50 years ago Southsea Seafront was packed with well wishers keen to witness the home coming of Alec Rose as he sailed his 11 metre yacht Lively Lady into harbour having completed his single handed voyage around the world.
Lively Lady was made famous when Southsea greengrocer Alec Rose completed his single-handed trip around the world
He was later knighted by H M the Queen
Now Sir Alec Rose’s iconic sailing boat, is to recreate her famous homecoming following a major refurbishment programme on Saturday, 28thJuly.
Volunteers will sail in her from the Eastney Cruising Association along the entire length of the seafront before entering Portsmouth Harbour and sailing to Port Solent.
The yacht will arrive at the Port Solent lock, shortly before 3.00pm, before taking up residence at the popular shopping and leisure destination, which will become her new home, close to the bars, restaurants and shops of the Boardwalk.
The 11m (36ft) long yacht, with her distinctive pale blue hull, was originally built as a sloop in 1948 of paduak wood by S. J. P. Cambridge in Calcutta. Rose added a mizzen mast before setting off around the world.
Between 2006 to 2008 Alan Priddy, founder of the Around and Around charity, circumnavigated the globe aboard yacht Lively Lady.
On that occasion she was crewed in stages by a group of 38 disadvantaged young adults.
In 2009 Lively Lady was leased by Portsmouth City Council to Around and Around for 25 years so the charity could maintain the vessel and use her for training.
In 2011 the charity announced that they would raise funds for a major refit programme and to mark the 50thanniversary of the historic voyage, they would retrace Sir Alec’s footsteps and once again sail around the world.
The restoration got underway in October 2018 at the Hayling Yacht Company. The work was undertaken entirely by volunteers, who have donated more than 450 days of labour to the project.
The yacht will be sailed into Port Solent, which is celebrating its 30thanniversary, by Mark Smith the Chairman of the charity Around & Around.
Mr Smith will be joined by ocean racing sailor Alan Priddy and other volunteers who have worked on the boat during an eight-month restoration programme.