neWs the latest launches, live! the rescue stories you read in the Lifeboat are but a handful of the thousands of RnLi lifeboat launches undertaken every year. now, the RnLi desktop pager allows computer users to keep up to date with every launch, as it happens. the virtual ‘pager’ is connected to the system that triggers crew members’ real pagers, so every time it beeps, volunteers around the uK and Roi really are dropping what they’re doing and going to sea.

You can choose to monitor only your favourite stations or all 230-plus – see just how active the RnLi is! the in-house-designed programme works on computers with operating systems up to and including Windows XP and mac Os X. Download your own pager at rnli.org.uk/pager. Remember a loved one the RnLi has created a web page as a space for all members of the RnLi family to pay tribute to friends and relations who have passed away.

the site welcomes tributes to supporters, volunteers, staff and anyone else who has been involved with the RnLi. it allows visitors to add their own recollections and photographs to celebrate the lives of those listed. as death notices are no longer a feature of the Lifeboat, this site gives the RnLi community as a whole the chance to share its memories of those no longer with us, throughout the year.

to add a person, contribute your memories of someone already featured, or simply to read the moving tributes to the people who have been central to the charity over the years, go to rnli.org.uk/rememberalovedone. new FOR DARTMOUTH the establishment of a permanent lifeboat station at Dartmouth, Devon, has come one step closer, with the granting of planning permission for a boathouse.

the River Dart and its estuary are home to 3,400 local boats and up to 8,000 visiting boats a year. until now they have relied on lifeboats from torbay (10 miles away) and salcombe (13 miles away). it takes at least 30 minutes for their crews to reach the mouth of the Dart and the large all-weather craft are not ideal in such confi ned waters.

Dartmouth’s Lifeboat Operations manager Robert Clements says: ‘Local support has been tremendous and 25 crew members have already been recruited. training is intensive as we strive to maintain the standards set by our neighbouring stations, who respond to about 70 incidents a year in this area.’ RnLi lifeguards patrol the nearby beaches of Blackpool sands and torcross. they can rely on the back-up of an inshore lifeboat now and so provide a fully joined-up rescue service in the area.

the RnLi considered 11 locations for the new station, which would be the fi rst on the coast for 4 years. the site of an old tennis pavilion in Coronation Park was fi nally chosen, as a nearby slipway makes for convenient launching. a bespoke wooden building now houses a lifeboat, her launching and recovery equipment, crew changing facilities, and an operations and training room.

Deputy Divisional inspector tom mansell says: ‘it has taken a lot of effort and heartache from all concerned to reach this stage in Dartmouth. the volunteer crew and fundraisers have shown a huge amount of commitment. i am sure that having a lifeboat station at Dartmouth will prove to be a success, upholding all the traditions of the RnLi and helping to save more lives at sea.’ AN EXPERIENCE NEAR YOU? the RnLi’s Train one, save many campaign is marking its second birthday with the unveiling of a new roadshow vehicle. the Lifeboat training experience will bring the crew training message home to thousands around the uK and Roi.

Onboard is a simulator that gives members of the public a taste of what it’s like to be out on a shout. Participants can get all the kit on before boarding the ‘lifeboat’ and taking on a full-scale rescue drama.

‘this is a fantastic opportunity to learn about what RnLi crews have to do when the pagers go off,’ says yachtswoman Dee Caffari.

‘it will reinforce the huge part training plays in ensuring everyone works as a team and comes home safely.’ Dee launched the experience at the southampton Boat show. Check the events listing in RNLI Compass or the regional news section of the RnLi website to see where it will go next.

train one, save many is a 5-year campaign to raise £10m (€14.7m). Only 1 in 10 crew members join the RnLi with any professional maritime experience, and regular training is vital to allow them to go to sea and save lives. it costs an average of £1,000 (€1,500) a year to train each volunteer crew member. Youthful crew set sail nine young crew members from around the RnLi will step aboard a tall ship for a very different seafaring experience this October, kindly sponsored by trinity House.

the 17–25-year-old volunteers are to sail from ipswich to Portsmouth. the 60m square-rigger Prince William will be their home for a week as they hone their skills in teamwork, communication, leadership and cooperation, all in a very confi ned space! RnLi staff Offi cer George Rawlinson, who coordinates the programme, says: ‘Being part of the RnLi is about so much more than just crewing the lifeboat.

Lifeboat stations promote a sense of community, respect and maturity, which sailing aboard a tall ship brings. We are grateful that trinity House has again given our younger crew this opportunity.’ Criccieth Crew member Katie Quaeck, who sailed on the programme in 2005, comments: ‘it was an amazing experience, and i know i’ll never, ever, forget the great time i had onboard.’ the Prince William is operated by the tall ships Youth trust, a charity dedicated to the personal development of young people through the crewing of these beautiful craft (see www.tallships.org). trinity House is the authority for england, Wales, the Channel islands and Gibraltar responsible for a range of ‘signs of the sea’, from lighthouses to radar beacons. it is also a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners and has a long-standing association with the RnLi. GO WITH GOODYEAR a new deal with Goodyear means that for every set of the company’s award-winning HydraGrip tyres sold in the uK, a donation of £2 will be made to the RnLi. all money raised in this way will go to the train one, save many funds.

HydraGrip tyres are famed for their safe wet-weather performance. Find your nearest stockist at mygoodyear.co.uk. ATLANTIC AWARD three volunteers from Portaferry have received the Walter and elizabeth Groombridge award in recognition of their service to the crew of the fi shing vessel Greenhill. after a gruelling and traumatic search, spread over 2 days, only the skipper was found alive.

the award is presented each year to a crew that has performed an exceptional service in an atlantic inshore lifeboat.

Helmsman simon Rogers has already been awarded the thanks of the institution inscribed on Vellum for the rescue, which was described in detail in the Lifeboat spring 2007. IMRF APPOINTMENT the RnLi’s Operations Director michael Vlasto has been appointed Chairman of the international maritime Rescue Federation (imRF), a the RnLi’s Operations Director michael Vlasto has charity that aims to unite rescue organisations around the world. more than 60 countries have been involved since its foundation in 1924.

the imRF gives members the chance to share expertise and technology for greater cooperation in saving lives on a global scale. the imRF was formerly known as the international Lifeboat Federation. LIFEGUARDS WORK WET SUMMER Despite the met Offi ce reporting the wettest may–July since records began, RnLi lifeguards in england were very much in demand. in particular, spring tides led to a number of mass rescues, one of which you can read about in detail on page 23.

the lifeguards had a successful fi rst season on the beaches of norfolk.

in one of the area’s more dramatic incidents, a 12-year-old girl was caught in a rip current while bodyboarding and dragged onto a groyne. she hung on despite the rough waves. Lifeguard Jake Davidson swam out and brought her back to shore with a rescue tube.

For the fi rst time, Police community support offi cers helped patrol at Fistral and Perranporth in Cornwall in a trial project aimed at making these popular beaches even safer. an evaluation will be made before deciding whether to continue the scheme in 2008.

meanwhile, four lifeguards were honoured for two separate rescues off Cornish beaches in 2006: matt Boon and Ryan Lyat saved the life of a surfer swept onto rocks by a rip current. Despite huge breaking waves, Ryan jumped into the water and swam to the surfer, bringing him back to the inshore rescue boat (iRB), which matt was helming expertly.

John Bull and David Hooper went to the aid of three teenage boys whose yacht had run aground in poor weather.

the local lifeboat was unable to get close enough in the shallow water but the iRB was ideal for the task.

(a book has just been published on the history and development of the iRB, as used by RnLi lifeguards. see page 30.) Choose Volvo If you’re in the market for a new car, consider a Volvo – and the RNLI will bene? t too.

The Swedish giant renowned for the quality and safety of its vehicles is offering a range of generous discounts to RNLI supporters. For each car sold in this way, the RNLI will receive a royalty of £500.

Volvo has been a long-time supporter of the RNLI, and was the ? rst company to donate a car as the top prize in the Lifeboat Lottery (see page 38 for a Lottery timeline).

Their range includes coupés, saloons and estates, and new environmentally friendlier Flexifuel versions of popular models.

Victoria Stringer, Managing Director of Cambridge Garage Volvo in Portsmouth, says: ‘Safety is a key feature in the design and build of our cars, just as it is in lifeboats. We are delighted to continue to support the RNLI’s vital lifesaving work.’ Phone 0845 680 1305 to ? nd out more about this deal, or visit rnli.org.uk/volvo.

Unfortunately, the offer is not available in the RoI or the Channel Islands. Fraggle funds ‘Dance your cares away’ with these Fraggle Rock character keyrings, available from Halifax and Bank of Scotland (HBOS) branches during november. They cost £ .50 each, with all money raised going to the RnLI and the Family Holiday Association (FHA).

The FHA is a charity that helps disadvantaged families go on seaside holidays. It has joined forces with the RnLI for this fundraising initiative, as RnLI lifeguards and beach safety programmes help keep happy holidaymakers safe too.

For every £ .50 you spend on a Fraggle friend, HBOS Foundation will contribute an additional £ .50 jointly to the two charities. The characters available from Jim Henson’s hit children’s Tv show are Mokey, Red, Gobo, wembley and Boober. CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE SET TO EXPAND Did you know that the RNLI builds and repairs its D class and Atlantic lifeboats itself, on the Isle of Wight? Now, the skilled staff of the Inshore lifeboat centre (ILC), Cowes, are looking forward to a larger, more modern facility.

For 30 years, one of the Atlantic workshops remained largely unchanged, before demolition began this September. A new twostorey building will go up on the site, with a total ? oor area of almost 3,000m2, more than double the space of the original. It is planned to open in October 2008 and to cost £3.5M, inclusive of new equipment and rent for a temporary boatshed meanwhile.

A review in 2005 identi? ed the need for the new facility after it was found that no external contractor was suitable for taking on the building and maintenance of the Atlantic B class ? eet. The Atlantic 85, a rigid in? atable, is the fastest seagoing lifeboat in the RNLI ? eet, with a top speed of 35 knots (illustrated here by Martin Wale). It is substantially larger and its equipment more complex than its predecessors the Atlantic 75 and 21, many of which are still in service and require expert oversight.

(Offshore members can ? nd out about the maintenance of the all-weather ? eet in their own Offshore supplement.) Christmas shopping all wrapped up It’s that time of year again, and lucky RNLI supporters can do that little bit extra by checking out the range of Christmas cards and stocking ? llers at their local RNLI shop.

High-quality cards are available in a number of eye-catching designs at reasonable prices, so drop in and have a look around.

Alternatively, RNLI mail order gift catalogues are available from 0845 126 6999, while our online shop (rnlishop.org.uk) features the entire range.

One of the 230-plus new products to choose from is the Air? x air–sea rescue set (£24.95 +postage), which has all you need to build 1:72 scale models of both an RNLI Severn class lifeboat and an RAF Sea King helicopter. It includes 189 pieces to construct your lifeboat, 90 pieces for the helicopter, glue, paints and a brush. (See how well this pair’s full-size counterparts cooperate in real life on page 20.) The lifeboat model is also available separately for £16.95 +postage. New RNLI hampers for Christmas 2007 include the Yuletide basket (£29.95), the Chocoholic’s hamper (£24.95), the After Dinner gift set (£19.95) and the Afternoon Tea set (£15.95), all crammed full of luxury festive products.

You can also buy a selection of virtual gifts. Call 0800 543210 for a catalogue or log on to rnli.org.uk/splashout. All pro? ts from any RNLI shop, online or gift catalogue orders go straight to the RNLI for saving lives. (See the enclosed letter for news of the RNLI’s ‘virtual’ gift catalogue for a different approach to Christmas.) RNLI AUCTIONS Two special eBay auctions over the Summer raised over £5,000 for the RNLI. Winning bidders in June’s auction bought ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences including special tours of selected lifeboat stations, a hot-air balloon fl ight, and a day’s powerboating with a professional stuntwoman. In July, a beachthemed auction featured watersports lessons, surf clothing and signed collectables. A number of companies generously donated lots for both auctions. If you sell on eBay and would like to donate a percentage of your profi ts to the RNLI, visit ebay.co.uk/rnli. STAYING IN TOUCH Are you a former RNLI station volunteer or staff member? The RNLI Family association can help you keep in touch if you are no longer so actively involved. When you join you’ll get a membership pack and two issues a year of the association’s magazine, Lookout, full of news of other members.

For more information, contact Family association Secretary Helen McHugh on 01202 662222. JOE SHOWS Journalist Joe O’Shea raised funds for, and awareness of, the RNLI across Ireland by representing the charity in RTÉ’s Charity You’re a star TV show during the Summer. Joe got through to the fi nal seven acts with diverse numbers from King of the road to I think we’re alone now. Joe also took part in The late late show’s one-off Celebrity Face Your Fears on behalf of the RNLI. Many thanks to Joe and to all who supported him. .