A former Pendennis Cup winning yacht was involved in the rescue of a lone sailor who got into trouble in the Bay of Biscay last night.
The crew of the classic scooner, Mariette, answered a call from Falmouth Coastguards for assistance.
An emergency radio beacon on the Norwegian yacht Ghost was activated after it began taking on water.
Mariette was among a number of vessels that responded to a request from the coastguard, who were liaising with maritime rescue centres in France and Spain.
The Mariette was able to get alongside the Ghost and passed over a handheld VHF radio for the yachtsman to speak to the coastguard.
Two crew also boarded the yacht and helped pump the bilges dry.
Skipper Trevor Murphy said: "The crew are all trained to react quickly and professionally to a whole host of safety and rescue scenarios.
"To find ourselves in the centre of a real emergency situation was a valuable example of the importance of regular training and servicing of all ship's safety equipment.
"The whole crew are relieved that no-one was hurt and are proud to have been of assistance."
Simon Dennis, watch officer at Falmouth coastguard said: ""This incident demonstrates how important it is to be well equipped when you head out to sea.
"We recommend that owners of leisure vessels are fully equipped with all the necessary communications equipment and life saving apparatus.
"Having an EPIRB (rescue beacon) meant this yachtsman was located quickly, however he did not have a VHF handheld radio to be able to communicate with those that responded to his distress call."
Mariette is now escorting the small cruising yacht to safety in La Coruña on the North coast of Spain.
The yacht won the Pendennis Cup in Falmouth last year and is a regular at the town's Pendennis Shipyard for work.
