A STRICKEN yacht was rescued just in time before it beached on one of the most notorious banks in the Solent.

At first the 40ft yacht, which began drifting near the entrance to Lymington harbour after its mast broke, could not be located.

But thanks to crew aboard the bridge of a Wightlink ferry, the boat was spotted.

The yacht, with a crew of five, had begun moving to the west in fast ebbing spring tide after failing to anchor.

With no control over the yacht, they risked being swept onto the notorious shingle bank on the North Eastern side of the Needles Channel next to Hurst Castle.

Lymington RNLI lifeboat then put two crewmembers aboard to release the anchor and secure the tow before taking the boat into calmer waters out of the main tide and into the lee of the Island shore.

Here the tow was handed over to the Yarmouth all weather lifeboat for the tow into Yarmouth.

The incident happened yesterday (Thursday) just after 4pm