Isle of Wight Cowes Week 2023 visit for Royal Navy ships

For the third year running, a guardship is performing its ceremonial role.

Standing guard this year is HMS Tyne — an 80 metre-long patrol vessel, with small, close arms capability.

Commissioned in July 2003, and with a ship's company of 45, the vessel is usually based in Portsmouth. Its main role within the navy is to survey, protect and deter.

Lieutenant commander Hugo Floyer, commanding officer HMS Tyne. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

HMS Tyne off Cowes. (Taken from East Cowes). (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

However, for the duration of the regatta, the huge grey ship will sit just off Cowes and its crew will get the chance to come ashore to share the Navy's work.

"There's a long history between the Isle of Wight and the Royal Navy, particularly with the Royal Yacht Squadron", Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Hugo Floyer, whose grandfather attended the former Naval college based at Osborne House in the 1900s, told the County Press.

"We're delighted to be here and spread the word of the Royal Navy, what we do, and support not just the racing but engagement with the town and everybody here.

Accompanying the HMS Tyne this year is Royal Navy inshore vessel, HMS Puncher.

At 20-metres, it is considerably smaller than the Tyne but its role is no less important.

The ship is primarily used for navigation and has five permanent crew. The Isle of Wight County Press was invited aboard to take a look around.

Lieutenant Alex ‘Snowie’ Snow is HMS Puncher's Commanding Officer. Being from Ventnor, and with family still living here, his arrival to the Island is somewhat of a homecoming.

He told the County Press: "Most recently HMS Puncher has been used to trial some underwater autonomous vehicles, looking particuarly at seabed warfare and the future of how we implement those technologies on smaller utilitarian craft like Puncher.

"I'm absolutely delighted to bring my vessel home and get my old scout group onboard and show off really what the Navy is to the Isle of Wight and to kids who haven't been exposed to that kind of thing before."

The role of the vessel at Cowes Week is to support HMS Tyne and take people to and from the vessel.

The tradition of a guardship returned for Cowes Week two years ago, after a 25 year absence.

In 2021, HMS Ledbury was moored off the Island and in 2022, it was the turn of HMS Severn.