Four people landed A SUDDEN DETERIORATION in the weather on the afternoon of Saturday September 19, 1981, caught out a fleet of Fireball sailing dinghies at a meeting off Felpharn, and at 1730 HM Coastguard informed the honorary secretary of Littlehampton lifeboat station that the sailing club's safety boats needed help.

Maroons were fired and at 1740 the station's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat launched on service. Manned by Helmsman David Woollven and Crew Members Geoffrey Warminger and Michael McCartain, she set out at full speed for the harbour mouth.

The south-south-easterly wind, which had been force 4 to 5, had increased to gale force 8, with heavy rain restricting visibility. It was about two hours after high water.

Speed was reduced as heavy seas were met on the harbour bar and, once the bar was crossed, a variable course was steered to ease the effect of the beam sea. When the Atlantic 21 arrived in the search area, 21/2 miles to the west of the harbour mouth and ll/2 miles south of Middleton, her crew were told by the Coastguard mobile that, although all the sailing dinghies were accounted for, a safety boat was missing.

Then, at 1805, it was reported that this boat also was safely ashore.The Atlantic approached the committee boat, the 40ft trimaran Lara of Bosham, to check the situation and found that she had a Fireball dinghy in tow but was making little headway. In going alongside, a heavy sea drove the lifeboat against Lara of Bosham, holing her and damaging the lifeboat's bow sponson. Despite heavy seas, the dinghy's crew of two, who were suffering from exposure, were transferred to the lifeboat and placed in survivor bags.

The dinghy was then cast adrift and the lifeboat set out for Littlehampton. She was 'driven' eastward, each heavy sea calling for special care with helm and engines because Crew Member McCartain was lying on the foredeck cradling the heads of the dinghy sailors to avoid injury in the pounding, particularly over the harbour bar.

After landing the dinghy sailors to a waiting ambulance, the Atlantic returned to the harbour entrance ready, at her skipper's request, to escort Lara of Bosham in over the bar. However, at 1850 the trimaran asked for immediate help as she was being driven on to a lee shore by the increasing gale force wind.

Helmsman Woollven took the Atlantic 21 over the bar, now covered by very heavy confused seas up to 12 feet high, and the trimaran was reached at 1900 just west of the harbour entrance. Two of her women crew, suffering severe seasickness, were safely taken off and placed in survivor bags; by 1915 the lifeboat had again returned in over the bar to land them.

In almost total darkness, Helmsman Woollven immediately took the Atlantic back to sea for a third time to stand by the trimaran. The wind had veered to south west, gusting up to storm force 10, and Lara of Bosham was able to make better headway. The falling tide made the passage over the bar extremely hazardous, but by 1940 the trimaran had been safely escorted into harbour and had been moored. The Atlantic 21 returned to her station and by 2015 she was refuelled and ready for service.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Helmsman David W.

Woollven. Framed letters of thanks signed by the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, were presented to Crew Members Geoffrey J. Warminger and Michael B. W. McCartain..