RNLI's busiest year The latest statistics show that 2005 was the RNLI's busiest year ever RNLI lifeboat launches in 2005 People rescued by RNLI lifeboats in 2005 8,273 8,104 People rescued by RNLI lifeguards in 2005 2,333 Lives saved by RNLI lifeguards in 2005 71 Unfortunately the RNLI's income is not keeping up with this increased demand, prompting a Christmas appeal on the theme of replacing crew kit and equipment.

For RNLI crews, 'looking their best' is about wearing kit that has been made and maintained to the highest standards rather than pleasing the likes of Trinny and Susannah. It's inevitable that this kit will need replacing at some stage but the busy year meant the crews' kit took an exceptional battering. The public's response to the Christmas appeal was superb: in just two months, direct mail recipients and readers of the Lifeboat contributed more than £1.7M.

For more information on helping to keep RNLI volunteer crews equipped and ready to save more lives in 2006, please call 0800 543 210 quoting reference 'kit appeal' or go online to rnli.org.uk/kitappeal.

Spare a thought for our crews this Christmas 140 •* fif • m. p* tK boon w«w wnw* th«* UN (o. h«4p by making • dOMIMfl IMtey m ttM collKfoo fcn or uU 1X00 54) 210 at v.vt ml, we u»For the RNLI, the London Boat Show 2006 in January was the chance to show the world the newTamar class of lifeboat, to recruit new supporters and to unveil the Institution's groundbreaking MOB Guardian technology, with the help of partners McMurdo Ltd, who will manufacture and market the product.

As reported in the winter 2005/06 issue of the Lifeboat, MOB Guardian will help save lives by providing early warning of an accident at sea. It will be launched to the fishing industry at the national Fishing 2006 show in May and then made available to the wider public. (Readers of Offshore News will find a review of the equipment in this spring's issue.) Over the next couple of years, the RNLI will be fitting MOB Guardian to every lifeboat in its own fleet once funding is assured.

Visitors to the RNLI's stands were able to speak to lifeboat crew, try the high-tech bridge controls of the Tamar for themselves in a mini simulator, purchase RNLI-branded products, play the new website Crew Training Challenge and watch a variety of information videos about the service. The latest of these is now on sale in DVD format - see the classified advertisement.Ring of safety Over 6M people tuned in to the first episode of Seaside Rescue's third series on BBC ONE earlier this year. RNLI lifeguards were shown in action in Cornwall while Weymouth lifeboat volunteers and the crew of the Coastguard helicopter India Juliet carried out a variety of rescues.

In combination they provided a ring of safety from beach to open sea.

The lifeguards had minutes to save a surfer found floating face down in the sea and the inshore lifeboat at Weymouth rushed to rescue two boys clinging to rocks after being washed out to sea on an inflatable.

After nearly an hour of anguish the mother of the two boys summed up the experience: 'We're never having those inflatable boats ever again. It happened in a flash. I would say to any parent "don't buy them". It's not worth it, just not worth it.'Roses to remember One hundred and twenty-five years to the day,Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk saw a moving tribute to 11 lifeboatmen who risked, and lost, their lives to save others in the Eliza Adams tragedy.

Descendants of the crew and of those they had saved, the present day crew and hundreds of members of the public came together on 29 October 2005 to honour those who died. As each of their names was read out, a rose was tossed gently onto the sea and later a reconstruction of the original incident enquiry was staged. (For more on the background to this story, see the summer 2005 issue of the Lifeboat.)Photographers of the year Is it imagination, skill, technology, or being in the right place at the right time that makes a good photographer? Volunteer Crew Member at Thames lifeboat stations Teddington and Tower, Jean-Philippe (JP)Trenque, had all of these when he photographed a shoal of fish to win the coveted BBC News Photographer of the Year 2005 award.

Look out for JP's more lifeboat-related photos in RNLI publications.

RNLI crew members who would like to emulate JP are now being invited to enter the RNLI's first crew member photographer of the year competition and can get full details from their station Lifeboat Operations Manager.

The winning picture will be published in the Lifeboat and prizes awarded!As the year turned, RNLI crew members were competing in a gruelling race to row 2,550 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua.

They finished over 800 miles ahead of their nearest rivals to win the Gomera Cup.

Justin Adkin and James Green from Exmouth lifeboat station, with Justin's bother Robert Adkin and cousin Martin Adkin, did it in style after 39 days in their aptly named boat All Relative built by Justin himself. The race passed through two tropical storms and the tail end of a hurricane making their achievement all the more remarkable. This extreme emulation of their lifeboating forebears' rowing skills was all in aid of the RNLI.

It was television presenter Ben Fogle and Olympic oarsman James Cracknell, however, who received most media coverage when they won the two-handed race, coming in second to All Relative in the overall race - also in a boat built by Justin.

Justin said:'It's been an amazing experience. The RNLI has trained James and me to face tough conditions and we wanted to say thank you by raising some money and highlighting the importance of training RNLI crews to save lives at sea.' Martin secured a place in the record books by becoming the youngest person ever to row across the Atlantic, celebrating his 20th birthday at sea.Adrenalin rush Station Mechanic Llewelyn (Llew) Griffin found that his RNLI training could help in unexpected ways when he competed in the Welsh Solo Open Motorcycle Championships.

Llew is the full-time Mechanic at Barmouth lifeboat station and compares his hobby of motorcycling with his RNLI work:'It's all very well dashing out on a rescue flat out and full of adrenalin but the job isn't over until the casualties are safe and well ashore.

Sometimes the return journey is more dangerous than the trip out. And the important thing is using your knowledge and skill in a controlled way to get to the finish line safely. Success only comes with hard work and dedication but it's difficult to achieve anything without having A1 kit and the very best of training, which is what the RNLI is able to provide our crews.' New Year honours The following have been honoured by HM The Queen: Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) For service to the RNLI Alexander Moore, Barrow lifeboat station Coxswain, Hugh Paul, Newcastle lifeboat station Boathouse Manager For service to sailing and the community in Weymouth Bill Ludlow, Honorary Life Governor and former Weymouth lifeboat station Chairman For service to the Sea Cadet Corps Joyce Walden, Henley-on-Thames branch Secretary.