The skipper of a New Zealand-registered yacht died after becoming entangled in a powered winch off the Isle of Wight, according to a Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report.
Lyall Babington, 74, was sailing the vessel Mollie with three crew members when the accident occurred on 5 August 2025, 2.8 nautical miles south-west of the Needles Lighthouse.
The vessel had left West Wittering earlier that day, bound for Poole. Babington, who lived aboard Mollie, had been sailing around the world for three years.
While attempting to raise the storm jib, Babington’s hand was caught in a rope around the inboard powered winch. The winch activated, pulling him tightly onto the drum and causing fatal injuries.
The aft cockpit winches on Mollie Credit: MAIB
The MAIB report noted the inboard winch had a known fault. “The control switch sometimes caused the winch to continue to operate after it had been released,” the assessment stated.
There was no emergency stop or immediate way to cut power locally. Shutting off the winch required isolating the 24V DC power supply from a switch in the forward cabin.
The RNLI and a rescue helicopter responded after a Mayday was issued at 1218. Babington was declared dead on board at 1305.
The MAIB’s preliminary findings also confirmed the winch installation had not been part of a mass-produced system and was likely fitted by a small boatyard.
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