Hastings will get a brand new lifeboat in time for the stations 150th anniversary celebrations. The new inshore lifeboat, brought entirely from public donations, will go on service exactly 150 years to the day since the RNLI began to operate in Hastings.

The new boat will be called the "Daphne May," after Daphne May Lovegrove, a life-long supporter of the RNLI, who raised money for the Institution for over 50 years in the Rye and Winchelsea area. A major donor to last year's lifeboat appeal was Martin Lovegrove who wanted to name the boat after his mother. Mr Lovegrove and members of his family will be at the naming ceremony, which will be held on 5th April and will form the opening event in a weeklong celebration to mark the stations 150th birthday.

The new boat is presently being built at an RNLI boatyard on the Isle of Wight. Its completion in time for the 150th celebrations has now been confirmed.

The design of the RNLI's inshore lifeboats has continued to evolve since their introduction over 40 years ago. The boats are small and highly manouverable; making them ideal for rescues close to shore. The new Hastings boat is both faster and better equipped than the present one. It will have a top speed of 25 knots (or 30 miles an hour), a range of 3 hours at maximum speed, and better radio and navigation equipment to help crews respond more quickly to search and rescue operations.

Hastings certainly needs its new boat. In 2007 alone the inshore boat launched 28 times and rescued 23 people. Also last year Senior Helmsman Simon Hodgson and crewmembers Glenn Barry and Sloane Phillips each received bravery awards following the rescue of a swimmer in 2006. In very difficult conditions the swimmer was found face down in the water and recovered to shore, but unfortunately later died. Hastings Coxswain Martin Philips is thrilled at the prospect of the new boat: "It's great news. The generosity of Mr Lovegrove and everyone who donated means we will now have our new inshore lifeboat and enough money to maintain it and train the volunteer crews who use it. I'd personally to extend a big "Thank You" to all those who made this possible."