The rough weather abilities of the Severn class helped coxswain Hewitt Clark save the life of five men last November. In a service which won him a Gold Medal the lifeboat's strength was tested to the extreme when massive seas hurled her against the side of the ship time after time. Neither the crew nor those rescued could have had the slightest doubt that she was worth the £1,7m she cost to build. Here the crew of Valentia's Severn show the kind of dangers encountered on a rugged coastline..