03/06/26, 1500 hrs HM Coastguard requested the Caister ALB 'Annette Thurlow' for an immediate launch to a sailing yacht calling Mayday 20nm ESE of the station.

The crew of four onboard the yacht Roede Orm were dismasted and disabled in the strong Southerly winds and 3-4m seas.

The 'Annette Thurlow' was launched at 1520 and proceed to the casualty positon via the Holm Channel.

The commercial vessel Contship Top was standing by the stricken yacht to provide assistance if required.

The Caister lifeboat was  16nm from the scene when Humber Coastguard informed the lifeboat that the Contship top had taken the four people from the yacht due to the conditions. It was agreed that the lifeboat would proceed to the yacht to access the damage with the view of saving the vessel before transferring the crew from the Contship Top and returning them back  to the safety of Gt Yarmouth. Once on scene and alongside, the crew reviewed the condition of the vessel but to get a better understanding of her condition it was decided to transfer Assistant Coxswain Aaron Thurlow onto the Roede Orm to access the damage. With considerable skill and excellent seamanship Coxswain Owen Nutt got the lifeboat alongside the stricken vessel from A Thurlow to get onboard. A feat that was carried out multiple times to pass equipment over, following A Thurlow's assessment that he could make the vessel safe enough to tow back to Gt Yarmouth.

Working through the broken rigging and fallen mast in extreme conditions A Thurlow secured the vessel and prepared a bridle ready to be be passed the tow rope from the lifeboat. The four crew from yacht were then transfered from the Contship Top onto the Caister lifeboat before returning to the yacht Roede Orm to connect the tow.

At 1740, after two hours on scene the lifeboat start the slow tow back to Gt Yarmouth with the yacht crew safely onboard with their vessel in tow. Due to the  weather conditions and drift during the operations the lifeboat took the more familiar route of setting a course to the North Scroby buoy and back to Gt Yarmouth.

The Roede Orm was tied alongside South Quay at 2240hrs with the ALB 'Annette Thurlow' safely secured back at the station at 0100am.