New Brighton’s B class lifeboat Charles Dibdin and hovercraft Hurley Spirit were called out on Friday 25 March when a yacht crewed by experienced local sailors got stuck in mud. The yacht was leaning at an acute angle and the tide was not due in for 11 hours.

The lifeboat got as close as possible, the hovercraft was brought alongside the yacht, and the yacht made safe by putting out anchors. The sailors were brought by the hovercraft to the lifeboat, which took them to the lifeboat station. They were reunited with their yacht in the early hours of the morning, in time to refloat.