Cowes: First female helm for island's lifeboat

Libby Finch will take charge of the station's lifeboat, Sheena Louise

The first helmswoman has been appointed at Cowes RNLI Lifeboat.

Olivia Finch, known as Libby, will take command of the station's Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Sheena Louise.

Ms Finch, 40, said she joined the island's lifeboat crew being "a sailor all my life, I was keen to also volunteer with the local lifeboat".

She will helm the lifeboat on rescue operations in the Solent and River Medina alongside the station's five male helms.

The Queen opened the RNLI lifeboat station in Cowes in 2012 during the last day of her Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK

With a number of female crew members at the station, she said: "Perhaps there will come a time when all four crew members responding to a shout will be women."

When she's not volunteering for the RNLI Ms Finch works as fundraiser with the Cowes-based Ellen McArthur Foundation, a charity set up by the solo sailor.

The lifeboat station at Cowes was established 1989 and taken over by the RNLI in May 2008.

It was opened by the Queen on 25 July 2012 during the final day of her Diamond Jubilee tour.

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