Sir Alec Rose's yacht to circumnavigate for a third time

Sir Alec Rose‘s Lively Lady will return to Port Solent later this month to make her permanent home there.

The round-the-world yacht was the first boat to enter the marina when it opened in April 1988 and she will return on June 24 at 1200.

The 36-foot cutter carried Sir Alec around the world in 1968, a year after Sir Francis Chichester completed his circumnavigation on Gipsy Moth IV.

Sir Alec’s was a more amateur voyage than Sir Francis’ and he was knighted by the Queen a day after returning to Portsmouth on July 4 1968.

In 2008 Lively Lady circumnavigated again, crewed by 38 young people, which led to the founding of the Around and Around charity.

Around and Around continues to use the yacht to help disadvantaged youths overcome their limitations and after a complete refit the charity aims to take Lively Lady on its third circumnavigation.

But, for the time being, she will settle in Port Solent.

Around and Around founder Alan Priddy said: ‘We’re delighted that Lively Lady will be able to call Port Solent her home for years to come – their joint history alone makes it the perfect home for her but it’s also great that the location will make it so easy for the people of Portsmouth to see her, help bring her back to life and become a part of her future as well as her past.’

Port Solent and Around and Around are hoping to create an on-site exhibition about the boat and the charity, which will include memorabilia from both circumnavigations.

The local pub, a Wetherspoon’s venue previously known as Lloyds Number One Bar, will change its name to The Sir Alec Rose. The company’s chairman, Tim Martin, said: ‘We believe that The Sir Alec Rose is the perfect name for our pub in Port Solent.

‘The renaming of the former Lloyds Bar in honour of Sir Alec Rose coincides with his boat, Lively Lady, returning to a mooring directly outside our pub in the marina.

‘We are delighted to be involved with such an important feature of the area’s history. Pub staff will also be involved in fundraising for the charity, which is set to restore Lively Lady.’

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