Poor training and communication hindered the rescue of a skipper who drowned after falling from a yacht according to a new report.

Christopher Reddish, 46, of Grandinson Road, Battersea, fell overboard off Selsey Bill in West Sussex on June 18 last year.

He was still tethered to the boat but it took the crew, which included his son, 16 minutes to pull him back on board.

Mr Reddish was sailing in a 40ft yacht from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to Cherbourg, France, as part of the Morgan Cup Race.

He went overboard in rough conditions while a sail was being recovered.

A report published last week by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said communications on the boat were hindered because no replacement skipper had been nominated in case Mr Reddish was incapacitated.

A man overboard drill was not completed before the race, and recovery of a tethered man is not usually covered in yacht training courses.

The MAIB report said: "The prevailing conditions made the recovery of the skipper physically challenging.

"No one had been nominated to replace the skipper if he was incapacitated, initially it was unclear who was in charge which hindered communications."

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has since pledged to encourage the use of a dummy during training exercises and the need to nominate a replacement for the skipper.

An inquest on August 24 last year at West Sussex Coroner's Court concluded the death was accidental.