Situated in the medieval St. Donat's Castle, overlooking the treacherous coast between Penarth and Porthcawl, Atlantic College is a most unusual, but effective set-up - it is the only student-run RNLI station in the Britain. Rear Admiral Desmond Hoare, first headmaster of Atlantic College was responsible for the development of the rigid inflatable lifeboat and the Atlantic class was named after the college.

The station's Atlantic 21 is housed just inside the castle walls and launched from a carriage which is towed by tractor down the slipway. Since the photographs were taken, the boathouse (the building with the white roof in the centre of the photgraph below), has been expanded to house the tractor and incorporate crew changing facilites.

Main photo (left! Ref 641731 Detailed photo (below) Ref 641733.