A 29 FOOT yacht was successfully towed back to safety overnight after it suffered mast, power and mechanical difficulties about 69 miles south of Courtmacsherry in West Cork. The yacht had been sailing from Cork to France when it raised the alarm. 

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat “Val Adnams” was called out just before midnight last night by Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre after the yacht’s two crew members, unable to raise the alarm via radio, sent up two red distress flares . 

The flares were seen by a fishing vessel a number of miles away, which then relayed the alarm to the Coast Guard. 

The Val Adnams’ crew members scrambled from their beds “at speed and were underway quickly in darkness, to face into tough weather conditions at sea last night”, a statement from the RNLI said. 

When the Lifeboat located the stricken yacht over 69 miles across the Irish Sea at 3.15 am and in deteriorating sea and weather conditions, a decision was taken to tow the boat and return to the nearest port of Courtmacsherry. 

After an eleven-hour journey back to port with the yacht in tow, both crews arrived safely in Courtmacsherry at 2pm today. The yacht’s two crew members are reported to be in good spirits following the rescue. 

“It is not very often that Red Flares are the means of distress communications these days and the importance of having these on board the yacht was ever so important this morning,” said Courtmacsherry lifeboat operations manager Brian O Dwyer. 

“It was great to see nearly two voluntary crews and officers arrive quickly at midnight, within minutes of their bleepers being activated, in order to help others in distress at sea. We are so proud of how our new Shannon Class Lifeboat performed in this our longest callout in over a decade and also in very poor conditions”