The 120 year old ketch, Leader, was dismasted yesterday in force seven winds off Portland Bill, Dorset; losing her main mast, boom, sails and associated rigging.   An RNLI lifeboat was called to assist and successfully towed the Leader and her 16 crew to safety in Weymouth.  Aside from reports of seasickness, no one was injured.

Leader is operated by the Trinity Sailing Trust as a sail training vessel for young people.  She was built on the Dart river in the A.W.Gibbs boatyard at Galmpton in 1892 and is one of the last working sailing trawlers still afloat.

Drama on the high seas as crew of 120ft yacht are rescued after losing mast and rigging

Leader, under sail

The 16 sailors on board were made up of three crew, two members of staff from the youth centre and 11 young adults.  Andy Sargeant, coxswain of Weymouth lifeboats, said: ‘The crew called Portland Coastguard reporting the vessel had dismasted and we launched the all-weather lifeboat.

‘There was a force seven westerly wind and a 12ft swell so the weather conditions were difficult for them. By the time we got there, the crew had managed to lash the sail and rigging safely onto the port side of the vessel so they didn’t bang and flap away.’