YACHT TOWED CLEAR IN GALE Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. At 6.55 on the evening of the llth August, 1962, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a yacht had gone aground some thirty or forty yards off St. Osyth beach. Of her crew of three two had reached the shore in a dinghy. At 7.20 the life-boat Sir Godfrey Baring was launched. There was a south-westerly gale blowing, the sea was very rough, and the tide was flooding. The life-boat found the cutter-rigged yacht Velma broadside to the beach. Two holidaymakers had boarded her to help the yachtsman, but the weather was now too bad for them to come ashore. The life-boat went as close in as she could, anchored and veered down to the Velma.

She fired a line across, and a tow-rope was passed over. By this time the seas had become very heavy and the lifeboat was bumping on the beach, but she pulled the yacht clear and towed her to Brightlingsea, arriving at 9.35. The life-boat remained there for the night because of the weather and returned to her station the next morning..