A CREW were forced to ditch a training session and help two yachts which ran aground on The Bramble Bank near the entrance to Southampton Water.

Members of Cowes RNLI lifeboat, assisted the vessels mid-way through their training on Tuesday (April 17) night.

Although the crew of one yacht managed to free it from the bank, the other one, owned by the Cowes-based UKSA, was stuck fast.

It is understood that at the time both were involved in a race.

By using the yacht’s crew to lean their vessel over, the lifeboat was able to pull it off the sand and then carry out an along-side tow back to Cowes.

The lifeboat, which had launched from the station at 7pm, arrived back shortly before 10 pm.