At noon on 2yth July, 1966, a Belgian yacht was reported aground and capsizedcapsized on the Longsand Head. The lifeboat Edian Courtauld left her moorings at 12.20 in a strong north-north-easterly wind and a very rough sea. It was four hours after high water. She reached the yacht Marie Galante at 2.30 but owing to the state of the tide could not get within 200 yards of her. A helicopter from Mansion had already taken three men off the casualty, leaving the owner and the skipper aboard. As soon as the life-boat had anchored awaiting the flood tide, a second helicopter took the remaining two men off the yacht and transferred them to the life-boat. At 6.28 the skipper and two members of the life-boat crew were put aboard the yacht and the life-boat took her in tow. Later another two men went aboard the yacht to assist in manning the pumps and baling her out, in an effort to save her as she was taking in water fast. At 7.15 the tow was let go and all hands taken off the yacht which was waterlogged and sinking. The life-boat returned to her station at 10.10..