Lowestoft lifeboat was called out in the early hours of this morning to help the crew of a yacht that had lost its rudder.The 30-foot yacht, with a crew of three, had hit the Holm sandbank off north Lowestoft.

Lowestoft lifeboat was called out in the early hours of this morning to help the crew of a yacht that had lost its rudder.

The 30-foot yacht, with a crew of three, had hit the Holm sandbank off north Lowestoft. Although they recovered the rudder, the damage to the yacht could not be repaired, leaving them unable to steer it.

The lifeboat crew managed to attach an emergency drogue - a canvas funnel-shaped sea anchor - to the yacht at about 2am and towed it back to Lowestoft harbour.

The crew sailed from Stavanger, Norway, last Friday and were on passage to the south of France.

The unexpected stop saw that yacht back at Lowestoft for the first time in about 30years, when it was in the port soon after being built.