Minehead's new D class lifeboat, George and Christine, was named during a ceremony held outside the boathouse on 10 October 1999.

The new lifeboat, funded by George Stnbling of Axminster, replaced the previous D class Leslie D and is stationed together with the Atlantic 75 Bessie.

In fair weather a large crowd of invited guests watched George hand over the boat to Paul Jennings, deputy divisional inspector of lifeboats for the South who, after describing the lifeboat to those gathered, handed her into the care of Kevin Escott, station secretary.

Following a service of dedication, the lifeboat was launched for a short display of her capabilities, including a man overboard demonstration - during which one guest was heard to say, 'Oh dear, the poor man's fallen out of the boat!' Guests and crew then retired to the station for refreshments, where it was made clear that the man overboard was deliberate!Taxman helps save lives at sea Taxpayers who support the work of the volunteer lifeboat crews can now make every £1 they give to the RNLI worth £1.28 - at no extra cost.

Thanks to the new Gift Aid scheme - announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his recent Budget - the RNLI can automatically claim back the tax that members and supporters have already paid on their membership subscription or donation.

All supporters need to do is confirm that they pay capital gains or income tax equal to or greater than the amount the RNLI will be reclaiming - currently £5.04 for Shoreline members, £13.44 for Offshore members, £16-80 for Governors and £336 for Life Governors. The scheme involves no obligation and can be terminated at any time.

As Ian Ventham, RNLI head of fundraising and marketing explains: 'This is a marvellous initiative.

Gift Aid could raise valuable extra funds for the lifeboat crews around our shores every year - making an important contribution to saving more lives at sea.' Please see the address carrier from this issue of The Lifeboat to find out more about the new Gift Aid scheme - and to sign up for it. Should you have any questions about the scheme or if your carrier has gone missing, please telephone our Supporter Services Helpdesk on (01202) 663234.

If you already support the RNLI by Deed of Covenant, rest assured that this is still valid, but you can also sign up to the scheme, allowing the RNLI to reclaim tax on all donations, not just subscriptions.New and improved Lifeboat Tea As we went to press, the manufacturers of Lifeboat Tea, Williamson and Magor, announced that they are increasing the donation for each pack bought from the current 4p to a very tasty 15p.

Lifeboat Tea has been available for a long time in selected outlets of Sainsburys but, with the massive pressure on brands within big retailers, the pressure is on Lifeboat Tea to achieve more sales.

So now its over to all our lifeboat supporters, if you like a good cup of tea and want to help raise funds then go out and buy some Lifeboat Tea today! What's more if your own Sainsburys doesn't have any stocks - ask them to get some in.

Hopefully we can report some healthy increases in sales and even healthier donations in the coming months!The Lifeboat s published four times a year and is sent free to RNLI members and governors. The next issue will be Autumn 2000 and will appear in October 2000.

News items should be received by 26 July, but earlier if possible. AH material submitted for possible publication should be addressed to the Editor, The Lifeboat Royal National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH151 HZ.

Photographs intended for return should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Contributions may be held for subsequent issues and, to reduce costs, receipt will not usually be acknowledged unless requested.

For further information on how to join the Institution as a member or governor contact the membership section at RNLI Headquarters, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

Any products 01 services advertised in The Lifeboat by third parties are not in any way endorsed by the RIM LI and ihe RNLI shall not be responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in such advertisements nor has it investigated or verified any of the information, The Lifeboat $ published by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and printed by The Friary Press, Bndport Road, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1JL,First prize in this year's Autumn Lifeboat Lottery is a week's holiday for two to Lake Garda in Italy- So please don't forget to enter this lottery if you would like the opportunity to experience the romantic setting of the Italian Lakes- Lake Garda offers breathtaking scenery with tree-clad mountains and expanses of tranquil, crystal clear waters by pretty little lakeside towns and villages. Meanwhile, nearby Verona, the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, offers a wealth of magnificent architecture, monuments and history. When the winners are not busy exploring the region they can relax in a four star hotel, situated in the lovely town of Garda overlooking the Lake. In addition, £500 spending money should make the holiday even more carefree and enjoyable for the lucky winners.

The autumn lottery also features the usual runner-up cash prizes that range from €100 to £1,000. If you don't receive lottery tickets, but would like to. or would simply like more tickets, please contact Rebekah Rose on 01202 663219, 8.00am - 6.00pm, weekdays.

She will be delighted to send you tickets or help with any of your lifeboat lottery queries.

On a recent wet and windy day, the sun briefly shone on prizewinners. Colin and Daisy Coulson and their son Michael, as Steve Lang of Avon Inflatables and Sharon New of the RNLI presented them with their new Avon RIB, engine and trailer.

Steve also presented the family with lifejackets and, following a quick tour of Poole lifeboat station, Colin towed the RIB back to his home in Bristol.

Colin won the prize after entering an Offshore membership competition at the Dive Show last October. The family plans to keep the boat in Cornwall, where they have a holiday caravan and it will replace a much loved, but smaller, older inflatable.

Companies such as Avon and EP Barrus. who donated the boat and engine, are invaluable to Offshore recruitment as they allow high-profile competitions to publicise the grade and encourage more boaters to sign up.

Nearly 30,000 sea users have signed up to Offshore, annually raising some £1.3m.Memorable day for Newhaven The fine traditions of Newhaven lifeboat crews were remembered when the station's new Severn class lifeboat was named after the RNLI Chairman and his wife during a moving ceremony on 6 May.

It is a tradition that a lifeboat is named after the Chairman of the RNLI's trustees and Mr Acland retires this year after 34 years service.

Dr Mike Draisey, Newhaven branch chairman, opened proceedings and Mr Acland handed the lifeboat over to the RNLI. Director Andrew Freemantle accepted the lifeboat and handed it into the care of Mike Tubb, station secretary, who accepted the boat on behalf of the station.

Following a service of dedication conducted by the Reverend Joseph Harper, Lucy Morris, Mr Acland's daughter, named the lifeboat David and Elizabeth Acland.Triple celebration at Cardigan Over 500 people attended the official opening of Cardigan's new boathouse and naming of the station's new Atlantic 75 and D class lifeboats on 2 September 1999.

The Atlantic was funded by the efforts of paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey-Thompson MBE OBE, who raised over £45,000 through the London Marathon and an appeal in The Lifeboat.

The remainder of the funding was made up from the proceeds of the Neptune Ball in Cardiff and various other anniversary events. The D class was funded by an annual golf tournament held by the Society of Societies at Sunninghill near Ascot.

Ian Gollop, Cardigan station chairman, openedproceedings, followed by Andrew Clift, divisional inspector of lifeboats (West), who gave a description of both boats. Tanni Grey-Thompson and Tony Carter, Society of Societies chairman, handed the Atlantic and D class over to the RNLI respectively. Mrs Alison Saunders, RNLI fundraising committee chairman, accepted the lifeboats on behalf of the Institution and handed them into the care of Fraser Coates, Cardigan station secretary, who accepted them on behalf of the station.

Following a service of dedication, Tanni Grey- Thomson named the Atlantic Tanni Grey and Tony Carter named the D class Society of Societies.Splash and dash The RNLI is looking for teams to take part in 'Splash and Dash', an 'It's a Knockout' style event at Docklands sailing centre on Sunday 23 July. Teams of four will compete on land and water, trying anything from hovercraft racing and motorised beer keg driving to playing human table football. Sophisticated tasks will teat your brain power, your teamwork, and, at times, your bravado! To take part you need a team of four like minded people, who will be asked to try to raise a minimum of £500 sponsorship per team. For more information please contact Robin Saklatvala on (0207) 839 3385 or email SDlash&dash@rnli. ora.ukTechnical update A high speed water-jet lifeboat from Sweden has been tested by RNLI technical staff and coxswains from around the country.

The Victoria class lifeboat Gustav B Thorden (left! was brought to Poole for two weeks of trials and evaluation. It was the latest move in a search for a design to match the RNLI's requirements for a new Fast Response Boat.

The 35-knot boat arrived by road with two Swedish crew and was launched before impressed onlookers. It was later taken north to Hartlepool and also to Conwy and Eastbourne, before returning to Poole for further trials.

The visit was part of an ongoing project to develop four new classes of lifeboat to enter service in the next five years.

Work on the first of these, the experimental Fast Slipway Boat (FSB2), is well advanced and is due for launching later this year. The others are the Fast Response Boat (FRB1), the Fast Inshore Boat (FIBl) and the Inshore Boat (IB1). The new boats are being developed as part of the RNLI's Lifeboats 2000 policy. The aim is to simplify the logistics of running a fleet with ten different classes by reducing them to four.

Various solutions to the complexities of this task are being studied, including viewing the work of other lifeboat services and evaluating their designs. A team from the RNLI's technical and operations departments visited Sweden last year to examine the Victoria class.Named at Port Isaac Exactly a year after Port Isaac's lifeboat was written off during a rescue, the new lifeboat was named Spirit of the PSC RE II at the station on 5 September.

In September 1998, 10 year old James Leeds was swept into the sea and his father, Nick, plunged in afterwards to rescue him. Both were swept into the back of a cave in the fast-rising tide. Port Isaac lifeboat launched, but was struck by a huge wave, throwing a crew member into the sea. The other two crew members were thrown into the cave, as the lifeboat was smashed to pieces against the rocks.

One lifeboatman was plucked from the sea by rescue helicopter.

The other two spent over four hours in the dark cave, encouraging James to keep talking to his father and keep him warm- All four were eventually rescued by a Coastguard cliff rescue team and helicopter.

A campaign to raise £16,000 for a replacement lifeboat was launched following the incident. Television celebrity interior designers Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Anna Ryder Richardson and Graham Wynne decorated a marquee for a fundraising ball which raised £7,000 - the ball featured in OK magazine, which also made a donation.

The new lifeboat was named by Sergeant Major Paul Snape of the Royal Logistics Corps. The damaged lifeboat had been provided by the officers and soldiers of the Royal Logistics Corps together with contributions from the Regimental Association the Royal Engineers and the trustees of the Royal Logistics Corps.Easter marked the start of the busiest time of year for the 4,300 volunteer lifeboat crew members throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. Recent figures show that in the six months between April and Septmeber 1999, lifeboats launched 4,870 times (74% of their work), saving 828 lives (80%) and assisted a further 4,380 people (66%).

Statistics for the last three years show a gradual decline in the number of times lifeboats are called out and fewer rescues where lives would have been lost had the lifeboat not been there. However, there is a steady increase in the number of people landed and brought ashore.

Speaking of the figures Peter Bradley, RNLI national sea safety manager says. 'Since 1994 the RNL1 has had two ways of saving lives; the lifeboats and their volunteer crews and the Sea Safety Initiative, which aims to prevent people getting into trouble in the first place. If these figures are an indication that our educational work is beginning to take effect, then I am very pleased. However, there are still 18 launches by lifeboats, on average, every day of the year and 18 people assisted. Those figures are still too high...' Fisting Manual Power Soil Cut oft Swimmers UrwJnnMwd .'DislfW* Wise — '«8 — S14 50 mmm&T ,Sea Safety takes to the road The RNLI's two travelling sea safety roadshows are travelling around the UK and Republic of Ireland this summer.

The exterior of the magnificent 40ft trailer (left) looks like a Severn class lifeboat, while the interior walkthrough interactive display demonstrates just how quickly sea conditions can change. It aims to show how, with simple precautions, beach and sea users can remain safe.

Both roadshows have already visited many venues during May and June including the TT races on the Isle of Man and Chatham Navy Days over the Whitsun Bank Holiday. The 40ft trailer goes across the sea to Belfast during the first week of July and, from there, makes its way across the border into the Republic, stopping in Co Donegal, Dublin and Cork.

Travelling back into Wales, the roadshow stops at the Royal Welsh Show and continues up the west coast to Blackpool. At the beginning of August it travels to Scotland stopping at the Royal Highland Show in Oban before moving on to Sunderland. It completes its tour in the middle of August at Cromer.

The 20ft roadshow, which looks like an Atlantic 75 lifeboat, is in Poole in July and then at Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight. It finishes its tour at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Tamworth, where there is an RNLI wet knuckle ride already pulling in the crowds.

Thanks £2 million....

Yes, that's the staggering amount of profit made during 1999 by RNLI (Sales) Ltd - a 'Shopping Success' that saves lives. This huge contribution to the RNLI's funds was made possible by the hardworking volunteer force that sells souvenirs, gifts and Christmas cards at various events throughout the country, and in RNLI gift shops.

The other main source of income was from the RNLI's own award winning mail order catalogue, Watermark. Readers may not realise that this is produced in-house, by the RNLI's own staff, yet it is ranked highly alongside many well known successful gift catalogues.

A copy of the 2000 edition of Watermark is enclosed with this issue of The Lifeboat and the team at RNLI (Sales) are all hoping that this season will be even more successful than 1999.

Wicklow visit Frank Fahey TD. the new Irish Minister fof Marine and Natural Resources, made a special visit to Wicklow lifeboat station m March this year Minister Fahey was in Wicklow to board the new Irish Lights vessel Granuaile which later brought him to Dublin Port on the last stage of her delivery trip.

Photo © Wicklow People Newspaper.Busy month at P,oriTalbc£ September was a busy month for Port Talbot lifeboat station - with the naming the station's new D class lifeboat and a Royal visit by RNLI President HRH the Duke of Kent KG taking place in just over a week of each other.

At the naming ceremony on 5 September, Robert Hastie, Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan and member of the RNLI Committee of Management, accepted the new inshore lifeboat and handed her into the care of Robert Harris, station secretary. Following a service of dedication, the lifeboat was named Gwenllian Rotary Club of Port Talbot by Reginald Drake, a substantial contributor to the highly successful fundraising appeal organised by the Rotary Club of Port Talbot.

The appeal raised enough money to provide the lifeboat and a Land Rover for the station. Following the ceremony, a large crowd watched the lifeboat launch on exercise with an SAR helicopter from RAF Chivenor.

Eight days later, the station was honoured by a visit from the Duke of Kent, who met station VIPs and crew outside the new boathouse in glorious sunshine. The Duke then inspected the modern facilities and, following a tour of the building, unveiled a plaque to officially open the new boathouse. Before leaving, and accompanied by a crowd of local well-wishers and lifeboat supporters, the Duke watched the station lifeboat launch through heavy surf and the day was brought to a successful conclusion with a superb buffet lunch for invited guests..