Six saved from sinking German yachtA service by the Dover lifeboat, the Thames class Rotary Service, on 25 August 1992 has earned her coxswain, Anthony Hawkins, and his crew a letter of appreciation from Commodore George Cooper, the RNLI's chief of operations.

The wind was south-west Force 6 to 7 and the sea in the Channel rough when the coastguard first alerted the station that the 39ft German yacht Constanze was in difficulties some 10 miles away to the ENE.

Rotary Service launched at 1555, just over 10 minutes after the first alert, and was at the scene 40 minutes later. The casualty was taking water and although a helicopter, fourcross-Channel ferries and a hovercraft had responded to her distress signal the lifeboat was needed to take off the crew. The helicopter had been unable to take them off becauseCtwstoizt' 's mast and rigging prevented a close approach and a safety boat launched by Stena Clwllenger, one of the ferries at the scene, had fouled its propeller.

The first priority was to put a pump aboard the casualty and with Stena Challenger providing a lee from the near-gale southwesterly wind Rotnn/ Service was able to transfer a pump and two crew men to the yacht and to take off the six crew.The next task was to tow the disabled safety boat back to her parent ferry and, with this accomplished, the lifeboat returned to the casualty to pass a towline.

As she began to take the sinking vessel to safety the pump choked with debris and it became obvious that the flow of water could not be stemmed.

Sinking Coxswain Hawkins therefore recovered the pump and the two lifeboat crew from the yacht and continued towards Dover with the yacht, now sinking by the bow, still in tow. With the increased weight on the line the tow parted, and when it was reconnected it was made fast to the stern in an attempt to slow the rate at which the casualty was sinking.

Slowly the lifeboat continued towards Dover, but when a mere two miles from the port the yacht finally sank.

Rotanj Service returned to station with the six survivors and was alongside by 1940. In his letter of appreciation Commodore Cooper remarked:'... after rescuing the six persons the lifeboat crew must have been disappointed when, despite all their efforts, Constanze could not be saved.'.