The St Ives RNLI lifeboat that can withstand a hurricane
The RNLI is aiming for every all-weather lifeboat station in the UK to have the latest water-propelled super-boats that are currently being built in Dorset.
Exmouth, Ilfracombe, and St Ives already have a state-of-the-art Shannon Class lifeboat, which is twice as fast as its predecessor.
Watch the St Ives lifeboat in action
The Shannon Class is the first lifeboat to be powered by water jets rather than propellers. It pumps 1.5 tonnes of water through its jets every second.
This makes it:
Safer for casualties in the water
Much more manoeuvrable
Fast - with a top speed of 25 knots
Mechanic Robin Langford says she's as tough as they come.
The Shannon class is completely self-righting. If it's turned over in rough seas it will pop back up and is totally watertight.
Watch this RNLI video showing the lifeboat demonstrating its self-righting ability
The Shannon's design means it can come to a halt in three seconds flat and can beach onto the sand. That's essential in St Ives where the tide line is often hundreds of yards from the boat house.
If the boat does land on the beach, the team deploy their vast Supacat launch and recovery system, which takes it back to the St Ives boathouse.
The Shannon class also pushes the boundaries of the RNLI's lifesaving abilities. It's capable of surviving a force 12 gale - that's a hurricane.
The Shannon class lifeboats are being made in-house by the RNLI's own team of engineers at the purpose-built All Weather Lifeboat Centre at Poole in Dorset.
They cost £2.1 million to build but they will be in service for 25 years, saving countless lives in the process.
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