Stormfest recreates rescue from 160 years ago

A gig boat wrapped in the colours of a 19th Century lifeboat formed the centrepiece of Torbay RNLI's StormFest to mark 160 years since the Tynmouth lifeboat was pulled to Torquay in 1866 to rescue sailors from that winter's Great Storm.

Members of Brixham Gig Club honoured the 1860s Brixham Angels who lit beacons using whatever they could to help guide stricken vessels to harbour.

More than 100 sailors died during the storm which led to the opening of Torbay's first Lifeboat station later in 1866.

Torbay RNLI's volunteers hosted a day-long series of events in-and-around the bay on Saturday to commemorate the rescue and the crews who risked their lives to help sailors in trouble at sea.

The boat was pulled from Teignmouth through Torquay before it was launched and rowed across Torbay to Brixham.

The journey recreated the 1866 rescue when the Teignmouth RNLI crew hauled their lifeboat overland to Torquay to help rescue sailors in danger in the bay.

Gig captain Amy Plowman said the Brixham Angels "were burning bedding, clothes, furniture just to keep those fires going all night, so and I think we probably haven't celebrated them enough so it's good to be doing it now".

Richard Burden who is a crewman with the Torbay Lifeboat said the epic journey was: "Something that is unimaginable, for all the the community to come out and pull the boat over the hills and then launch it and then obviously row without the power of the motor or all the aids that we've got now in incredible seas."

Torbay is one of the UK's busiest stations and lifeboat's coxswain Richard Fowler told BBC Spotlight: "We still go to sea on dirty days, but we don't put up with what they had to put up with.

"We close the door if it's windy, they had no doors to close."

A flotilla of boats including lifeboats from other Devon RNLI stations accompanied the gig before a service of remembrance was held in Brixham, followed by a live music and food festival.

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