Dozens of children and crew on board a tall ship were stranded 100 miles off the Westcountry coast after the vessel's twin masts snapped off in stormy seas whipped up by severe gale force nine winds.
Thirty-six sailing trainees, all aged 14, and 11 adults were on the Fryderyk Chopin, a Polish training sailing vessel, when disaster struck yesterday morning in the Atlantic Ocean south west of the Isles of Scilly.
This was the second in local waters in just three days after a blaze broke out on fishing processing ship the Athena, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
At the time of going to press, two container ships, the MSC Narissa and the Andromodar, had arrived near the Fryderyk Chopin and were acting as windbreaks for the floundering ship, which is one of the largest working brigs – a two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts.
The Nova Spero, a large Newlyn-based fishing trawler was due to arrive to throw a tow line to the Fryderyk Chopin and drag her back to the safety of Falmouth Harbour.
Helen Hudson, south west coastal safety manager for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "Although everyone is still on board they are in no danger. We are just arranging for another vessel –
article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS