Exhausted windsurfer A WINDSURFER had got into difficulties 300 feet off Morecambe stone jetty on the afternoon of Tuesday August 20, 1985. He was spotted from the promenade by a passer-by who immediately rang Liverpool coastguard. By 1420 thedeputy launching authority of Morecambe lifeboat station had been alerted and seven minutes later Morecambe's 16ft D class inflatable lifeboat had launched into a difficult sea and was speeding towards the windsurfer.

She was manned by Helmsman Mark Baxter and Crew Member David Willacy and as they cleared Morecambe Pier and headed west, the lifeboat began to encounter short, steep four to five foot seas. The weather was cloudy, visibility moderate and a strong south-westerly breeze, force 6, was blowing, gusting at times to gale force 8. Continually the lifeboat was shipping seas and spray over the canopy.

At 1432 the lifeboat reached the windsurfer; he was lying on his board, exhausted, about 300 feet to the north west of the stone jetty. The wind was as strong as before and the sea still rough.

A west-south-westerly tidal stream made for wind over tide and the waves were short, steep and confused by their reflection off the stone jetty.

Mark Baxter brought the lifeboat up short of the casualty and, having assessed the state of the sea, chose his moment to drive alongside the sailboard.

Crew Member David Willacy grabbed the man and pulled him into the lifeboat. Conditions were such that to tow or carry the board and sail would have hampered the rescue, so it was left to drift. (Full details of the board were given to Liverpool coastguard in case the wreckage was later spotted by another vessel and the alarm raised.) The lifeboat then continued on past the board until her helmsman could take advantage of the seas to turn through 180° and head back to station.

Although Helmsman Baxter needed to pay careful attention to the short, steep following seas on his return, the shore was reached without incident. Thanks to the buoyancy aid and wet suit worn by the wind-surfer, he did not require treatment and although an ambulance had been called to the slipway when the man was landed at 1437, it was not needed.

Recovery of the lifeboat had to be delayed because of the rough conditions at the slipway but by 1635 she was back in the boathouse, ready once more for service.

Framed letters of thanks signed by the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the RNLI, were sent, following this service, to Helmsman Mark Baxter and Crew Member David Willacy..