Yacht sailed to safety by Atlantic 21 crew member Lymington - South East DivisionLymington's Atlantic 21 lifeboat Frank and Mary Atkinson had to put a crew member aboard a yacht off the Shingles Bank during the strong winds of the late spring bank holiday after three of the yacht's crew had been rescued by helicopter.The Atlantic's crew were on stand-by, and launched at 1713 on Sunday 29 May to go to the assistance of the only crew left on board the yacht. The 28-footer had been on passage from Poole to Chichester when three of her crew were swept overboard near the SW Shingles buoy in SW winds of Force 7 to 8 and huge seas. Conditions on the bank, which flanks the approaches to the Solent, were described by Helmsman Coster as 'very rough'.

Sea sickness When they reached the scene, accompanied by the helicopter which had rescued the other three survivors, the lifeboat crew found the sole remaining sailor suffering from shock and sea sickness, and decided to put someone aboard the yacht to sail her to safety.

Lifeboat crew member Mike Crowe was put aboard in very dangerous conditions, and found that the yacht's auxiliary could not be used because the propeller was fouled. He therefore decided to sail her to Yarmouth, escorted by the lifeboat.

Single handed The casualty was to the north of the Shingles, and, almost single-handed in gale force winds, Mike Crowe sailed her clear of the bank, then downwind to the North Channel, along the shingle beach of Hurst Point and through the entrance into the Solent. Once in more sheltered water the lifeboat took over and towed the yacht to Yarmouth.

Having delivered the yacht and the remaining survivor to the shelter of the Isle of Wight port the lifeboat returned to her station on the mainland and was back on station at 1915..