HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate based at Devonport, will interrupt a period of intense training off the south coast by making a three day visit to the port starting on Friday.
While HMS Portland continues her training and refreshes her operational capability she will also provide a great chance for the people of Cornwall to meet the crew. The ship will be open to visitors on Sunday from 1pm to 3.30pm at County wharf. Visitors will be able to tour inside the frigate below and above decks to capture a little of what life is like as a sailor in the Royal Navy today.
Commander Mike Utley, the commanding officer, is looking forward to the Falmouth visit. He said: "This visit will provide a valuable and enjoyable training opportunity for all involved, as well as allowing members of the public to come onboard and see what we do first-hand."
HMS Portland will have staff from the Royal Navy's Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) organisation, based in Devonport, on board for the Falmouth visit. The training staff will assess the ship's ability to deal with a series of challenging scenarios staged by the trainers over the weekend.
These simulated events could, for example, include a fire simulated by smoke canisters for realism, a casualty or a maritime pollution incident. This training is vital to ensure that the ship's company understand the appropriate initial reactions to any emergency to prevent escalation.
The ship began her sea training five weeks ago with the ship's company undertaking increasingly challenging simulated serials to ensure that they are ready to deploy effectively worldwide.
The penultimate in a class of 15 ships, Portland achieved a top speed of 30.8 knots during contractor's sea trials in the summer of 2000 and claims this as a record across the entire class.
The ship visited Falmouth in October 2004 shortly before her Lynx helicopter crashed into the sea off the Lizard killing all four crew members aboard it.
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