Douglas RNLI lifeboat was launched yesterday following the report of a yacht in difficulty about 10 miles off Douglas.

The 8.5m yacht with three people on board had left Douglas earlier in the day but once out of the lee of the island the wind ripped the yacht’s mainsail and when they were trying to make way under power the engine overheated rendering it unusable.

The yacht was without electrical power because of the engine failure and the skipper radioed for help.

The Douglas lifeboat, Sir William Hillary, under the command of volunteer coxswain Graeme Cushnie, towed the yacht back to Douglas.

It was berthed alongside the Kind Edward Pier where the coastguards were waiting to assist.

The three people on board were all suffering from sea sickness, one quite severely.

Coxswain Cushnie said: ’There was a nasty swell of some 2-3m running on the open sea making conditions decidedly uncomfortable.’