YACHTSMAN Leslie Foulkes of Crudwell, drowned after the craft on which he was sailing broke away from its mooring in a storm in the early hours of April 10 and crashed on to rocks, an inquest on the Channel Island of Alderney heard last Tuesday.

Mr Foulkes was with Daniel Perchard, 47, who lives near Malmesbury, aboard the 30ft Hunter Legend Domino which arrived in Alderney from Dielette, France, at around 8pm on April 9.

The yacht moored on a visitor's buoy in Braye Harbour and both men, unable to get ashore, stayed on board.

But, the inquest was told, the weather deteriorated rapidly as forecast and, despite regular checks through the night of the two mooring lines by Mr Perchard, the boat's owner and skipper, the yacht broke from its mooring and crashed on to rocks at nearby Maggie's Bay at around 4am.

The vessel began breaking up and both men were swept overboard. Mr Perchard was rescued by a fishing boat whose skipper immediately raised the alarm that a man was missing.

The body of 54-year-old Mr Foulkes, an engineer, was discovered at 6am on the shoreline of adjacent Braye Bay by emergency service personnel searching the area.

A pathologist's report said the cause of death was drowning, but said Mr Foulkes had a head wound which would have rendered him unconscious. The time of death was given as between 4am and 5.40am.

The court was told that, although badly frayed, neither mooring line had broken. All visitors' moorings were found to be in good condition and secure.

The court returned a verdict of accidental death.

At the time of the accident, Mr Perchard, who had known Mr Foulkes for about six years, said: "It is unfortunate that we hit the rock where we did because if we had drifted 50 metres either side I am sure Leslie would have been alive today."

Mr Foulkes' funeral takes place at All Saints Church, Crudwell at noon tomorrow, followed by a private cremation.

Mourners have been asked to bring flowers. Mr Foulkes left two sons; Carl, who lives in Coventry, and Nathan.