Walton and Frinton, Essex. At 1.42 on the afternoon of the 20th May, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a yacht between two and three miles off shore was burning a flare. At 2.3, when the life-boat Edian Courtauld put to sea with the second coxswain in command, there was a moderate north-north-westerly wind and a moderate sea. It was two hours after low water. The life-boat found the yacht Tessa, which had a crew of two, broken down and without her running rigging, which had carried away. Near by was the yacht Tringa, which had damaged her rudder in trying to help the Tessa. The life-boat took both yachts in tow and made for Harwich, where the Tessa was moored at 4.30.

During the passage to Harwich the crew of the Tringa had repaired their rudder, so they put to sea again, and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 7.15 that evening..