COWES RNLI were called out to three emergencies while on Cowes Week safety patrol yesterday (Wednesday).

The first shout involved the Spider Pig high performance sports yacht which had suffered a broken rudder off Gurnard, and was drifting towards Cowes Green.

The boat, with five people aboard, was towed to Medina Yard, Cowes where it was craned ashore.

Next task for the lifeboat was to go to the aid of a small yacht, Josh, which had entangled its spinnaker.

However, before the lifeboat arrived a passing boat came to Josh’s assistance, after which it was towed to safety by a race committee boat.

This released the lifeboat to be diverted to a 40 foot yacht, Jet, which had gone aground on the Bramble Bank at the mouth of Southampton Water.

The yacht was duly dragged stern-first off the sand and towed by the lifeboat to East Cowes.

As a precaution, the lifeboat and yacht were accompanied across the Solent, as far as Prince Consort Buoy, by the RNLI’s Calshot lifeboat.