A late-night boating trip ended in tragedy when a sailor who had been drinking drowned, an inquest was told.

The body of Roland Jeffrey, 41, of Stocker Road, Bognor, was recovered from the sea near the town's pier on August 25.

He had launched a sailing dinghy from the beach in the early hours of the morning but was tipped out of it and drowned.

The inquest at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester yesterday was told Mr Jeffrey had drunk enough alcohol to be one and a half times over the drink-drive limit.

His partner, Caroline West, of Park Road, Bognor, said he had woken her up about 2am that morning to tell her he was planning to sail his dinghy to Hayling Island.

She said it was the first time he had taken the dinghy out in 12 months.

He was seen by Helen Loose, of Devonshire Road, Bognor, who was having a party on the beach.

Miss Loose said Mr Jeffrey, who worked for Tesco in Bognor, appeared to be drunk and had asked for help to set up the boat.

She said the last time she saw him was at 3am when he set off.

A major air and sea search was launched after Mrs West realised he had not returned by Sunday lunchtime.

His body was pulled out of the sea near Bognor pier by a lifeboat crew who continued to search until the early evening after reports there had been two people in the dinghy.

But the inquest was told no other body was found and no one has been reported missing.

Pathologist Greg Montieth told the inquest Mr Jeffrey died from drowning.

His father, Frederick Jeffrey, told the inquest his son was a strong swimmer who had been sailing since he was a boy but he believed the dinghy looked unstable.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Roger Stone said it was unwise of Mr Jeffrey to have consumed the alcohol before deciding to set sail.

He said if anything good was to come out of his death it was that other people might learn from Mr Jeffrey's tragic mistake.