The Duke of Kent, who is President of the R.N.L.I., made his first trip in a life-boat and took part in a life-saving exercise at sea during his visit to the Isle of Wight on 21st October.

The boat was the Jack Shayler and the Lees, which is a 48-foot 6-inch Solent type, and Coxswain Peter Smith was at the helm.

Welcomed at the airport by Sir Charles Baring, Bt., member of the Committee of Management and president of the Isle of Wight Life-boat Board, who represented the Chairman of the R.N.L.I., Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods, G.B.E., K.C.B., D.S.O., the Duke, who succeeded his mother, the late Duchess of Kent, as R.N.L.I.

President in 1969, toured Groves and Guttridge Ltd., East Cowes, whose yards have built more than 100 life-boats. Also visited were the Inshore Rescue Boat Centre belonging to the Institution at East Cowes, and the Yarmouth life-boat headed by Coxswain David Kennett who has only recently taken over. The 52-foot Arun class prototype life-boat took the Duke from the island back to Portsmouth..