Swansea RNLI lifeguard wins demanding AEGEAN 600 sailing race

Oscar Austin (25) has had four years’ experience as a RNLI beach lifeguard in the Swansea area, starting his lifeguard journey in 2022. Oscar said:

‘Sailing and lifeguarding require a similar mindset. Both require a calm and clear head when faced with challenges, which can be especially difficult in dynamic environments such as the ocean and the beach.

‘They also require a high level of training and preparation for when something unexpected inevitably happens.

‘I wanted to become a RNLI lifeguard to test my fitness and improve my knowledge of the beach environment, but most importantly to keep beachgoers safe and assist people in difficulty.’

In July this year, Oscar took part in the AEGEAN 600, a 600 nautical mile loop around the Aegean Sea passing Santorini, Rhodes, Kos and Mykonos. Oscar completed the race with his team Quick Decision, a group of eight team members, one of which was his dad. Their vessel was an Outremer 4X performance catamaran and the team completed the non-stop race in 4 days and 10 hours. Oscar said:

‘It was our fourth time competing in the race, having had to pull out twice due to exhaustion and difficult conditions.

‘There were many struggles we had to overcome throughout the race such as sudden winds changes, breakages, varying conditions, especially during the night – it would be pitch black and we’d have to scramble to change sails and maintain control of the boat.

‘However, successfully navigating the turbulent winds of the Aegean saw us retake the lead and cross the line first. It was amazing to finally win the “multihull class” this year.’

Throughout Oscar’s experience lifeguarding on the Swansea coastline, he has been involved in numerous rescues. His most memorable rescue was at Caswell Beach, where he rescued a man and his dog in the water following a boat capsize.

Oscar spent the winter working for Explore Group, a travel tour company in New Zealand that offers multiple sailing experiences for tourists. Oscar provided ‘America’s Cup experiences’ offering tourists the opportunity to sail an authentic America’s Cup race yacht on the Auckland Harbour. America’s Cup is a prestigious sailing race, this year being held in Naples, Italy. The race yachts are grand-prix racing machines that can be as big as 80ft tall. Oscar said:

‘I was providing racing experience to locals and tourists, working alongside and learning from high-level competitive sailors.

‘I've sailed for most of my life with my dad, it was such a special experience completing the AEGEAN 600 race alongside him.’

Oscar continued:

‘The first aid and rescue training I've received through the RNLI has been invaluable in my sailing career, performing first aids on crew and passengers, as well as rescuing a woman who fell overboard. I used techniques taught to me by the RNLI to get her back onboard the boat safely.’

Having finished for the 2026 lifeguard season, Oscar will be spending his next few months working towards his Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster qualification, to be able to skipper tour boats in New Zealand over the winter months.

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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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