Lisbon’s Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched a team from Peniche Port to help the skipper of the vessel, which ran into trouble around 14 nautical miles north of the Berlengas islands off Peniche.

The alarm was raised at around 7pm last night by the Frenchman when he realised his boat was going under.

He was spotted in a life raft and subsequently rescued by a Portuguese lifeboat just over two hours later. He was found to be in good health and refused hospital treatment.