On Friday popstar Simon Le Bon was reunited with the former RNLI coxswain of the Falmouth lifeboat who was called to the rescue after the Duran Duran lead singer's yacht Drum capsized off Falmouth 20 years ago during the Fastnet Race.

Viv Pentecost, 73, who is now retired after more than 20 years with the RNLI, travelled to Cowes to meet up with many of the original crew of the renamed Arnold Clark Drum ahead of their second attempt at the 608-mile Fastnet Race, which started on Sunday.

The Drum reunion crew are raising money for the RNLI and hope their renewed attempt will raise awareness of the work of the volunteer lifeboat crews around the coast.

The current owner of the yacht, Scottish entrepreneur Sir Arnold Clark, has also donated a Ford car to be auctioned in aid of the RNLI charity. Just six hours into the race from Cowes, in August 1985, Drum capsized when the keel fell off near St Anthony and the crew were rescued by a Royal Navy search and rescue helicopter from Culdrose and the Falmouth RNLI all weather lifeboat. Viv, who remembers the service clearly, said: "As we approached Drum we realised that all the crew were sitting along the hull in a line.

"We launched the Y boat (on board tender) and transferred some of them to the lifeboat to take them ashore and then towed her in."

Simon Le Bon thanked Vivian and his crew, saying: "Thanks to you and your crew we are still here today. Many of the original crew are back together for this year's Fastnet and one of our prime objectives is to raise money and awareness of the valuable work of the RNLI, who were there to help us when we needed them."

On Monday, the crew of the Drum radioed that they "had a very historic moment at 0900 hours when we passed south of the original position off Falmouth where we lost the keel in 1985."