LIFEBOATS were called into action last night after trainee sailors became trapped at sea.

The Commodore Yachting training vessel, Emerald Star, was unable to return to shore after its engines broke in the Solent because the tide was too strong and there wasn't enough wind.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) team at Cowes rescued the crew of five and towed the 40ft yacht into Cowes Yacht Haven between 8.50pm and 9.45pm.

When the instructor and four trainees arrived on the Isle of Wight they realised the engine had overheated because seaweed had got caught inside it.

After a quick repair, they sailed back to Gosport where the yacht is based.

A Commodore Yachting spokesman said: “It was a useful training exercise for the crew. It was a pan-pan call, which saw them ask for help if anyone was available but nobody was in any danger.

“The guys said just how amazed they were at how fast the RNLI responded and just how professional they were.”