Damage limitation Caught out by severe weather that had not been forecast, the yacht Piciess had broken mast and sail and had engine failure. The 6.5m yacht and its crew of two, were at the mercy of the seas, 5 miles east of Lymington lifeboat station When the Atlantic 75 Victor'Danny'Lovelock launched just after 3pm on 9 September, Nicholas Hayward at the helm knew it was going to be 'a hands-on job'. They had to reach the Piciess before the floundering yacht sank.

Conditions were difficult even at the launching site - just within limits for the lifeboat. Away from the lee of the land, the conditions deteriorated. Gale force winds reached force 9 and there were frequent waves of over 3m.

Before going any further, Nicholas checked with the crew that they were willing to proceed in such rough conditions. Short seas and steep waves made the passage very demanding, physically and mentally, but they were all witling to continue to try to save the pair on the yacht. As helmsman, Nicholas said: 'I had full confidence in my crew and the boat'. The Atlantic 75 had only arrived at Lymington in June, but Nicholas remarked that: 'it performed well in extreme conditions, proving itself over the 21.' The crew spotted the casualty and arrived on the scene only 10 minutes after launching. The yacht was without power due to intake of water and her mast and sail were hanging over the port side, still attached to the rigging. It was rolling and pitching violently with waves breaking continuously over the port side. The two crew were huddled in the cockpit.The 11m yacht Golden Com was nearby, but it could not help because of the conditions.

Nicholas decided to put experienced crew member Barry Down on board to secure a tow. The helmsman intended to put the lifeboat's port bow on the yacht's starboard bow, so Barry could transfer to the yacht. Erratic movements from the yacht made this extremely difficult, but the crew managed it on the fourth attempt.

Once on board the yacht, Barry secured the broken mast and rigging and received the tow. Once the tow was secured, he checked the yacht's crew. They were sensibly dressed in foul weather clothing, but they were cold and wet as the cabin offered them little protection from the waves.

The lifeboat started towing Piciess to Lymington into the prevailing wind and sea, but even at 3 knots the pressure on the tow line was immense. Nicholas made a quick decision to change course to Cowes marina.

He waited for a lull in the conditions and then altered round to the east.

Soon after this, Barry became concerned about the condition of one of the yacht's crew. Barry slipped the tow and prepared the man for the transfer. The lifeboat reversed back alongside the yacht, both pitching violently, when movements were mirrored, the man was hauled into the lifeboat. He was suffering from seasickness and cold, so the crew transfered him to the larger yacht, Golden Corn. These actions required precision manoeuvring from Nicholas.

The tow line was secured again and the tow recommenced. The lifeboat, casualty and the Golden Com reached the safety of the entrance to the River Medina, in the lee of the land. The crew secured Piciess on the portside of the lifeboat.

They knew they had made it once they entered Cowes Marina along with the Golden Corn. The two yachtsmen didn't need medical attention, so the crew left them and returned to Lymington lifeboat station.

The crew were delighted to complete the physically demanding three-hour service.

Nicholas praised the efforts of the crew and commented that they: 'all had taken quite a beating' and were all tired and bruised. They were thankful that the only casualty during the rescue was the tow line, which had to be replaced after suffering friction damage.

The helmsman's boat handling, seamanship skill and leadership saved two lives and he was awarded the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum for his role in the rescue. Nicholas commented: 'To get any award is a great honour, not just for me, but everyone at the station'.THE LIFEBOAT Atlantic 75 lifeboat B-784 Victor 'Danny' Lovelock Funding: Mrs Iris Lovelock THE CREW Helmsman Nicholas Hayward Crew members Barry Down, Robin Mursell, Austin Honeysett LIFEBOAT STATION Established: 1965 Previous RNLI medals: Bronze medal in 1981 THE CASUALTY Crew of two on the 6.5m yacht Piciess THE CONDITIONS Weather: Rain, Visibility: Poor Wind: Force 9, Sea state: Very rough.