Call to report unmarked pots and fishing gear entanglements

In a new drive to make coastal sailing safer, the RYA and the Cruising Association are calling on sailors navigating around Britain's coasts to report any entanglements with discarded fishing gear or unmarked lobster pots and other fishing creels.

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Poorly marked lobster pots and static fishing gear remain an often invisible hazard faced by sailors.

With a fouled rudder and propeller, a yacht is quickly disabled, becoming a potential hazard to other craft, as well as creating safety issues and potentially endangering the lives of those onboard.

The issue was highlighted by Kirstin Jones, this year's winner of the Brian Black Memorial Award, with a striking image of discarded fishing gear thoroughly entangling her yacht Wandering Albatross.

Sailing in Barbuda in the Caribbean her boat was caught in the nets in rough sea, but she managed to sail the steel 43-footer slowly without engine into a sheltered anchorage where it took over an hour to free the hull and propeller.