| What a Photographic Opportunity |
The Willventure II Joins The Three Queens In Southampton.
This was a one-off unmissable occasion when all three Cunard "Queen'' Liners the Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 & Queen Victoria gathered together in their home port of Southampton for the first and last occasion. The williams ‘Wilventure’ Fast Passenger launch was commissioned by Cunard to take two official photographers out on Southampton Water to record this historic event.
The Wilventure II provides an excellent platform for the photographers and camera personnel to get into the action and capture the scene as it unfolds.
A flotilla of yachts, motor launches, pleasure craft and even canoes joined the cruise liners in Southampton Water. Once the QM2 slowly moved away from her berth in Eastern Docks, she began her sedate progress up towards the Queen Victoria alongside the City Cruise Terminal and QE2 at the nearby 105 berth.
As QM2, escorted by two harbourmaster launches, and Queen Victoria came together the first fanfare of deep-throated blasts from the two vessels' whistles echoed out across the city.
Then it was the turn of QE2, with her distinctive, booming whistle, to join in the salutes as QM2 came to a stop and, despite her huge size of 151,000 tons, performed a delicate pirouette before starting her return trip down past the other two ships.
Once again the air came alive with the sound of the ships' whistles and at one point as the QM2 came level with Marchwood a loud siren on the shore joined in the noisy greetings.
Before the QM2 departed Southampton Water, the Wilventure II then came alongside and the two photographers rejoined the vessel via the pilot rope for the trip to New York.
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