Dutch sailing yacht loses mast off the coast of Shetland

A Dutch sailing yacht lost its mast in the North Sea near the coast of Shetland on the morning of August 15. The vessel, identified as a Dehler 44 belonging to De Zeezeilers van Marken, was sailing southeast from Lerwick when the mast broke approximately 27 miles east of Bressay.

Six people were on board at the time of the incident, but no injuries were reported. The RNLI Lerwick lifeboat responded to the alarm at 03:36 and reached the yacht shortly after 05:00. Two RNLI crew members boarded the vessel to secure the broken mast and cut away loose rigging and sails.

Following the assistance, the yacht was able to return to Lerwick under its own engine power. The lifeboat accompanied the vessel until it arrived safely at Victoria Pier around 13:00. While the cause of the mast failure remains unknown, the RNLI noted that the hull appeared largely undamaged.