NEWPORT A squall just west of Goat Island on Tuesday night could have ended in tragedy. But members of the boating community acted quickly.

Newport Harbormaster Timothy Mills said the squall affected a larger swath of Newport waters, but was particularly intense near Goat Island, where sailboats were racing.

People on harbor tours and fellow racers pitched in to help when boaters were in distress, said Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport.

"It was a team effort by many, many in the Newport community who sprang into action," Read said. "People just dropped what they were doing and saw that there was going to be a problem out there."

Mills said a 22-foot Ensign was swamped in the squall and towed to Sail Newport by staff. "They did a really great job," he said of the Sail Newport staff.

An Alerion Express 28 "was just raised [Thursday] morning. It completely sunk," Mills said. An S boat that had sunk had not been raised yet as of Thursday, and Mills said he was still waiting to hear of the salvage plan.

The squall, a high-intensity wind that blows for a short period, was reported to have escalated from five to 60 knots in about 30 seconds, Mills said.

No injuries were reported.

The wind picked up so quickly that the sailors "didnt have time to reduce their sail," Mills explained. "Didnt have time to prepare."

Read said he was proud of the Sail Newport staff on the water and their efforts to assist; he mentioned Ian Maccini, Peter Cronin and Becca Read his daughter.

"Its a tight-knit group," Mills said of the boating community. "You go to another mariners aid, no matter what thats the golden rule."

ldamon@newportri.com. Follow Laura on Twitter @LauraDamonNDN

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Newport sailing community jumps into action after squall sinks boats in bay - The Providence Journal