the ball cage sleeve 56 toward the end of the release tool 50 urges the gripping balls 60 up the tapered grooves 54 until the gripping balls 60 project from the sleeve 56 and engage the internal wall of the locking sleeve 17 once the gripping balls 60 engage the locking sleeve 17 the release tool 50 is pulled back out from the male connector 3 the friction between the locking sleeve 17 and gripping balls 60 cause the gripping balls 60 to be urged further toward the end of the release tool 50 thereby increasing the force with which the gripping balls 60 engage the locking sleeve 17 the release tool 50 therefore pulls the locking sleeve 17 toward the nose cone 13 against the spring loading of the locking sleeve 17 until the ball grooves 41 are adjacent the locking balls 39 and the latch pin feet 31 are centred over the depressions 21 in this position the locking balls 39 are free to move into the ball grooves 41 and the male connector 3 is therefore unlocked from the female connector since the male and female connector assembly is intended in use to be substantially vertically oriented the male connector and attached bend stiffener are pulled down against the action of the gripping balls 60 by gravity consequently the release tool 50 and male connector 3 remain coupled together even after the male connector 3 is unlatched from the female connector 5 the coupled release tool 50 and male connector 3 are then lowered down out from the female connector 5 as shown in fig5 and recovered as the male connector is removed from the female connector the latch pins no longer abut the inner surface of the female connector and are urged radially outwardly by their.