Walmer, Kent. At 4.40 on the after- noon of the 6th August, 1961, the coast- guard informed the honorary secretary that some of the sailing dinghies taking part in a race from Deal to Ramsgate were missing. There was a fresh south-westerly breeze with a choppy sea.

At 4.49 the life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 32) was launched on a flooding tide. One of the dinghies was reported to have capsized in Sandwich Bay, and the sailing club rescue boat was trying to beach her. The club secretary then reported that another two boats were missing. The life-boat found one of them ashore in Sandwich Bay and her crew safe. The club rescue boat had by now broken down, and the life-boat took her crew and the crew of the dinghy, whom she had rescued, on board. Both these vessels were anchored while the life-boat continued searching for the missing dinghy. Latera message was received that the missing boat was berthed in the river Stour.

The life-boat returned to the rescue boat and the dinghy and towed both them and the beached dinghy to Walmer. The life-boat finally reached her station at 7.30..