A YACHT was rescued from the treacherous waters of the Portland race.

A volunteer crew of Weymouth RNLI was tasked by Portland Coastguard to assist a yacht with four people on board, at 5.40pm on Sunday, August 31.

The yacht, ‘Crackon’, was reported to be to the West of the Shambles Bank, with no power and in danger of being swept into the treacherous waters of the Portland race.

The RNLI volunteers arrived on the scene at around 6.15pm and passed a line to the yacht crew. The lifeboat successfully towed the yacht back to Weymouth Harbour and arrived at 7.45pm.

They were met by the Coastguard IRT team who offered safety advice to the yachts crew. 

Coastguards were also called to a sinking canoe, broken down boats and a missing person.

At around midday yesterday coastguards were called by Bournemouth Air Festival control to a canoe that was sinking.

The maritime volunteer service and Poole inshore lifeboat attended the scene, and towed the male canoeist to safety.

Portland Coastguard received a call at 4pm by the vessel Wet Will with one male passenger on board, reporting he was standing by an upturned speedboat with two persons in the water and could not recover them as he was single-handed.

Both Poole lifeboats were called to the scene and the people were rescued by the inshore lifeboat and transferred to the all-weather lifeboat.

The upturned speedboat was then righted by Poole all-weather lifeboat and towed towards Mudeford, where Mudeford inshore lifeboat took over the tow.

Just before 3pm an investigation was launched by Swanage coastguard into a report of a paraglider having come down across the valley and potentially suffering injury, but no-one was found at the site.

At 3.46pm Coastguards received information that a vulnerable 18-year-old male had gone missing at Bournemouth Air Show. Poole coastguards were sent to look for him, and he was later found.

Earlier that morning at 12.39am a member of the public reported an unoccupied drifting tender coming ashore near Swanage lifeboat station.

Swanage coastguards investigated and after a thorough search of the area they concluded nothing was untoward, and secured the tender to prevent it from refloating.

Later in the day just after 5.30pm Portland Bill National Coastwatch Institution called the Coastguard about a yacht that appeared to be in difficulties in the Portland Race.

VHF radio calls failed to reach the vessel called Crack On, which had four people on board.

The yacht eventually phoned to report they were out of fuel, their VHF radio was not working and they required assistance.

Weymouth lifeboat assisted the vessel back to Weymouth, where they were met by Wyke coastguards.

Just before 1pm Poole all-weather lifeboat assisted a 22 ft sports boat called Barking Mad that had broken down off Sandbanks with two people and four dogs on board.

The vessel was towed to Poole quay.

At 1.36pm Mudeford Inshore Lifeboat towed a broken down shuttle craft with seven people on board to Mudeford after it suffered engine failure off Hengistbury Head.

A call was received by Portland Coastguard at 1.17pm alerting them to a 14ft speed boat with two people on board that had broken down off Fishermans Walk in Bournemouth.

Mudeford inshore lifeboat towed the vessel to a place of safety.

A 17ft fletcher speedboat with five people on board suffered engine failure off Southbourne at 2.13pm.

Mudeford inshore lifeboat assisted, towing the vessel to Mudeford.

At 4.27pm Poole inshore lifeboat assisted a dory, called Lily 2, that had broken down off Sandbanks with two people on board, towing it into Poole Harbour.

Mudeford inshore lifeboat was alerted to a broken down speedboat just before 5.30pm while on another call.

Once on scene, they found the engine had come off the back of the vessel and they towed them in to Mudeford.