^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Severn Area Rescue Association (United Kingdom)

SARA

by Jan Mertens, 6 December 2006

Description of the pennant

Description of the Pennant

SARA or Severn Area Rescue Association is a voluntary body (no paid staff) active in the River Severn estuary and its upper reaches and is, according to its homepage is:
“the largest independent lifeboat service in the UK, second only to the RNLI, with 8 operational boats and approximately 150 personnel. SARA currently operates from three stations. These are located at Beachley, near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Sharpness in Gloucestershire and Wyre Forest.” (The RNLI is not active there.) SARA was founded in 1973, became a registered charity three years later and launched its firs boat in 1977. (See ‘The Fleet’ for details on those.)

Also present on the site is the ‘SARA Shop’ showing, among other things, a blue pennant bearing the association’s logo. The said logo – at least as shown on the pennant – consists of yellow stylized initials ‘SARA’ with a short blue wave standing in for the last letter’s horizontal bar. Round this emblem the full name is written in yellow letters. Perhaps SARA uses a rectangular flag as well?
Jan Mertens, 5 December 2006

The SARA rapid deployment craft (RDC) does not appear to have the facility to fly any flag: http://www.sara-rescue.org.uk/news54-sbf.htm and SARA 2 seems to fly the United Kingdom red ensign, plus a blue pennant, probably the one described.
Colin Dobson, 7 December 2006

I wonder whether the pennant isn't just a way for e.g. yachtsmen and other small boat owners in the area to show their support for SARA by spending money with them and displaying a decorative pennant. Compare the burgees and "hoist flags" which the RNLI sell - see www.rnlishop.org.uk/products/rnli_exclusive/1. That doesn't stop them being real flags, of course.
André Coutanche, 7 December 2006

Andrea Stanley, Executive Secretary of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), wrote to me on 10 December 2006: "SARA only use the small pennant on boats and a large version of same at stations on open days, no rectangular ones at all."
Colin Dobson, 11 December 2006