A whole host of waterborne and shoreside activities are being planned to celebrate the return of Lively Lady to Portsmouth this weekend. The historic wooden yacht has just completed her second circumnavigation, and will sail the last leg home from the Channel Islands to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth Harbour, arriving in the Solent early on Saturday 5 July.

Acting as official escort will be HMS Mersey, who will rendezvous with the yacht near Bembridge Ledge around 0900 on Saturday morning. A flotilla of spectator boats – many of them classics – is also expected to accompany the yacht on the last few miles from No Man’s Land Fort into Portsmouth Harbour itself. PBO’s very own Jake Kavanagh will be aboard Lively Lady to record events as they unfold.

The 60-year-old yacht should dock around 1300, and after a press call, members of the public will be invited aboard to have a look around, although there will be a ticketing system so it doesn’t get too crowded.

Ashore, there will be a wide range of shoreside exhibits, including a marquee in the central plaza telling the story of the yacht, and what it has achieved recently with her relays of crew made up of young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. There will also be a model boat display in the central canal, a demonstration by Triton divers, a classic car exhibition, and a live band to build the atmosphere.

The activities will continue on Sunday, with another chance to look around the boat and enjoy the shoreside entertainment.

So if you want to be part of the welcome home fleet – and skipper Alan Priddy and his crew would love to see you there – drop an email to livelylady@livelylady.net and make sure you’re off the Solent forts by around 9am on the 5th July.

It should be a very memorable day!