The police said they had been alerted by an angler who was near where the 10-metre "El Viento" was in trouble.

When the police arrived they saw the yacht was in “a fairly bad condition” and exposed to the elements and since the crew were in danger, they were encouraged to abandon the vessel.

The rescue on Tuesday night saved the two crew members, who were suffering from hypothermia.

The yacht suffered some damage to the deck but there was no obvious damage to the hull even though the vessel was grounded in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Better weather conditions later on Wednesday meant the yacht could be refloated and towed to Faro for inspection.