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Triodos® Bank Make your money make a difference Autumn 2004 lifeboat A royal tening for it College In this issue Lifeboats Feature: A day to remember HM The Queen opens The Lifeboat College The magazine of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Feature: The Survival Centre Registered Charity Number 209603 The RNLI's centre of excellence for sea survival training The official opening Page 2 Issue 569 Lifeboat Lottery 9 Chairman: Sir Jock Slater CCB ivo rx Chief Executive: Andrew Freemantle MBE Letters 11 Publications Manager Jane Smythson Publications Editor Liz Cook Lifeboats and lifeguards in action 14 Assistant Editors: Including a Silver Medal-winning rescue Jon Jones, Bethany Rawles Contributors: Gill Beaumont, Anne Millman, Rory Stamp Feature: Going for gold 24 Designers: Mark Dunne, Laura Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Award participants see the work Editorial Assistant: Tracy Carey of the RNLI firsthand Cleethorpes crew in Editorial exceptional rescue Tel: 01202 662254 Page 14 Fax: 01202 663240 Listings Centre email: [email protected] Check your local station in this pull-out section Membership and subscriptions: Tel: 0845 121 4999 (local rate) Feature: A rookie's life 25 email: [email protected] The first few months of life at the sharp end Advertising: Madison Bell Limited, Beau Nash House, Union Passage, Bath BA1 1RD Fundraising 27 Display: Your chance to win a hot air balloon flight Steve Hulbert Tel: 01225 465060 email: steve.hulbert@mad isonbell.com Feature: First impressions 33 Alison's diary Classified: Page 25 Sarah HaU Tet 01225 465060 The Lifeboat speaks to Castletownbere lifeboat crew email: [email protected] about their week's training at the College The Liftbott n published four times a year and is sent free 10 RNLI member! and governors. The next toue will be Winter 2004/OS and will appear in January Feature: Going the distance 35 ZOOS Delivering training around the coast News items should be received by 29 October but earlier if possible All material submitted for possible publication should be addressed to: News 36 The Editor, (he UftboM. RNLI. West Quay Road. Pool*. Dorset BH151HZ. A new Chairman plus the RNLI in the media Photographs intended for return should be Training facilities accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Books 42 Page 35 Contributions may be held for subsequent issues. Lifeboat-related reading Front cover HM Ihe Queen, The Duke ol Edinburgh and The Duke of Kent join 237 RNLI coxswains, helmsmen and lifeguards representing every lifeboat station in the UK and Republic of Ireland following .•.« is published by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road, Poole. Dorset BH15 1HZ the official opening of The Lifeboat College. '22 6999. www.mli.org.uk, email: [email protected]. Printed by Pindar pic. Scarborough. Photo: Bella West Photography ,,il National Lifeboat Institution 2004. All rights reserved. Reproduction is permitted with the prior consent of the RNLI. Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Care is taken to ensure that editorial information is correct at the time of going to press but is subject to change. -•-ducts or services advertised \ntheLifeboat by third parties are not in any way endorsed by the RNLI and the RNLI shall not be responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in such advertisements nor has it investigated or verified any of -'ation. A day to remem It was a memorable moment on a truly proud Chairman Sir Jock Slater, Chief Executive white HRH Prince Philip shook hands with Duke day for the Institution that saw Her Majesty The Andrew Freemantle and College Principal of Edinburgh Award volunteers. Queen, the RNLI's patron, declare the College Sue Hennessy welcomed the Royal Party. Next the Royal Party met some of the officially open. Volunteers, supporters, staff and The tour began with a look at the training generous fundraisers and donors who helped locals turned out in their hundreds to get a rooms, where lifeboat crew members from make The Lifeboat College possible, before glimpse of The Queen and The Duke of Castletownbere in the Republic of Ireland were walking across the bridge linking the College to Edinburgh during their visit on Wednesday hard at work. They were attending a pre- its Survival Centre. There they saw a 28 July. With flags waving and the Royal Marines commissioning training course for their new demonstration of the full-bridge training Band providing stirring music, a reception line Severn class lifeboat. The volunteers were simulator and were also some of the first to including the RNLI's President The Duke of Kent, delighted to take a break to meet The Queen, witness a capsize drill in the wave tank. n www.rnli.org.uk 'hotos, clockwise trom lop left of each page: RNLI staff wait •• the College entrance (or the lirsi guests 10 arrive (Bella West •,'!iy); HM The Queen and Chairman Sir Jock Slater • ,ik.' their speeches (Beila West Photography); the Royal Party —ives (Chris North); the Royal Marines Band entertains the -jwd (Bella West Photography); eight-year-old Luke Brown. j| Mobile Training Unit Instructor Trevor Stevens, •esents a posy to The Queen (Bella West Photography); the i-.TTion strati on capsize begins (Bella West Photography); the '.oyal Party depart on board the Annette Mutton (Chris North); he assembled coxswains, helmsmen and lifeguards five three leers to Her Majesty (Bella West Photography) Three cheers from 237 coxswains, helmsmen and lifeguards rang out as Her Majesty The Queen waved to the crowds at the Royal opening of The Lifeboat College A milestone in RNLI history honoured, Ma'am, that, as our patron, you certain that The Lifeboat College will play Pausing to add their names to the visitors' could be with us today to open The Lifeboat a vital role in helping the RNLI to save book, The Queen and Prince Philip were College.' He added that lifeboat crews even more lives at sea. Therefore, it is with escorted out into the July sunshine in the deserve the finest equipment, the best great pleasure that I declare The Lifeboat waterfront courtyard where guests waited training and the fullest support that can College open.' in excitement. be given. Today marks a major milestone in the Wearing a mint green outfit and cream Three cheers history of the Royal National Lifeboat hat with a lilac flower, The Queen said: As holders of Gold Medals for Gallantry, Institution,' said Sir Jock Slater during his 'Having just seen some of the excellent Keith Bower, Hewitt Clark MBE, and Michael Chairman's speech. 'We are greatly training that is already being delivered, I am Scales have enjoyed some very proud the Lifeboat Autumn 2004 I Fea moments with the RNLI, but this was an now familiar faces: the volunteers to evacuate the area while a controlled occasion to rival them all as they met the from Castletownbere. explosion was carried out. To the relief of all Institution's patron face-to-face. those looking forward to the big day, the The Royal Party, including The Duke of Royal waves Environment Agency said the phosphorus, Kent, then stood for a much-anticipated The Royal Party and assembled crowds were once cleared, would not cause a problem to photograph with coxswains, helmsmen and treated to the fantastic sight and sound of the royal guests during their visit. lifeguards, representing each of the the coxswains and helmsmen holding their Speaking after the opening, RNLI Chief lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom caps aloft as they gave three cheers for The Executive Andrew Freemantle said: 'Her and Republic of Ireland. Queen, which she acknowledged with a Majesty The Queen's first visit to RNLI The organisers who masterminded the smile and a wave. Crowds waved from the Headquarters was an outstanding success, successful visit and opening ceremony - quay and nearby pleasure boats as the due to the efforts of a large number of staff James Vaughan, Philip Gilbert, Shelley Tilley Royal Party departed to the sound of A Life and volunteers who did a magnificent job. and Linda Vatcher - were the next to be on the Ocean Wave, the music again We are grateful and deeply honoured that presented to The Queen. Then the honour provided by the Royal Marines Band. Her Majesty The Queen, as our patron, was of presenting a posy of blue and white It was the climax of months of present to open The Lifeboat College, which flowers to Her Majesty fell to grinning preparation, but the organisers could not is a huge asset to the Institution.' eight-year-old Luke Brown, grandson of have prepared for the worrying discovery A plaque unveiled by The Queen, which Mobile Training Unit Instructor Trevor made just days before the event.