Enjoyable sail turns into near disaster Windsurfer Christopher Long was out enjoying a brisk sail last September when gear failure disabled his board and he spent three hours in the water. When Eastbourne's inshore lifeboat picked him up he was suffering from hypothermia - semi-conscious and unable to speak.

I have windsurfed for just over 12 years, and during the last four I've sailed through the winter. I've been abroad windsurfing many times, sailed in big winds and waves, different boards, sails, broken equipment out at sea, rescued people by'towing and so on. I'm too old for 'acrobatics' but consider myself fairly well experienced.

On this day, I had been sailing for approximately an hour. The wind was from the north-east, which is actually along the shore in Eastbourne, at about Force 4 to 5. I was using my largest board and largest, 6.7sq m, sail. I felt comfortable and in control.

I was sailing away from the beach and about a mile out when I heard two sudden 'cracks'. The boom had broken on the starboard, leeward, side - not on the main tubes but on the removable front end - quickly followed by the back end. Two years ago an identical thing had happened on the windward side and I managed to sail back, so this did not seem to be a serious problem.

I got into the water and inspected the boom. It appeared to be a difficult job to transfer the unbroken boom tube from the port to the starboard side so I started swimming towards the shore with the board and the rig.I am a strong swimmer and regularly swim a mile, so this did not, initially, appear unrealistic and would in any event give me time to review the situation.

I decided that it would be worthwhile to re-rig the boom, but is was difficult as there was a large swell - generated by consistent east and north-east winds over the previous four days - and it probably took me at least half an hour.

I managed to waterstart successfully but was unable to control the board. Subsequent attempts failed and severe cramp in my calf muscles forced me to stop.

I then decided to 'self rescue' - take out the sail battens, roll the sail around the mast, lash everything to the board and paddle back to the beach.

I had detached the rig from the board and unfastened the safety leash when a large swell took the board from my hand. I swam after the board, but could not catch it, so I abandoned the rig and began swimming towards the shore - it was approximately two hours after the breakage occurred.

After about another hour I was picked up by the Eastbourne inshore lifeboat and taken to Eastbourne general hospital where I was admitted with hypothermia (my body temperature was 33°C).

A fellow windsurfer, Guven Kais, was responsible for alerting the emergency services. He had noticed that my car was still in the parking area but could not see me on the water. Needless to say I am extremely grateful to him and the lifeboat crew for saving my life.

This quite traumatic event has forced me to review the precautions I take when windsurfing. Not that I am by any means careless - my equipment is relatively new, inspected and maintained in good condition and always washed after use. I have been advised that flares are of little use since they need to be kept absolutely dry - something completely impractical on a sailboard. Personal Direction Locator Beacons are probably too bulky for windsurfing and making the decision to both use it and activate it could be a problem for a windsurfer. Looking back, I wonder if I would have left it in the car that day? Currently I favour buying a mobile phone which I would use prior to sailing to call for example a friend and relay a simple message such as 'I am at Shoreham Beach and will phone you back in two hours'.

But I think the main precaution is one of attitude, I believe I got into trouble because my initial reaction was that this was an inconvenience not a potential disaster. Fortunately, I was rescued and my experience has shown me just how fine that division can be and, I hope, to recognise potential danger.

• The RNLI's Safety on the Sea booklets advise that flares are carried at all times. It is difficult to keep them dry on a windsurfer but some sort of waterproof stowage can often be arranged.The station's account...

Eastbourne, 21 September 1996 Cause of service: vessel Overdue Type of casualty: windsurfer Weather: part cloudy; good visibility; wind Force 5; sea moderate or choppy Dover Coastguard contacted station at 1714. They had received a 999 call about a missing windsurfer who had not been seen since 1430. Last position approximately half-a-mile of Langney Point.

Inshore lifeboat launched at 1722, all-weather lifeboat launched at 1725.

Inshore lifeboat asked to start at last known position and search towards Pevensey Bay. Many fishing marks in the area but crew member Dave Needham spotted a person in the water approximately half a cable off the starboard bow. Went alongside and pulled him on board. He had a good wetsuit but no lifejacket. We managed to get his name but then he went into a state of semi-consciousness. Informed Dover Coastguard we had found him and asked the all-weather boat to come alongside so that we could transfer him and warm him up. Ambulance requested to met lifeboats at Sovereign Harbour.

Casualty transferred to all-weather lifeboat and warmed and monitored in wheelhouse. Once at Sovereign Harbour we were informed that the ambulance would be 10-15 minutes so, once secured in the lock, the engine room door was opened to let more warmth into the wheelhouse. The casualty recovered enough to be transferred to ambulance by chair but was still not aware of his surroundings..