This parade, which took place on the Thames tideway on 3rd June 2012, formed part of the celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
In atrocious weather, 670 boats created a spectacle the like of which we shall never see again. At the heart of the pageant was our safety boat, The Stokes, crewed by Scout Leader Chris West and Sailing Instructor Chris Lee who were part of the contingent of safety boats protecting and supporting the small craft at the head of the procession.
This is an edited excerpt of George Barber’s “70 Years of Ajax and 65 Years an Ajaccio”, first published in the 2018 Ajax Group Annual Report