Sibly and her French friend Pascal were sailing near Madagascar when they issued a distress signal on Thursday – but when local authorities reached the yacht, they found the pair dead on board.

Both of them were seasoned sailors .

The 67-year-old Port Lincoln woman’s family are now waiting for answers and fears pirates may have been involved .

“She was a very adventurous, outdoor soul. Her whole life revolved around the sea and yachts,” Ms. Sibly’s sister Sue Good told 9News.

The pair had met up on Reunion Island in June and were sailing down the Mozambique Channel, heading for Durban, where Deirdre was planning to fly home.

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