Selsey, Sussex. At 8.30 on the morn- ing of the 8th of October, 1960, a local fisherman told the honorary secretary that a small yacht was in shoal water inside Kirk Anow reef south of Selsey Bill and appeared to be out of control.

Within a minute or two this was con- firmed by the coastguard. There was a strong southerly wind blowing and a rough sea, with rain squalls and poor visibility. At 8.50 the life-boat Cecil and Lilian Philpott, on temporary duty at the station, was launched on the flood tide. On reaching the position the life-boat found the yacht Louise unable to make any headway. Her crew of two were taken aboard the life-boat, which then took the Louise in tow. The coxswain intended at first to tow the yacht into Chichester harbour, but because of the dangerous conditions on the bar he decided to take her into Portsmouth. As conditions at Selsey did not improve and it would not have been possible to rehouse the life-boat, she remained at Portsmouth until the 10th of October, when she returned to her station at 5.30 in the afternoon..