Lifeboat tows yacht to safety of Dunkirk The Dover coxswain /assistant mechanic Anthony Hawkins and crew members David Pascall and Rodney Goldsack have been a warded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum following an eight-hour night service on 2/3 November 1991 in extreme weather conditions.

Three yachtsmen and their craft were saved.At 1824, Dover's Thames class lifeboat Rotary Service was launched to the Belgian yacht Phaedra which was in distress near the Sandettie. The wind was SW Force 9 and the sea was rough with a heavy swell.

At 1852, with a revised casualty position. Coxswain Hawkinsgavean estimated time of arrival of around 1940. The rescue operation, coordinated by French authorities at Gris Nez, also involved the Calaislifeboat, the P&O ferry Pride of Bruges, the Sally Line ferry Sally Sky and helicopters from France, Belgium ,md RAF Mansion.

Phaedra, a 36ft Bermudan sloop, was sighted at 1944 with another yacht Donita. Three people were on board and three were missing and she was being blown downwind at around 3 knots. The wind was now SW Force 8-9, and it was dark and overcast with rain squalls. The sea was very rough with a heavy swell running at 12-20ft.

At 1946, Coxswain Hawkins decided to take thecasualty in tow, leaving the search for survivors to other vessels for the time being. He brought the port quarter of the lifeboat along-side that of the yacht and at 1952, crew member David Pascall went aboard Phaedra with first aid equipment and a radio.One of the three survivorsonboard had suffered a broken clavicleand wrist, a diabetic woman was very poorly and a 12-year-old boy was shaken but well.

To assist Pascall, it was decided to transfer crew member Rodney Goldsack aboard the yacht. Working in the lee provided by the ferry Sally Sky, the lifeboat ran down the starboard side of the yacht and Goldsack leapt aboard.

The lifeboat was now ahead of the yacht and a heaving line attached to a towline was thrown to Pascall, who hauled on the line. Coxswain Hawkins then saw Sally Sky bearing down rapidly. He drove the lifeboat astern, dragging the yacht clear of the ferry by a matter of feet.

Thanks to his actions and Pascall's forethought in slacking away on the heaving line, a collision was avoided.

Although the towline was then washed under the lifeboat and cut by rope cutters protecting the propellers, it was passed again and secured.

Coxswain Hawkins decided to tow the yacht to Dunkirk West at 2034. Pascall stayed aboard Phaedra to steer her while Goldsack attended to the survivors.

Sea conditions made the passage rough and the woman was slipping into a diabetic coma. At 2345 in Dunkirk Harbour the casualties were transferred to a waiting ambulance.

Return passage As the lifeboat was about to return to sea to help search for the missing persons at 0003, the search was calledoff. Coxswain Hawkins elected to proceed anyway in case the lifeboat was needed on the English side.

With the wind speed off Dover reported as SW 63 knots, gusting lo over 70 knots, the lifeboat left harbour at 0025 and was back at her berth in Dover Docks by 0246.

Of the three yachtsman lost overboard, one was picked up by the yacht Donita and has since recovered, but the other two have not been found.

For their valuable support throughout the service. Vellum service certificates were awarded to the second coxswain/mechanic Dennis Bailey and crew members Michael Abbott, Geoffrey Buckland, Stephen Pascall and Michael Gimber..