As an experienced yachtie, and also having done a lot of flying ( unqualified ) sitting alongside the best Test Pilots, it strikes me as a 'Pan' call too, but if the rules say 'Mayday' then what the hell, as a previous poster said, it gives the airfield services something to do, and they're there in case the situation gets worse.
I'm saying this in the hope that it won't in some perverse way be held against the Captain's record - with large companies such as this, often with a 'human resources' dept. run by little girls, nothing would surprise me.
BTW When our airfileld's Personnel Dept changed into Human Resources - briefly, while they were dumping the most useful people, so I got away with it -, I asked them "why not go the whole hog and call it meat-based guidance & maintenance assets' ? "
I was met with a blank look - there's more to this story but I'll spare you for now.