Hi Razor61,
The Irish Coastguard S-61 SAR helos radius of action is 200nm. Any shouts further than that are usually done by the UK Military SAR SeaKings as they have an hours extra fuel. This has been standard practice for awhile now. Or the Irish will wait and launch so as to meet the vessel when it comes into the magic 200nm range, but if it's an urgent case and can't wait, the Poms will do the job, as it looks like in this case.
Also that far out it could possibly be in the UK's SAR region anyway as their region curls around Ireland and out into the Atlantic.
I bet you a pint of Guinness it's a Spanish fisherman they're going out to!
