A 28ft yacht, which was heading for Lowestoft from Scarborough in Yorkshire, had to be rescued after suffering engine failure.Wells lifeboat rescued the yacht Pepsand at 5.

A 28ft yacht, which was heading for Lowestoft from Scarborough in Yorkshire, had to be rescued after suffering engine failure.

Wells lifeboat rescued the yacht Pepsand at 5.30pm on Thursday, July 3 as it drifted dangerously close to a new wind farm off Skegness.

The all weather lifeboat was called out after the yacht got into difficulty five miles off Brancaster in an area known as Burnham Flats.

The yacht, with two men on board, was on its way to Lowestoft from Scarborough when the engine overheated due to a faulty water impellor which should keep the engine cool by pumping cold water around it.

The headwind and tide meant the boat could not make headway under sail and by the time the lifeboat reached them at 6.30pm it was just two miles east of the wind farm.

The yacht was towed back to Wells where it stayed overnight and its impellor was repaired so it could continue on its journey to Lowestoft on Friday morning.

Wells lifeboat press officer John Mitchell said: “Anything in the sea is a hazard and the crew of the Pepsand did absolutely the right thing in calling the coastguard. “They called before they got into immediate danger but I am sure they were very relieved to see the lifeboat.”