Dismasted yacht AT 1330 on Sunday August 11, 1985, Portland coastguard received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting he had seen a yacht firing a white flare about a mile and a half south of Lulworth Cove. The coastguard at Lulworth was alerted and reported that he could see a yacht, apparently dismasted, but under power and heading into weather. It seemed to be making no progress against the force 8 gale and did not respond when Lulworth coastguard fired a white flare.

Portland coastguard contacted Weymouth lifeboat station at 1422 and five minutes later the 54ft Arun class lifeboat, Tony Vandervell, slipped her mooring and, with Coxswain Victor Pitman at the helm, headed at full speed for the entrance to Weymouth harbour.

Inside the harbour the wind was a moderate south-westerly breeze, force 4; between rain squalls the cloud would break to allow brilliant sunshine to burst through. Visibility was about eight to ten miles and high water coincided with the lifeboat's departure.

On reaching the pierhead, Coxswain Pitman set course on 105°M towards the last reported position of the dismasted yacht. Twenty minutes later and just three miles short of Lulworth Cove, the lifeboat began to feel the full effects of the south-westerly gale. At times Coxswain Pitman was forced to reduce engine revolutions to prevent the lifeboat from broaching in the quartering sea.

At 1509 the lifeboat passed close to the south of Arish Mell buoy and altered course to the south east tofollow the line of the tidal set. Six minutes later an orange smoke signal could be seen from the yacht which was three quarters of a mile ahead. The 30 ft auxiliary yacht, Vagrant Gypsy, was steaming very slowly on a southeasterly heading and yawing badly. She could be seen rolling heavily and shipping seas as her skipper tried to clear St Alban's Ledge. The south-westerly gale, force 8 to 9, was creating a very rough confused sea over the 15ft swell.

Tide times differ considerably from those at Weymouth and as the lifeboat approached the yacht the tide was reaching half-tide flood.

Three people could be seen in the yacht's cockpit, and her mast had apparently sheered off at deck level.

The debris had been cut clear apart from some small-sized ropes hanging over the starboard side. Coxswain Pitman, using the loud hailer, told the yacht skipper to disengage his engine.

Then, having fendered the starboard side, the coxswain approached the yacht from astern and placed the lifeboat alongside.

Two women were snatched from her cockpit on to the lifeboat's side deck.

The lifeboat was then driven astern to come clear of the yacht. Her skipper was indicating that he wanted another person taken off, leaving him and one other aboard to try and save the vessel.

Just as before, the coxswain approached from astern and, with some difficulty, an elderly man was pulled aboard before the lifeboat was again brought astern and clear of the yacht.

All this time the wind and tide were carrying both the lifeboat and casualty rapidly towards very broken water off St Alban's Ledge.

Coxswain Pitman placed the lifeboat to leeward of the yacht and offered toput a crew member aboard to help secure a towline. The yacht skipper was worried that the yacht might be damaged during the transfer and refused the offer. Instead, instructions were shouted through the loud-hailer to the skipper on how to form a towing bridle using the mainsheet.

Two loose turns of the mainsheet were secured round the yacht's chain plates and the lifeboat's nylon towline was then pulled aboard the yacht and secured to the bight of the bridle which hung just clear of her stem. As the towline was paid out from the lifeboat, her crew secured two coir fenders at the mid-point to help relieve the effects of whipping.

By 1550 the lifeboat was ready to start the tow on a heading of 270°M; Portland Bill was ahead at 14 miles and the overfalls of St Alban's Ledge just two cables to leeward.

There were now very heavy rain squalls and Coxswain Pitman kept his speed to an absolute minimum, engaging first one engine, then the other, at 600 rpm. No more than one knot was achieved as the tow was taken clear of the ledge. By 1700, when the tow was four and a half miles south of Mupe Rocks, speed could be increased to 700 rpm and course was altered to 285°M. At 1724 the lifeboat again altered course to 305°M but speed never went above 800 rpm until the two vessels eventually reached Weymouth harbour at 1900.

The yacht was placed alongside inThe Cove and the lifeboat was back on her mooring, refuelled and ready for service at 1922.

Following this service the thanks of the Institution on vellum were presented to Coxswain Victor Pitman and vellum service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain/Mechanic Derek- Sargent, Assistant Mechanic Colin Pavey and Crew Members Eric Pavey, Graham Keates, Robert Runyeard and Christopher Tett..