A YACHT carrying nine people was left drifting in The Solent after losing its mast in heavy weather.
A sudden squall left the mast, boom and rigging hanging over the side of the 36-foot vessel in choppy seas north of Osborne Bay on the Isle of Wight yesterday morning.
The Cowes lifeboat was called to help tow the racing yacht Extra Djinn back to its base in Hamble.
None of the crew was injured, and they had managed to cut free the damaged parts of their boat before the RNLI crew arrived.
"Apparently the yacht was taking part in the very last race of the year," said lifeboatman Richard O'Callaghan.
"After the dismasting the crew was worried that if they started the engine the loose rigging might foul the propeller. And it was quite lumpy out there."
