Soldiers rescue barn owl 70 miles off coast while taking part in 2,000-mile race

A British Army sailing crew found themselves in an unexpected wildlife rescue operation after they spotted a barn owl struggling in the air.

The team aboard the Fujitsu British Soldier were competing in the 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race when they spotted the bird around 70 nautical miles off the Tyneside coast.

"We have an extra crew member for the latter parts of the race. An exhausted barn owl that we are nursing back to health," skipper Will Naylor reported to race officials.

He quipped that the additional passenger posed a logistical problem: "Someone is going to have to walk the plank!"

Ornithologists said the barn owl's location out to sea was highly unusual for the species.

Dan Goldsmith of Great Yarmouth-based Marine and Wildlife Rescue said barn owls do not migrate and lack any waterproofing on their feathers, making the creature extraordinarily fortunate to have encountered the yacht when it did.

Sergeant Mark Petherbridge of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, described how the bird initially tried to land on a crew member's head before tumbling from the mast into the water three times.

"We thought we'd lost her, but she kept fighting her way back up and to the boat," said Sergeant Petherbridge.

Eventually the exhausted creature collapsed onto the deck, where the soldiers wrapped it in a towel to keep it safe and warm. They provided food and fashioned a makeshift bed for the night.

The crew dubbed their unexpected passenger "Little Reg", a nickname used within Sgt Petherbridge's regiment, chosen because the owl simply refused to give up.

Her name was later amended to "Little Regina" once the team discovered their stowaway was female.

The sailing crew reached out to the Devon-based Barn Owl Trust, which in turn contacted Mr Goldsmith in the early hours of the morning.

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Mr Goldsmith then enlisted Paul Garrod, chairman and crew member of Caister Independent Lifeboat, to help retrieve the bird.

Coordinating the handover proved tricky, as the racing yacht was moving faster than anticipated and the team needed to intercept it without costing the soldiers any time in the competition.

Mr Goldsmith told The Telegraph. "We were contacted by the Barn Owl Trust, who asked if we knew anybody with a boat.

"I got in touch with Caister Lifeboat, they've helped us out a few times before, mostly seal-related, and they said immediately they could help."

The race, which set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on August 9, attracted 33 boats and 182 sailors representing 22 countries for the 1,805-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland.

Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace claimed overall IRC victory in the landmark anniversary event, edging out Palanad 4 on corrected time.

The Army Sailing Association crew, meanwhile, pressed on with their circumnavigation after handing over their feathered passenger.

Mr Goldsmith said the Little Regina was dehydrated and underweight but expected to make a full recovery.

He noted that barn owls are poorly suited to wet conditions, as their light frames leave them vulnerable to being blown off course by strong winds, while water can saturate their wings and drag them down.

The bird is now being cared for at a wildlife centre and should be released back into the wild once fully recuperated.