Hayling Lifeboat rescues a team in the Langstone Gig Regatta.

Boat launched : D-Class

Date : Sunday 4 July

Launched at : 15:25

Returned at : 16:10

Weather : Bright and breezy with F5 SW wind.

A crew in the Round Hayling Race on Sunday 5 July ran into difficulties near the entrance to Langstone Harbour as some big waves swamped the boat and they called for help. The Langstone Cutters Gig Club held a two day regatta over the weekend of July 4/5 and the Sunday race was around Hayling Island. The weather was fine and sunny but with a strong SW wind blowing hard across the sea front. One of the teams consisted of 3 men and 3 women were rowing in a Solent Galley. All went well for them, although they were not the leading boat, until they reached a position off the Hayling Golf Club. There the wind was causing some big rolling waves to build up over the Winner Bank and the boat became swamped with sea water. Although some of the crew kept rowing whilst the rest were furiously baling out the water, they were not winning and so called for help.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat was being launched to go to another incident when the message came through but was diverted to go to the more urgent casualty crew. (The smaller lifeboat was launched to assist in the other incident.) Arriving on the scene the lifeboat crew found 6 wet, cold, rowers in a boat full of water. The rowing crew were taken into the lifeboat and the casualty vessel left in the care of Hayling Rescue which had also responded to the request for help. The six cold crew were taken straight to the Lifeboat Station and the lifeboat was recovered and taken into the Boat Hall before the casualties were taken off. They were given blankets and hot tea and soon felt better after their experience and none needed medical assistance. The Solent Galley was towed in and recovered at the station (pictured with Hayling Rescue rib and lifeboat crew) from where it was later recovered by Langstone Cutters and taken home.

Even on a warm bright sunny day the sea temperatures around the UK still cause someone in the water, or even as in this case, sitting in sea water in a boat, to become distressed very quickly, but in this incident it was good to get the crew to a warm safe place before more serious hypothermia could set in.

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