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Four Aldeburgh RNLI helms qualify on the Atlantic 85 in just four months

Lifeboats News Release

A training Atlantic 85 lifeboat was delivered to Aldeburgh in March. As a result of an intensive training schedule, as well as the four newly qualified helms, two people have achieved tier one boat crew, five tractor drivers and three head launchers have also successfully passed assessments.

RNLI

Four RNLI Aldeburgh helms qualify at RNLI Aldeburgh
For all crew, the qualifications are gained through a mix of eLearning and in-person training.

Many of the crew are fully trained on the current all-weather lifeboat, Freddie Cooper, and the inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, and some of these skills were transferable to this new lifeboat.

The newly qualified helms are: Adrian Burns, David Cook, Luke Cousins, Steven Osborne.
Tier One boat crew: Lucy Alexander, Sean Lane
Tractor drivers: Karl Barber, Ian Culf, Simon Eager, Guy Fleming, Kurt Pearse
Head Launchers: Paul Gittens, Caron Hill, Martin Quinn

Bryn Owen, Aldeburgh RNLI Lifeboat Training Coordinator has been in charge of the complex training schedules to ensure all crew get the necessary time at sea to practice all the relevant tasks for assessment.

He said: 'I'm so proud of the crew who have achieved qualifications earlier than the RNLI training assessor and I had planned. It is a testament to the dedication of all volunteers at Aldeburgh RNLI to make time for such an intensive training schedule. Head Launchers, Tractor Drivers and Shore Crew have continually turned up to support the boat crew to allow them to train and qualify. My final measure of success will be putting an Atlantic 85 on operational service.'

Notes to Editors
The all-weather lifeboat Freddie Cooper, which recently celebrated 30 years on service at Aldeburgh RNLI, will remain on service throughout crew training on the Atlantic 85. The inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, remains on service at Aldeburgh RNLI for the foreseeable future.

The RNLI was founded in 1824. More than 146,000 lives have been saved since 1824.

Aldeburgh lifeboat station has been operating since 1826 and has been part of the RNLI since 1852. Since formation, their lifeboats have launched 1,267 times and saved 693 lives.

The current generation of B class, called the Atlantic 85, was introduced in 2005 and is one of the fastest craft in the RNLI fleet.

Although designed to operate in shallower water, the Atlantic 85 can also handle fairly challenging open sea conditions. In the event of a capsize, it can be manually righted by an inflatable bag and the crew can quickly restart its inversion-proofed engines.

Length: 8.44m
Speed: 35 knots (approx 40 miles per hour)
Endurance: 3 hours max, until refuelling is necessary
Crew: 3–4
Weight: 1.8 tonnes
Engine: 2 x 115hp

RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Jo Litt, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer: [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or at [email protected]

RNLI/Jo Litt

Howard Bell, training Atlantic 85 lifeboat at RNLI Aldeburgh

RNLI/Jo Litt

Launching Howard Bell, training Atlantic 85 at RNLI Aldeburgh

RNLI/Jo Litt

Preparing for net recovery, Howard Bell, training Atlantic 85 at RNLI Aldeburgh

RNLI/Katie Turner

Launching Freddie Cooper, RNLI Aldeburgh all-weather lifeboat

RNLI/Martin Quinn

RNLI Aldeburgh inshore lifeboat Susan Scott

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.

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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.

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