IT IS AN EXCITING day for Rhyl Lifeboat crew today who are gearing up to greet their new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat Anthony Kenneth Heard.

On Wednesday, October 9, RNLI volunteers set off from the charity's headquarters in Poole, Dorset, and started the journey to bring the new £2.5m lifeboat home.

Her homecoming is expected to be quite a spectacle on Sunday; supporters will be given the opportunity to see three generations of lifeboat side by side.

Former Oakley class lifeboat Har-Lil, current lifeboats Lil Cunningham and the station’s current D-class lifeboat Mary Maxwell will greet the lifeboat.

Martin Jones, Rhyl RNLI Coxswain, said: "Bringing this lifeboat home will be one of the proudest moments in my RNLI career.

"We cannot thank the community enough for doing their bit to make this a reality and we know they’ll be here in their droves to welcome her home."

The new modern lifeboat is larger, faster, more manoeuvrable and safer and has the potential to save more lives off the North Wales coast.

It is driven and steered by water jets instead of the conventional propellers and rudders. The Shannon can also turn in her own length or stop almost instantly making going alongside a casualty to take off casualties a much safer option.

The lifeboat also has an increased speed of 25 knots as against 17 knots for the current Mersey class lifeboat.

The community pulled out all the stops to raise £150,000 towards the modern new vessel, which was achieved in under a year.

The appeal was closed by the charity’s biggest fan Darcey Payne-Burgoyne, who donated her £150 pocket money to close the appeal earlier this year.

The Ysgol Bryn Hedydd pupil, who has been counting down the days until the arrival of the new lifeboat, will be in attendance today.

Those wishing to see the new Lifeboat are invited to attend Rhyl harbour at 12pm and Rhyl Lifeboat Station from 12.15pm.