Yacht owner injured by boom Weymouth South West Division A service to an American yacht by Weymouth's 54ft Arun class lifeboat Tony Vandervell has led to a letter of thanks to the station's honorary medical adviser Dr Peter Gibbons from the chief of operations.

The incident started when the owner of the yacht, a Californian. was hit on the head by the yacht's boom during a sail change south of the Shambles lightship, some 11 miles from Weymouth.

Portland Coastguard alerted the lifeboat station at 0230 on 26 October 1988 and just eight minutes later the Arun was under way, reaching the casualty at 0317.

Incapacitated Conditions at the scene were poor, with a SSE Force 5 wind, a rough sea and a 5m swell. The three uninjured members of the crew were incapacitated by sea-sickness and unable to assist the lifeboat crew and the yacht's boom was swinging wildly, making the approach more difficult.

Eventually the lifeboat was brought alongside the casualty, with only some damage to a short section of the belting, and Dr Gibbons put aboard to treat the injured owner and comfort the sea-sick crew.

Alone on board, and still without assistance from the incapacitated crew of the yacht, the HMA managed to pass a tow line to the Arun so that she could be taken to Weymouth.

The lifeboat berthed the casualty in Weymouth harbour at 0635 and was ready for service again ten minutes later.

The owner of the yacht was taken to hospital by ambulance and had suffered a wound to the forehead which required ten stitches. He was able to leave hospital later in the day..