Visitors can board Sir Alec Rose's legendary yacht at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

A yacht made famous by Sir Alec Rose’s solo round-the-world voyage will return to Portsmouth this weekend as part of the city’s centenary celebrations.

The 36ft ketch Lively Lady is due to sail into Portsmouth Historic Dockyard at noon on Saturday (July 4) before berthing at Boathouse 4, where visitors will be able to step aboard the vessel for the first time since 2019.

The yacht shot to fame after Southsea greengrocer Sir Alec Rose completed a 28,500-mile solo circumnavigation between 1967 and 1968.

Built in Calcutta, India, in 1948, Lively Lady was bought for Sir Alec by his wife in the 1960s. He had originally intended to begin his round-the-world voyage in 1966, but delayed his departure, allowing Sir Francis Chichester to become the first person to complete a solo circumnavigation.

Sir Alec eventually set sail in 1967 and returned to Portsmouth on July 4, 1968, after spending 353 days at sea. Thousands lined the waterfront to welcome him home and he was knighted later that year.

The yacht is now owned by Portsmouth City Council and was leased to local charity Around and Around, founded by multiple world record-breaking sailor Alan Priddy.

Mr Priddy, who watched Sir Alec’s famous homecoming from Southsea Common as a child, recreated the voyage between 2006 and 2008 with 38 young people from Portsmouth crewing the yacht in stages.

He later led a volunteer restoration of Lively Lady, with more than 4,000 hours spent repairing, rebuilding and overhauling the vessel before she returned to Portsmouth in 2018 to mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Alec’s voyage.

Following that anniversary, the yacht was loaned to the Sea Scouts, who have used her to teach young people to sail.

On Saturday, Mr Priddy will be waiting at Boathouse 4 to take Lively Lady’s lines as she returns to her home port once again.

He said: “Lively Lady is coming home to help Portsmouth celebrate its 100th birthday. She has been away for a few years, spending time in Kent where she has been used to train and inspire the next generation of young British sailors, just as Sir Alec inspired me all those years ago.

“It’s incredible, but 37 world and national records later and I am still in awe of what he achieved and remember standing on the Common cheering his return.”

“At school we followed Sir Alec’s progress, plotting his journey on a map with pins and learning about each country he visited, each ocean he sailed through and his diet, which seemed to consist almost entirely of stout and corned beef.

“When he arrived back in Portsmouth, this rather shy man shunned the limelight in favour of speaking to young people about his voyage and encouraging us to learn to sail. I am delighted that we have been able to bring Lively Lady, a British maritime icon, back to the City for Portsmouth 100.”