MORE than 60 people were helped by coastguards after a fierce gale disrupted a sailing competition off the Dorset coast.

They included a yachtsman who fell into the sea in the middle of a force seven gale.

Other sailors were injured on board their vessels and had to be taken ashore to get medical help.

The yachts were taking part in the Royal Ocean Racing Club De Guingand Bowl race from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg when they hit rough seas in the dead of night.

It was a frantic few hours for Portland Coastguard's rescue centre in Weymouth which received numerous calls.

The cruise liner Aurora and another yacht responded after a man was reported overboard from the yacht Grandee off Anvil Point.

He was pulled back on board after a few minutes but the rough conditions hampered an attempt to lift him on board a rescue helicopter so the yacht headed for Weymouth escorted by lifeboats.

A lifeboat also went to the aid of the yacht Jeu D'Espirite which had a crew member with head injuries. The vessel was met by an ambulance in Weymouth.

Coastguards kept a watching brief over the yacht White Knuckles which had a crew member with head injuries, and the yacht White Knight 5 which had a crew member with torn ligaments. Both vessels made their way to Poole.

The yacht Simply The Best retired from the race with an injured crew member who had fallen down a ladder and suffered rib injuries. Nine people on board the yacht Dark Star called for help after losing their mast. It was towed to safety by a lifeboat.

A lifeboat also went to the aid of a fatigued crew from the yacht Leo Lady which had engine failure.

Elsewhere over the weekend, the Portland rescue helicopter was scrambled to airlift a diver thought to be suffering from decompression sickness following a dive east of the island.

The casualty was taken to the recompression chamber at Poole.

Coastguards maintained a communications watch over the chemical tanker the ORUBA after it developed problems off the Dorset coast. The vessel restarted its engines and resumed passage for Bordeaux.

Police and coastguards investigated a report of a woman thought to be suicidal in the area of Poole Harbour. She was found and handed over to police.