Ferry saves crew after boat sinks

Five of the yacht's crew were taken aboard the Pont Aven

A Plymouth-based cross-channel ferry was diverted on Tuesday morning to rescue the crew of a historic yacht which had sunk.

The Brittany Ferries' Pont Aven got a rescue call from the Tho Pa Ga which was sinking off Brest in France.

The ferry picked up five Spanish crew from a liferaft after three were picked up and flown to hospital by a French helicopter. All crew are safe and well.

The Pont Aven was en-route from Santander in Spain to Plymouth.

'Efficient reaction'

The Tho Pa Ga, a 1924-built Ibiza-based yacht, was sailing to Brest in France for a yachting festival.

At 0135 BST on Tuesday the crew reported seawater coming into the boat and alerted rescue services.

The Pont Aven diverted 25 miles (40km) to the yacht which by the time it arrived had sunk amid 25 knot winds and 4-5m high waves.

Captain Gilles Quere told BBC News: "There was no choice about turning back. We had to go and help.

"Our crew are trained for such situations.

"It was an efficient and well-managed reaction."

Holidaymaker Sharon Russell, from Bridgewater in Somerset, said: "It was all happening around us, very exciting.

"The rescue was extremely quick."

The Pont Aven was about an hour and half late arriving in Plymouth on Tuesday.

Organisers of Festival Brest 2008 thanked the crew of the Pont Aven.

The crew of the Tho Pa Ga are returning to France.