RNLI holds official naming ceremony of lifeboat funded by Ferraris
Melanie May | 29 April 2019 | News
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has held the official naming ceremony of a Shannon class lifeboat funded by the legacy of the late Richard Colton who left two classic Ferraris to the charity in his Will.
Businessman Richard Colton passed away in March 2015. A collector and restorer of classic cars for 40 years, he left the RNLI two of the world’s rarest Ferraris. Both went to auction, a 1960 red Ferrari 250 GT SWB sold for £6.6m, while a silver 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 sold for £1.93m – making the vehicles the most valuable items ever left to the RNLI in a single legacy.
Part of this has been used to fund the all-weather lifeboat Richard and Caroline Colton and launch and recovery system for the lifeboat, which is stationed at Hastings. Designed in-house by RNLI naval architects, the Shannon class lifeboat was introduced to the RNLI’s fleet in 2013. The Shannon class is the first of the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats to be powered by water-jets rather than traditional propellers, making it the most agile and manoeuvrable lifeboat in the charity’s fleet.
The special ceremony, held at the lifeboat station, was attended by a large crowd who were welcomed by the RNLI’s crew and volunteers, along with the family of Richard Colton and dignitaries.
RNLI Hastings Coxswain, Phil Jones, said:
“The naming ceremony and service of dedication is a very special day for everyone associated with the lifeboat station, and we are so grateful to the legacy of Richard Colton, for making this happen. His legacy will enable the station to carry out our lifesaving work and serve the community of Hastings.
“Six out of ten lifeboat launches are only made possible by legacies, large and small, left to the RNLI in people’s wills. These gifts pay for the training and equipment we as lifeboat crew rely on when we launch into the unknown, in all weathers, day or night to save others.”
Mrs Jo Adams, cousin of Richard Colton who performed the naming duties on the day, said:
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“As Richard’s first cousin and sadly the last surviving Colton, I, together with all my family and his friends are immensely proud of this wonderful gesture! It is of even greater significance personally because my husband and I have always been keen offshore sailors and recognise full well what the RNLI means to the sailing community amongst many others.”
Main image: The £6.6m Ferrari, the newly named Hastings Lifeboat and the Hastings RNLI volunteer crew. Credit: RNLI/Kt Bruce
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.