AT Lowestoft on Saturday the 21st July, 1962, a large number of holiday- makers watched a drama take its course as a trimaran was brought safely into harbour after spending some hours in distress in full view of the shore.

Trimarans have been built for some time in the United States, but the first to be built in Britain was launched at Gorles- ton in December, 1961. The trimaran is a three-hulled vessel: the centre hull of thirty feet and two out-rigged floats each of twenty-four feet. The centre hull is used for accommodation and galley.

An open cockpit of similar design to a small yacht is situated aft and the rudder can be operated from the cockpit by tiller or by a wheel in the cabin. On either side of the hull the outrigger floats have a deck joining them to the main hull, and they can be used for storage. The trimaran is rigged with a forestaysail and a mainsail. On trials of the prototype it was stated to have sailed at a speed of fourteen knots. A small outboard motor is clamped to the stern for emergency purposes and move- ment in harbour.

Distress Signal Hoisted Early on the morning of the 21st July Mr. Neville Clarke, an ex-R.A.F.

squadron leader who is now a sales director for the owners, collected the trimaran Nimble Venture from the builders at Gorleston with the intention of taking her to Ipswich. Mr Clarke was accompanied by Mr. Dennis Lynch.

The two men left Gorleston harbour with a strong south-westerly wind blowing in the Nimble Venture.

All went well with the Nimble Venture on the first part of the voyage from Gorleston to Ipswich, but when the craft was sailing past Sizewell, the port shroud parted and the Nimble Venture was blown rapidly northwards.

The two men were now helpless and their outboard motor was no match for the sea and wind. Mr. Clarke hoisted the international code signal DZ, which means "I require immediate assistance".

The Nimble Venture continued to be blown northwards until she was about three miles south-east of Lowestoft near the north-east Newcome sandbank. The Lowestoft coastguard spotted their distress signal and informed the honor- ary secretary of the Lowestoft life-boat station. The two maroons which called the life-boat crew from their work to man their vessel were fired, and within four minutes the Lowestoft life-boat Michael Stephens was on her way to the distressed trimaran but with the sand- bank between them. The life-boat could not pass over the sandbank because there were only three feet of water and so was obliged to go round the bank.

Yacht Race in Progress Meanwhile the Nimble Venture was still being blown north and well within sight of the shore. Hundreds of holiday- makers lined the shore, the piers and the harbour installations watching, many of them being equipped with binoculars. A yacht race was in progress off Lowestoft and Flying Fifteens were battling against the weather for suprem- acy. Two launches belonging to the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club were in attendance.

The Nimble Venture was now due east of the Lowestoft coastguard station and the harbour. Mr. Clarke, not knowing the life-boat was on her way, lighted a red flare. The coastguards fired a rocket acknowledging the signal. This was mistaken by many of the holiday-makers to be a recall signal for the life-boat.

Yacht Club Launches Join In Seeing the red flare, the crews of the two yacht club launches also joined in the chase. As these launches drew very little water they were able to cross the sandbank and beat the life-boat to the trimaran. There was only a boat's length between the life-boat and the first of the yacht club launches and the launch was able to get a tow line on to the Nimble Venture first. The second launch passed a line to the first so that both could help in the operation of towing the distressed vessel back to port.

By this time the vessels had all drifted to a position off Ness Point and it was as much as the two launches could do to tow the trimaran against wind and tide. Progress was very slow. The life-boat under the command of Cox- swain Harry Burgess followed astern ready to help.

Quick Decision Made As the two launches and their tow reached the entrance to the Lowestoft harbour a gasp came from the watchers on the Lowestoft south pier. The tow rope had parted. The Nimble Venture was now in much greater danger than before. While in the open sea the tri- maran had been comparatively safe.

As she only drew a few inches of water there had been very little likelihood of her going aground or hitting anything.

Off the Lowestoft harbour entrance she was in great danger of being swept on to broken slabs of concrete, which are used as a breakwater, or on to the north pier.

Coxswain Harry Burgess wasted no time. He made a quick decision and a dash with the life-boat and came along- side the trimaran: other members of the life-boat's crew passed a tow rope over and secured it. Within a few feet of the north pier and destruction, the Nimble Venture had been saved. Once dashed against the pier, there could have been no hope for either the craft or the men on board in the strong currents that existed. As one the crowd on the south pier let out a hearty cheer for the life- boat and her gallant crew.

As the life-boat brought her charge between the pier heads of the Lowestoft harbour, there was much more cheering as everyone realised the drama was over and the Nimble Venture was safe. The Nimble Venture was towed to moorings in the yacht basin near to the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club and moored securely. The life-boat returned to her moorings and the crew returned to work or to their homes. They had spent three hours at sea and had succeeded in bringing the Nimble Venture to the safety of harbour by the evening and in daylight.

Mr. Clarke and Mr. Lynch remained on board the trimaran to clear up and stow away the gear. Repairs were later carried out at Lowestoft and the Nimble Venture completed her voyage several days late..