The UK Coastguard had received a Mayday from a yacht with two persons aboard saying that they required immediate assistance.
The Selsey Shannon class all-weather Lifeboat (ALB) launched at 11.50 p.m. on Monday 5th September and proceeded to a position given by Coastguard 22 nautical miles southwest of Selsey Bill. At 12.58 a.m. the ALB arrived on scene and the Coastguards asked the Lifeboat to commence a parallel track search with leg lengths of ten miles and track spacings of two miles. Bembridge ALB was also launched and was conducting a similar search pattern further to the west. Two Coastguard helicopters Rescue 175 and Rescue 163 were also tasked with an area to search.
The weather on scene was wind northeast 2-3 sea state slight although less than two hours after a violent thunderstorm crossed the area. At 3.28 a.m., at the end of the third leg, the Coastguards requested that the Selsey ALB stopped the parallel track search and return to station conducting a line ahead search back to Selsey. The ALB arrived back at Station at 5.10 a.m. and was recovered straight away.
CREW: Rob Archibald (Coxswain), Phil Pitham (Mechanic), Sam Corcoran-Smith, Pip Skeet, Neil Hopcraft, and Jake Harnett.