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9:08 PM Fri 23 Jan 2009 GMT
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This picture of a daring rescue by the UK's Royal National Lifeboat Institution(RNLI) in a force nine gale in the Irish Sea has won the RNLI's photographer of the year award.
Hanna Nuuttila's winning image was captured during an attempt to save the crew of a 35ft yacht, which was in trouble in high seas.
The aim of the competition is to document the lifesaving charity's work. Ms Nuuttila is a volunteer at New Quay lifeboat station in Ceredigion, and she took the photograph last September.
The picture shows an all-weather lifeboat from Pwllheli coming to the aid of the sailing yacht, Galasma, in force nine gales, high waves and poor visibility.
The RNLI said the rescue on 6 September last year was a 'long and arduous' one for volunteer lifeboat crews from New Quay and Pwllheli. Weather conditions were bad with very rough seas, poor visibility and severe gale force winds.
Ms Nuutilla recalled the day New Quay lifeboat launched to rescue five people on board the yacht.
'The yacht, which was about 20 miles (32km) north of New Quay, had experienced total failure of its electronics and engine,' she said. 'Weather conditions were bad with very rough seas, poor visibility and severe gale force winds.'
She added: 'Having reached the yacht after about an hour and a half, we took the yacht under tow and made way towards Aberystwyth, but due to the severe weather conditions and wind direction the coxswain decided to tow the yacht north towards Pwllheli.'
After nearly five hours at sea, the New Quay crew handed the rescue over to Pwllheli lifeboat.
by Sail-World Cruising
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Mount Wellington, TAS
