HUNDREDS OF BOATS SURROUNDING GIPSY MOTH AS IT SAILS UP PLYMOUTH SOUND; SPECTATORS MASSED ON SHORE; FIREBOAT HOSING SALUTE (NATURAL SOUND); ARMADA OF BOATS APPROACHING PLYMOUTH HOE; GIPSY MOTH WITH SAILS DOWN; SIR FRANCIS CHICHESTER WALKS ASHORE; SHAKES HANDS WITH LORD MAYOR AND REPLIES TO SPEECH OF WELCOME (SOF); SIR FRANCIS AND LADY CHICHESTER DRIVE OFF IN OPEN CAR.



TRANSCRIPT: SIR FRANCIS: "THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MY LORD MAYOR. I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH YOUR LAST SENTENCE THAT I'D LIKE SOME PEACE AND QUIET ALTHOUGH YOU WOULD THINK HAVING BEEN FOUR MONTHS ALONE I'D HAD ENOUGH PEACE AND QUIET. BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD VERY MUCH TO GETTING ASHORE AND TASTING SOME OF THE DELIGHTS OF SHORE LIFE AS A CHANGE FROM SEA LIFE."




Initials RM/V/MGT/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A HUGE ESCORT OF UP TO 500 BOATS LARGE AND SMALL, AND SOME 250,000 PEOPLE MASSED ON THE FORESHORES OF PLYMOUTH HOE, ON THE ENGLISH SOUTH COAST, GAVE A HERO'S WELCOME HOME LAST NIGHT (SUNDAY) TO SIR FRANCIS CHICHESTER AS HE ARRIVED IN HIS YACHT GIPSY MOTH IV AT THE END OF HIS SOLITARY VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD. HE STEPPED ASHORE TO BE OFFICIALLY GREETED BY THE LORD MAYOR OF PLYMOUTH, AND MADE A BRIEF SPEECH OF THANKS BEFORE GOING OFF WITH HIS WIFE TO SPEAK TO WORLD NEWSMEN AT PRESS CONFERENCE.

THE LAST FEW MILES OF THE 28,500 TRAVELLED BY SIR FRANCIS DRAGGED INTERMINABLY FOR HUGE CROWD MASSED IN THE DRIZZLING RAIN ON PLYMOUTH HOE AS THE AFTERNOON DRAGGED TO A CLOSE AND THE LIGHT BEGAN TO FAIL. AS GIPSY MOTH NEARED THE BREAKWATER SURROUNDED BY ITS HUGE ESCORT FLEET A 10-GUN SALUTE BOOMED OUT FROM THE SHORE. A FIREBOAT SPRAYING JETS OF WATER HEADED THE PROCESSION AND HUNDREDS OF MAST-HEAD AND NAVIGATION LIGHTS GLITTERED IN THE DUSK.

LADY CHICHESTER AND THREE OR FOUR OTHERS BOARDED GIPSY MOTH AND ONE BY ONE ITS SAILS WERE LOWERED AND ITS ENGINES STARTED TO BRING THE 53 FOOT (16 METRES) KETCH IN UNDER ITS OWN POWER. FINALLY GIPSY MOTH PICKED UP ITS MOORING AND THE LAUNCH TO TAKE SIR FRANCIS ASHORE CAME ALONGSIDE. SIR FRANCIS STEPPED ASHORE TO BE GREETED BY THE LORD MAYOR OF PLYMOUTH, WHO SAID THE WHOLE WORLD HAD WATCHED HIM FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS WITH ADMIRATION. SIR FRANCIS REPLIED: