waters yesterday.

A woman received serious head injuries in a freak accident on board a yacht, another yacht sank and at least four others came away from their moorings.

Weather experts at the US Naval Oceanography Command Facility measured a maximum sustained wind speed of 28 knots, with gusts reaching 42 knots. A gale warning was issued by the Naval Base between 11 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday. Temperatures plunged to 59 degrees at around 5 a.m. yesterday.

No-one was reported injured on land but at sea a 48-year-old female crew member on the 70-foot sloop Donny Brook received head, face and dental injuries after falling from her bunk.

A Harbour Radio spokesman said that the woman was in urgent need of medical attention, but the crew had been given advice by the US Coastguard in New York.

The yacht was 200 miles off Bermuda when the accident happened and arrived back in St. George's late last night, when the woman was rushed to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Michel Crockwell-Laurent is today counting the cost of the gales after his 57-foot, carri-craft catamaran Aristocat sank off White's Island in Hamilton Harbour.

Mr. Crockwell-Laurent is owner of Sea and See Cruises which provides snorkelling and guided tours for visitors.

He said: "I have no idea what happened. It was all right at 3 a.m. and then at 7.30 a.m. I heard it was under water.

"I have about $180,000 invested in the business but hopefully, because it is winter-time, this should not affect it. If we can get things put right it should be business as usual by the time the season starts.'' In another incident close to the Palm Reef Hotel, in Paget, the 30-foot yacht Bandit was blown from its moorings onto rocks.

The yacht had to be towed to Red Hole to the Offshore Yachting and Maintenance Boatyard where it was found to have a large hole.

Marine Police had reports of another yacht blown onto rocks, three other boats ripped from their moorings and a possible report of a boat missing.

A Police spokesman said: "There is a lot of damage. These winds really do test everyone's mooring for them. Fortunately there have been no injuries.

"Everyone is rather happy that this gale is blowing itself out now.'' He said that the cruise liner Northern Ranger was delayed by the high winds on its trip to Bermuda. It had been reported 440 miles northeast of the Island and was not expected in St. George's until late today -- a day late.

Another yacht, the Bonefeco was reported in trouble and was due to rendezvous with the Marina Ace . The Harbour Radio spokesman said: "We have few details of what the problem is but the boat was 100 miles northeast of Bermuda, right in the teeth of the gale.'' The cargo ship Galveston Bay , enroute from Florida to Belgium, was also forced to divert to the Island yesterday afternoon, after a crewman fell and broke his leg during the gale.

Police reported no serious incidents of damage on the Island but the fire service was called to put out a fire involving two palm trees as a result of the high winds. The gale had blown an electricity cable onto the trees.