Tall tales: Stricken ship reaches safety

A TALL Ship that lost its twin masts in an Atlantic storm while carrying a party of schoolchildren has docked after being towed to safety by fishermen.

The Fryderyk Chopin from Poland lost both its 120ft masts as winds raged up to Force Nine 100 miles south-west of the Scilly Islands on Friday night.

A school party of children aged 14 were trapped on the craft as first its foremast and then its rear collapsed, sending the boat out of control in high seas.

After a rescue in which Cornish tuna fishermen towed the boat to safety, the 36 youngsters bedded down in a YMCA as crew and owners begin to address the massive damage to the classic craft. Crew member Margaret Wieczorek, 25, said of the storm: "It was terrifying."