A COMPETITOR in the Volvo Ocean Race who hails from New Quay has expressed outrage at plans to downgrade the lifeboat at his home port.

Trystan Seal, bowman on the Volvo Ocean Race yacht Scallywag, which lost a man overboard off Cape Horn, said: “You can’t put a price on people’s lives.”

As the Volvo Ocean Race arrived in Cardiff last week, the 26-year-old was "incredulous" to learn of RNLI plans to replace New Quay’s all-weather lifeboat with a smaller Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

Critics say this will leave a gap in all-weather search and rescue provision of 63 miles, the only lifesaving hole of its kind along the English and Welsh coastline.

Speaking before leaving for Gothenburg on the penultimate leg of the 45,000-mile race today, Trystan said: “I was pretty outraged when I heard they were going to downgrade the New Quay lifeboat – I think it is an unnecessary thing to do.

“What is there at the moment seems to work and I don’t think they should be downgrading it to an Atlantic 85 and restricting the weather capabilities – it’s quite a big hit for the community and safety at sea in New Quay.

“On Scallywag, when we were sailing form Auckland to Brazil, unfortunately we lost a man overboard and, having been in a situation like that, you know the helplessness you feel on board a boat in really rough weather, when you really want that help and it’s not available. It’s a scary place to be.”

Scallywag’s crew safety officer, John Fisher, 47, was knocked over the side of the boat 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean and was never found.

“My family are generations of New Quay sailors, that’s where we have always sailed and where I grew up and, with the increased traffic in Cardigan Bay, there is going to be more need than ever for an all-weather lifeboat,” added Trystan.

“It is ridiculous to leave such a big gap in the service by the RNLI. You can’t put a price on people’s lives.”

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