Squall Prompts a Mayday at Boat Race
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From Times Wire Reports
A sudden squall struck a fleet of small boats racing off the southern coast of England, capsizing 78 vessels and setting off an air-sea rescue that ended with all 156 sailors being rescued. The race began in calm weather, but the squall blew in by the afternoon, severely buffeting the 18-foot catamarans, small high-performance sailing vessels. When the coast guard recognized the scale of the emergency, it relayed a mayday, which brought 10 private boats to aid in the rescue.
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