Texas A&M University System officials say they will do whatever it takes to find a missing keel in the Gulf of Mexico that could help explain why a racing sailboat capsized earlier this month, killing one on board.

“Odds are not real high of the keel being located,” said Jay Kimbrough, deputy chancellor and general counsel for the Texas A&M University System, who is heading the investigation. “But we are going to work that and work it hard.”

Recovery efforts, which could cost as much as $24,000 a day, are scheduled to begin Wednesday.

The keel broke off just before the Cynthia Woods, a 38-foot sailboat, capsized on June 6, stranding five sailors at sea for 26 hours and killing one of the boat’s safety officers. The six-man crew, including four students and two safety officers, was competing in a 725-mile regatta from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico.

Investigators began focusing on the keel after reviewing the vessel’s maintenance and repair records and receiving anonymous tips that brought attention to a March 2007 incident when the boat ran aground and was drydocked for keel repairs.

Safety officer Roger Stone, 53, died in the sinking. He was credited with saving the lives of two students aboard the Cynthia Woods by pushing them to safety when the boat began to take on water.

Officials think the keel of the vessel ripped off shortly after the race began, filling the boat with water and causing it to overturn.