A PARTY of drunken sailors were seriously hurt when they crashed their speedboat into a breakwater in the Solent.

The four men and one woman, aged from mid-thirties to mid-fifties, had been at the Cowes Week sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight.

Hampshire Police told them they were too drunk to try to drive their rigid inflatable boat (Rib) back to Hayling Island but the group ignored the advice and set off yesterday at about 11pm yesterday.

They had no lifejackets or lights on the boat when they hit the breakwater at the entrance to West Cowes harbour at speed.

Crew on board a motor boat called Delfini saw the badly-damaged vessel and the crew trying to berth on the town quay and called for help.

Coastguards, ambulance and police attended and found three of the crew seriously hurt, two with head injuries and one with a spinal injury.

They were taken to hospital and Hampshire Marine Police and Cowes harbour authorities are investigating the incident.

Nigel Guyll, Solent Coastguard watch manager, said: "These Ribs are capable of 60mph. You wouldn't dream of driving down the motorway at 60mph drunk.

"They were taking a terrible risk. If they had hit something mid-Solent flat out at 60mph, it would be a different story.

"No lifejackets, no lights on the vessel whatsoever. They are very lucky they hit the breakwater and didn't go out into the Solent."

He added: "It's illegal on a commercial vessel to drink but that law hasn't stretched to the leisure trade yet. But they are going to change it.

"Any sane person would want that law changed."