Cowes Week photographer ends up in the sea

A freelance photographer, thrown into the sea when his 16 foot RIB was in collision with a large yacht off Newtown, was eventually brought into Cowes by the local RNLI lifeboat.

The photographer had apparently maneuvered his borrowed RIB, Fletch, close to the Cowes Week racer, The Sisterhood, to get what he explained was an 'under bow shot'. But he failed to get out of the way in time; the 41 foot yacht ploughed into the starboard quarter, tipping him into the water, puncturing a section of sponson and buckling the metal A-frame.

Unhurt but clearly shaken by the experience, the man managed to climb back into the RIB which still had sufficient buoyancy despite the damage. His camera, too, appeared to survive the incident.

The RIB was initially taken in tow by a race committee boat until the arrival of Cowes lifeboat, helmed by Scott Armiger. The man transferred to the lifeboat, after which his damaged RIB was towed back to a commercial yard at Cowes.

The crew of the yacht, comprising 11 women and one man, continued to race following the collision, after being assured the man had suffered no physical injury. Back in Cowes later on, they had a friendly meeting with the ill-fated photographer.