Sea Cadets to gather for TS Royalist farewell

Hundreds of Sea Cadets will gather at Petrol Pier to say farewell to the TS Royalist later.

The 43-year-old ship has taken 30,000 cadets on offshore voyages, but will sail into Gosport for the ship's decommissioning ceremony at Fisher Blockhouse, Gosport from 9.45am - 12.30pm.

TS Royalist was commissioned 1971 by HRH The Princess Royal and built by Groves and Gutteridge Ltd in Cowes. Since then the ship has sailed 212,850 nautical miles - nine times around the world, taking 900 Sea Cadets on an offshore voyage every year.

In 1971, TS Royalist received the Lloyd's Register Yacht Award for the 'best constructed, best designed and best equipped vessel for its purpose.'

The ship will be replaced with a new flagship, a 32m brig.