KEEN sailor Henry Pritchard found himself at the centre of an air-sea rescue drama in the Irish Sea last week.

The retired dentist from Mildenhall was among a crew of five on a 40ft-yacht whose engine and radio had been knocked out by an unexpected force ten gale about 20 miles from land.

Mr Pritchard, 67, and a member of the Marlborough Probus Club, was invited to help crew the yacht Fast Wave II by its skipper Tom O'Connor, the commander of the Irish coastguard's helicopter base in Sligo with whom he had previously sailed in a round the world race.

Mr Pritchard said the initial leg of the journey around the Lizard was enjoyable but uneventful, although they had been warned to expect gale force six winds of up to 30knots.

However, as the yacht was about 20 miles off the south east coast of Ireland at about 4am on Thursday, it was hit by the force ten storm and faced winds of up to 50knots.

Mr Pritchard said: "The mainsail was probably kept up too long and we were overpowered. The winds just shredded the £4,000 racing sail."

As the conditions worsened, said Mr Pritchard, the boat heeled over on to her side twice, injuring two crewmen.

The crew was unable to start the engine because the boat's battery compartment had flooded and could not make a mayday call because the radio aerial had been damaged by the storm.

Mr Pritchard said: "To make things worse all of our rescue equipment at the back of the boat had been washed overboard."

The crew eventually attracted help by firing flares that were spotted by a tanker, and coastguard helicopters were dispatched along with the Rosslare lifeboat.

Mr Pritchard said his two injured colleagues were too badly hurt to be lifted by slings into the helicopter and had to remain on board for the rest of the journey.

He said: "We had the lifeboat in attendance for the rest of the journey."

The experience has not put Mr Pritchard, who flew home on Sunday, from going to sea again, he said.