Ten crew members were evacuated from a racing vessel in Poole Bay on Sunday morning after a fire on board.

The drama happened just after 11.30am off Bournemouth and involving a forty foot yacht Magnum, taking part in the weekend's International Paint regatta.

Other boats in the vicinity came to assist in the rescue operation said RNLI spokesman Richard Selby.

The RNLI all-weather lifeboat, City of Sheffield, was also launched.

The fire was under control within a short time and the boat was towed into Poole to be met by Dorset Fire and Rescue Service as a precautionary measure.

There were no injuries. The alarm was raised as the vessel was about a mile south of Bournemouth Pier.

The fire was believed to be the result of an electrical fault.