Facts and figures Provisional statistics as at 31 July, 1988, show that so far this year.

The RNLI's lifeboats have been launched 1,690 times (an average of more than eight launches a day) More than 500 lives have been saved (an average of 2.5 people rescued each day) More than 40 per cent of all services carried out by lifeboats were in winds of Force 5 and above More than 51 per cent of all lifeboat services were to pleasure craft There are 261 lifeboats on station, with a further 97 in the relief fleet 117,034 lives have been saved since the RNLI was founded in 1824 Costs The cost of running the RNLI in 1988 will be £34m. The approximate current cost of building a lifeboat is: 16ft D class inflatable - £9,000 17ft 6in C class inflatable - £12,000 21ft Atlantic rigid inflatable - £40,000 38ft 6in Mersey - £337,000 47ft Tyne- £560,000 52ft Arun-£570,000.