End of voyage A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC made a 999 call to the Police early on the morning of Saturday October 16, 1982, reporting a catamaran flashing a white light about 100 yards off Sidmouth Beach, 9Vz miles east north east of Exmouth lifeboat station.

A strong gale, force 9, gusting to storm force 10 was blowing from south south east and the seas were very rough.

HM Coastguard was informed immediately, Beer Coastguard coast rescue company was alerted and, at 0655, the launch of Exmouth lifeboat was requested.

The 46ft 9in Watson relief lifeboat Winston Churchill (Civil Service No 8), on temporary duty at Exmouth, slipped her moorings at 0710 under the command of Coxswain Geoffrey Mears and headed for Sidmouth. Also at 0710 a helicopter was asked to scramble.

By this time the catamaran, Hongi, had been driven on to the rocks at the eastern end of Sidmouth. She had been on passage from Poole to the Mediterranean crewed by a man and his wife who had jumped into the sea together just before the yacht was driven ashore. The man had been helped ashore by the police but his wife was still in the water.

The helicopter arrived on the scene at 0733 to start the search at sea and Beer Coastguard CRC arrived to start the search along the coastline ten minutes later. At 0800 Exmouth lifeboat reported her expected time of arrival off Sidmouth as 0815. At 0805, however, the helicopter reported the sighting of the woman in the water; she was lifted within minutes and artificial respiration attempted, but when, at 0813, she was lowered to the ambulance waiting on the beach she was found to be dead.

The man, severely injured, was taken to hospital but died a few days later.

The lifeboat arrived at Exmouth at 0947 and was once again ready for service, at 1005.

For this service a letter signed by Cdr Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, expressing the Institution's appreciation was sent to Coxswain Geoffrey B.

Mears, Second Coxswain Keith R. Graham, Assistant Mechanic Timothy R.

Mock and Crew Members Reginald Mogridge, Roy Richards and Geoffrey Ingram..