A woman left to sail a large ocean racer on her own after her male companion broke his arm was helped to safety in a wind-swept Solent this afternoon by Cowes RNLI lifeboat.
The 63 year old skipper was sailing his 40 foot Oyster Class yacht, Orvieto, off Gurnard when he fractured the upper section of an arm when it was caught between a winch and main sheet while the boat was gibing.
Opting to use a mobile phone rather the yacht’s on-board radio, the woman made an urgent call for assistance at about 4.15 pm to Lee on Solent coastguards. Within minutes Cowes lifeboat, helmed by Simon Hawkins, was racing to the yacht, which still had its mainsail up and was fast approaching Cowes in a Force 5 south-westerly.
The Atlantic 85 lifeboat managed to come alongside off Cowes Castle. Two lifeboat crew members were put aboard – Steve Price to administer First Aid to the injured man and Patrick Moreton to take down the mainsail. Oxygen was administered to the man by Steve Price to try to relieve his extreme discomfort.
The yacht was taken under its own engine-power to Trinity Wharf where the man was helped ashore by other lifeboat members. He then boarded an ambulance to be taken to St Mary’s Hospital, Newport.
With the woman remaining on the yacht, it was later taken back to its mooring in the River Hamble with the help of crew members of Hamble lifeboat, which had stood by during the incident.
