Ten saved as disabled yacht is struck by storm force winds The Lizard's Tyne class lifeboat David Robinson was at sea for more than 12 hours in atrocious conditions on 30 May 1993 when she went to the aid of a 56ft yacht in difficulties some 40 miles to the SE of the station. The service has earned the coxswain, Philip Burgess, and entire crew of the lifeboat a letter of thanks from the Chairman of the RNLI.The yacht Heptarchy, with a crew of ten, had been taking part in a race from Helford to the French coast and was close to her destination when trouble struck. A fishing net fouled her bow and propeller as she tried to enter port in worsening weather, and in the struggle her mains'l began to give trouble.

Having decided to run back before the storm to her home port she was knocked down in Storm Force winds with damage to her sails and generator. When electrical power was eventually restored she sent out a Mayday which reached The Lizard lifeboat station at 0152.

Twenty minutes later the Tyne had launched into an extremely rough sea and was heading for the casualty. It took just over three hours to reach the yacht, the wind still exceeding 60 knots (Force 11) but with the sea and swell increasing as the lifeboat left the slight shelter of the land.

Using her VHP direction finding equipent David Robinson was able to locate the casualty at 0515, under bare poles and being buffeted by the very bad conditions.It was not until 0550 that the coxswain finally managed to get the lifeboat into a position where a heaving line could be passed successfully, but, by managing to hold her head up long enough in a trough between the waves it was eventually passed to the yacht and a tow secured.

Making some six knots or so the lifeboat began the long tow back to the safety of Falmouth, and with the wind moderating slightly but still with an extremely heavy sea the Tyne and her tow reached the Manacles at around 1100.

Diverting into the Helford River she was able to make the casualty fast to a mooring at 1230 and was able to set out for her station an hour later, finally re-housing David Robinson just after 1400.

In his report of the service the station'shonorary secretary summed up the service in a few words: 'Eight exhausted men disembarked after some 12 hours service in conditions so violent they could neither eat, drink nor perform the needs of nature.

Proud of a superb lifeboat... ten lives were saved this morning.' Similarly the skipper of Heptarchy, Chris Tyler was succinct in his quote in The Cornishman': 'We were never so pleased to see another boat,' he said talking of the dawn moment when they first sawDavid Robinson ploughing towards them, 'the crew were superb...'.