Eleven-hourservice in Force 11 winds saves six Coxswain David Mason could hardly have known how many 'firsts' he was going to notch up when he took Great Yarmouth and Gorleston's new Trent class to sea at 0500 on 29 August.

He knew that it was his first 'shout' as coxswain, and he may have guessed from the conditions in the harbour that it would be the first time that they had taken their six-month old lifeboat into such severe weather.

What he couldn't have known is that the next 11 hours at sea in Force 11 winds and terrible sea conditions would win him and one of his crew the first gallantry awards for a service in a Trent class lifeboat.Just a quarter of an hour beforehand the station had heard from Yarmouth Coastguard that the 33ft yacht Olline was in trouble 28 miles to the NNE. She was taking water in Force 11 winds and mountainous seas and one of the six people on board was thought to have a broken neck.

David Mason took Samarbeta down the Holm Channel at 17 knots to allow the crew to prepare for the rough passage out to the casualty. But once clear of the shallows he opened up to the Trent's full service speed of 25 knots - which she was able to maintain despite losing the shelter of the land and encountering Force 11 winds and 12ft to 14ft seas on top a large 20ft swell.

An RAF helicopter with a doctor on board arrived at the yacht at 0549, but after several attempts decided that it was too dangerous to put him aboard. It remained overhead andwas able to keep the lifeboat informed of Olline's position as she drifted south and also enabled the crew to use their VHF direction finder on their radio transmissions.

When the lifeboat reached the scene at 0645 visibility in the driving rain and spray was so poor that she was only visible 200 yards away - beingdriven downwind with no engine and with a wildly flapping headsail still hoisted.

By nowthe helicopter was low on fuel, butan attempt to put the doctor aboard the lifeboat had to be abandoned when the winchman was blown nearly horizontally away from the helicopter in the 60-knot wind. Before leaving the scene the doctor provided some medical advice and Steve Bartram -a first aider and emergency mechanic-volunteered to go aboard Olline.

The first attempt failed when the yacht - running downwind - suddenly sheered off across the lifeboats bows. David Mason went full astern to avoid a collision - and reckons there was a coat of paint to spare. Only on the fifth attempt did Steve Bartram manage to leap into the yacht's port rigging.

With Samarbeta standing by about 50ft away he wentbelowtotendthe injured man-laterfound to have a broken collar bone - and wedge him securely in place for the trip home.

With a bridle rigged around strong points on the yacht to take the strain of the tow David Mason brought the lifeboat in and passed a heaving line - but the tow line itself was so heavy that Steve Bartram could not retrieve it even after hauling in the heaving line three times.

At the fourth attempt the lifeboat was brought in so close that the tow line itself could be passed over and finally at about 0845 the Trent began the tow back towards the NNW - straight into the weather. She was by now some 29 miles ESE of Lowestoft.

After ten minutes Steve Bartram told the coxswain that the flogging headsail was making the mast whip badly and they would need to head downwind for a while so that he could cut the sail away.

This was done and the slow progress continued - down to 2 knots at times because of the weather and the need to minimise movement for the injured man's sake. Crabbing across the tide and weather she inched into the shelter of the land and was eventually able to make better progress.

By 1600 she was off the pier heads of her home port and was able to bring the yacht and the six survivors to safety..