Classic boats rescued after incident at racing regatta

One boat sank and two more had to be towed to shore after high winds and rain scuppered mariners during the largest regatta in the UK for classic boats.

During the second race on Friday at the Falmouth Classics in Cornwall, eight people from two separate incidents were reported to be in the water and all were recovered, HM Coastguard said.

Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, Falmouth RNLI lifeboats, race support vessels, local vessels in the area and a coastguard helicopter were all sent to the scene to assist the rescue operation.

Paul Hobson from Falmouth Classics Association said that the “only casualties were boats, and some damaged pride.”

The coastguard confirmed a race support vessel towed a 7m (22ft) sailing yacht to shore after it was “demasted” at 14:51 BST.

Shortly afterwards, at 15:14 BST, six people were reported to be in the water after a sailing vessel “capsized and sank”.

All were recovered and taken to shore by lifeboat and a nearby boat.

Just a minute later, two people were reported to be in the water after their boat capsized, with two people taken to shore by lifeboat and their boat towed to shore.

Mr Hobson, regatta chairman, said prior to the incident, 67 boats were on the water contending with heavy rain and 40mph (64km/h) winds.

Mr Hobson praised the response from all services, labelling it a “real team effort”.

He said: “The response from the classics safety team, the Coastguard Harbour authorities and RNLI in difficult conditions on the water was excellent.

“Situations like this, whilst rare, can happen very quickly and the team’s response was to their credit.”

He said the boat which sunk had been recovered on Sunday.

Falmouth working boats are gaff-rigged cutters between 22ft and 32ft (6.7m to 9.8m) long, that were traditionally used for oyster dredging.

A specially preserved fleet of the vessels is regularly seen racing in the River Fal during the summer months, each with a different coloured hull and topsail.

The incident was among several call-outs responded to by the RNLI across Devon and Cornwall on Friday:

• In Salcombe, the all weather life boat was tasked to a laser dingy, after the sailor reported taking on water.

• In Dartmouth, the lifeboat was tasked to a motor cruiser with engine failure.

• Falmouth inshore lifeboat was tasked to a capsized kayaker.

• Penzance and Porthleven coastguard rescue teams, Praa sands lifeguards and Penlee inshore lifeboat helped a walker whose dog had fallen off a cliff.

• Penzance coastguard rescue team investigated an unidentified boat in Mousehole.

• Mullacott and Croyde coastguard rescue team assisted police with a missing person search.

• Padstow, Polzeath and Boscastle coastguard rescue teams were also tasked to assist police with a missing person search.