
Operational Trial of Inshore Lifeboat Begins at Newhaven RNLI
After weeks of hard work and training by the volunteer crew at Newhaven RNLI, a two-year operational trial of a D class inshore lifeboat begins.
At 8:00 am, Saturday 3 August, a D class lifeboat will become available for service. This two year trial will assess the viability and operational benefit of a D class lifeboat being based at Newhaven. The D class will operate alongside Newhaven RNLI’s existing Severn Class all-weather lifeboat. The deployment and utilisation of the lifeboat will be closely monitored.
With a top speed of 25 knots, our D class lifeboat can endure three hours at sea at this speed on search and rescue missions. The D class is highly manoeuvrable. It’s shallow draft enables it to operate close to the shore, reaching areas inaccessible to Newhaven’s Severn class all-weather lifeboat. The D class is ideal for search and rescue operations in the surf, shallow water and confined locations.
Phill Corsi, Area Operations Manager South East, said: ‘The D class will be considered for taskings east of Newhaven to the Belle Tout Lighthouse, and west of Newhaven to Telscombe Cliffs. The D class can also be a viable option to be tasked north of the Lifeboat Station, up to the county town of Lewes and the associated villages en-route.’
Newhaven RNLI’s dedicated volunteer team have been working tirelessly over the last 60 weeks to get to this point. Over that time, Newhaven’s lifeboat crew have gained experience of operating a D class, have had three volunteers pass out as D class helms, and have conducted training sessions to allow the crew to learn specialist operations on the D class.
Roger Cohen MBE, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Newhaven and Brighton, said: ‘Newhaven RNLI’s volunteer crew have gained a significant amount of knowledge over the last 60 weeks. For the first time in Newhaven RNLI’s history, we now have three inshore lifeboat helms. Volunteers have trained on station, at RNLI College in Poole and have also visited Newquay RNLI for a weekend of training. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the RNLI. We are currently recruiting crew for both of our lifeboats.'
97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers, including 5,700 volunteer lifeboat crew members at stations around the UK and Ireland. Without our incredible volunteer lifesavers, the RNLI could not provide a 24/7 lifesaving service.
We are currently recruiting crew for our D class lifeboat, and our Severn class lifeboat. Do you think you could join our lifesaving crew? Find out more here:
Notes to editors
· Newhaven RNLI was established in 1803, and covers from Beachy Head to Brighton. It’s a modern afloat station and operates an all weather Severn class lifeboat.
· ALB – All-Weather-Lifeboat
· Severn Class – Named after the River Severn, the Severn Class is the largest lifeboat in the RNLI fleet. The Severn can take on the worst sea conditions and comes into her own on long offshore search and rescues.
· Inshore Lifeboat - The lifeboat was first introduced into the RNLI fleet in 1963, the design of the inflatable D class lifeboat continues to evolve to meet changes in demand and technology. She is highly manoeuvrable and usually operates closer to shore than our all-weather lifeboats. She comes into her own for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations - often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves.
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For more information please contact Sam Carragher, RNLI Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected] or Hatti Mellor, National Media Manager on 01273 818012 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity 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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.