South Eastern Division Storm-disabled sloop THE DUTY OFFICER at the Needles Coastguard saw a red distress flare to westward, estimated two to three miles distant, at 0108 on Sunday, September 14, 1975. The honorary secretary of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, lifeboat station was requested to launch, the assembly signal made, and at 0122 the 48' 6" Oakley The Earl and Countess Howe slipped her moorings.

Wind direction and force at the time of launching, as recorded by HM Coastguard, was 010°T, force 9. Tide was two hours flood setting 082°T at a rate of 1.2 knots. It was raining very heavily with visibility under one mile.

At 0147 further red flares were sighted by the Coastguard and it was noted from the bearing obtained that the casualty was drifting fast to the southThe lifeboat was advised, therefore, to set course 217°M once past the South West Shingles Buoy.

Meanwhile, The Earl and Countess Howe, under the command of-Coxswain/ Mechanic David Kennett, was making best possible speed through the Needles Channel in conditions which had worsened to force 10 wind with very rough confused seas and heavy swell.

Visibility continued to be reduced to under one mile by heavy rain. The lifeboat was shipping heavy seas, some filling the wheelhouse.

At 0212 the radar display aboard the lifeboat failed after an exceptionally large sea was taken aboard. At 0240 red flares, further south than previously, were sighted by Needles Coastguard. At 0256 HMS Solent, an RN minesweeper on passage, reported sighting a red flare seven miles to the south of her position and that she was heading towards it.

She sighted Yarmouth lifeboat at 0322, closed her and remained in company during the remainder of the service.

Despite torrential rain, at 0332 the lifeboat crew sighted a further flare almost dead ahead, distance about one mile. Parachute flares were set off tohelp find the casualty and at 0341 a 28' disabled sloop was seen under jib sail and making about 4 knots southward.

The wind had now backed to due north and continued to be Beaufort 10, storm force. The sea was very rough and confused with wave height estimated at 25 feet; the tide was setting 074T° at a rate of 1.0 knots.

Coxswain Kennett closed the moving yacht and quickly realised that, with a jammed sail and the violent motion of both boats, it would be too dangerous to use the breeches buoy, and there would be little likelihood of success. He would have, therefore, to lay the lifeboat alongside while underway in an attempt to transfer the yacht's crew of five.

One moment the yacht was towering above the lifeboat on the crest of a 25-foot wave; the next she was wallowing in a trough of equal depth. Thus at 0343, with superb timing and exceptional seamanship, Coxswain Kennett drove the lifeboat alongside the starboard side of the plunging yacht and maintained perfect position long enough for his crew to snatch and hoist in board three of the survivors. Going astern, the coxswain, again with excellent timing, waited until the yacht was on the crest of a wave and drove alongside a second time. Coxswain Kennett's superb boathandling made these manoeuvres appear relatively easy when, in fact, the aft conning position with 40' of boat ahead made the task of judging the correct time and laying alongside with little damage a very difficult one. On the second occasion the yacht's motion was too violent to avoid her stern damaging the port forward bulwark.

With considerable difficulty Coxswain Kennett again managed to hold the lifeboat alongside the yacht long enoughfor the two remaining survivors to be snatched from the yacht. One of them, who still had his lifeline attached to the yacht, fell between the two boats, but prompt and determined action by Assistant Mechanic Robert Cooke prevented this man from being crushed between the two hulls. Robert Cooke quickly cut through the lifeline with a knife and, with what was clearly tremendous effort, hoisted the man right over the guardrail and on to the engineroom canopy.

At 0400 Coxswain Kennett advised Needles Coastguard that all the occupants had been taken off the yacht, Chayka of Ardgoiir, which was to be abandoned; the lifeboat was returning to station in company with HMS Solent.

Wind and sea did not abate on the return to station; thus it was a long haul back to Yarmouth against a big head sea with the five survivors and seven crew all exhausted, cold and soaked. Coxswain Kennett remained at the helm throughout. At 0645 The Earl and Countess Howe arrived back at Yarmouth and at 0730 was returned to her moorings, refuelled and ready for service.

For this service the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain/ Mechanic David Kennett. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Assistant Mechanics Robert Cooke and Nicholas Chandler and Crew Members Keith Hopkins, Stuart Pimm, Mark Rushton and Andries Postma. Letters of appreciation signed by Captain Nigel Dixon, the director, were sent to the Commanding Officers, HMS Solent and HM Coastguard, Needles..