Near gale in Chichester Harbour A CAPSIZED SAILING DINGHY with children and an adult in the water, sighted at the entrance to Emsworth Channel some five miles from Hayling Island ILB station, was reported to the honorary secretary by HM Coastguard at 1412 on Friday, May 14.

There was a near gale blowing from the south west, the sea was moderate and there was a full spring tide ebbing at the main area of operations. As the weather and sea were so forbidding, the ILB station was already manned.

Within a minute the ILB was launched and ten minutes later found the capsized dinghy, from a sailing school, with three children and an elderly man, who had been keeping the situation under control, clinging to the hull. Conditions were far from easy with strong winds against the ebb tide, but they were all taken on board and landed, none the worse, at Emsworth Quay.

Meanwhile, a helicopter which had been called to the scene reported a capsize in an isolated position some seven miles off in Thorney Channel. No crew were evident. As the ILB was so far off and already occupied, the Hayling Island Sea Rescue and Research Organisation (HISRrO) inflatable rescue boat was launched. She reached the scene of the capsized dinghy in about five minutes and, finding no sign of the crew, began a search.

Having landed the crew of the first capsize, the ILB was making full speed for this new incident when she came upon the sailing school's attendance boat towing in the first dinghy. Just at this moment, the attendance boat had her propeller fouled by a rope, but the ILB's swimmer soon had it cut free, enabling the boat to go on her way with her tow.

The ILB continued on her course to the scene of the second incident, where her crew saw three people on an isolated sandbank; not, as it happened, from the abandoned sailing dinghy but from a cruiser which had grounded and had been towed off by another craft— they had gone over the side to lighten and push their boat off and had been left behind. The HISRrO inflatable,being the lighter of the two rescue boats, was asked to rendezvous with the ILB and effect the rescue of the three stranded people, all elderly, and take them to Itchenor, leaving the ILB to continue the search for the crew of the capsized dinghy.

After landing these three people at Itchenor, the HISRrO inflatable returned to the scene and towed the capsized dinghy to West Wittering, where she was registered. They also tried, without success, to obtain information about her owner. The Coastguard later found out that her crew of three had been picked up by a passing boat, but meanwhile the search had continued.

Two further events intervened at this time. A large day cruiser, Merry Dancer, had run into rough water over Chichester Bar and had been dismasted. This incident was 'under control' but needed 'checking out'.

The second incident was a capsized sailing dinghy with two crew clinging to her which was being swept out on the strong tidal outfall towards the very rough sea off West Wittering. The honorary secretary decided that the dinghy's crew were in the greater danger and diverted the ILB to her, sending the HISRrO inflatable to Merry Dancer.

The ILB finally picked up the dinghy's crew of two, cut clear the buckled mast and gear and returned all to Hayling Island Sailing Club. The HISRrO boat escorted Merry Dancer to the calmer waters of the harbour.

Both rescue boats returned to their station and were re-housed at 1740..