Video: Yarmouth RNLI rescues stricken yacht

The yacht had suffered a broken rudder and was perilously close to the notorious Shingles Bank off the Isle of Wight when it was rescued by Yarmouth RNLI.

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The crew of the Yarmouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat responded after a Dutch yacht got into difficulty off the Isle of Wight coast.

The rudder on the 30-foot yacht had broken just west of the notorious Shingles Bank off the Needles Rocks.

It is here that the tides of the Solent and the English Channel meet. The area is renowned for its dangerous seas.

The yacht crew had anchored, but the vessel was rotating around its anchor in the violent seas.

A spokesman for Yarmouth RNLI said the wind was gusting near gale force, making the task of establishing a tow very difficult for both the lifeboat and the yacht.

The RNLI crew of the Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) asked the yacht’s skipper to cut the anchor.

This allowed the lifeboat to approach the yacht and secure a temporary tow on the vessel’s bow.

The stricken vessel was pulled clear of the shallows.

Once in calmer waters, the lifeboat crew established a safer tow and took the yacht back to Yarmouth.

The incident took place on the afternoon of 3 August.