Beautiful clear blue skies were the backdrop for an international rescue event, Rescue Mania 1996. Largely organised by members of the Netherlands Reddingsbrigade and local volunteers, and involving some two years of planning and a week of preparation, the day formed part of the 750th anniversary celebrations of the Town of 's-Gravenzaande which lies opposite to the The Hook of Holland.

Jonathan and crew travelled up on 13 June with representatives from Thames Coastguard and their rigid inflatable boat, arriving at the KNRM Ter Heyde lifeboat station with plenty of spare time to meet local lifeboat crews and officials, including the Deputy Director of KNRM - and to practice launch and recovery with the station's formidable towing vehicle! Most of the following day the crews familiarised themselves with the local waters and exercised with local lifeboats.

In the early evening the RNLI and Coastguard crews, together with the all-weather lifeboat crew from Oostende in Belgium, were taken to a reception to meet the Mayor of Ter Heyde and Rescue Mania officials. Last call of the day was a barbecue at the lifeboat station - a chance to relax and, no doubt, to sample some Dutch beer and burgers.

The day of the event started early with a visit from the KNRM Director at breakfast time in the Hotel Elsenduin. By 0900 both the Atlantic 75 and the Coastguard rescue boat were heading for the demonstration area, where an impressive array of boats and ships had already congregated.

A series of demonstrations followed on continuously, involving various lifeboats, Police launches, Coastguard vessels, rescue tugs, air-sea rescue helicopters and aircraft, until the final sail past brought the event to a close at 1750. The Atlantic 75 was involved in three demonstrations. First, in conjunction with the Coastguard rescue boat, six people were recovered from a drifting liferaft and taken to the beach for 'medical treatment'.

Later the Atlantic 75 was towed to a static demonstration area, on show to some 35,000 members of the general public, and towards the end of the afternoon she was launched and put through her paces in a light sea breeze which caused sufficient surf to put a sparkle into her performance.

In short the event was a success - a well organised display of modern international rescue resources, giving the general public an interesting day out.

Throughout their stay, the crews enjoyed the hospitality of their hosts, the Rescue Mania committee and crew of the Ter Heyde station..