Larne RNLI will officially name its new Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat, Machiko Nancy, at a ceremony in East Antrim Boat Club on Saturday, 18 July. The lifeboat entered service in February and replaces the station's Trent class lifeboat Dr John McSparran, which served the Larne coast for 25 years.
The new vessel was largely funded by Michael Cameron and his late wife, Machiko, through the Cameron Family Charitable Foundation. Machiko Cameron, who died in 2020 after a short illness, was one of the charity's founders.
Born in Vancouver to a Japanese-Canadian family, she qualified as an accountant in both Canada and England and Wales before retiring in 2010 to pursue gardening and dancing. Michael Cameron will attend the naming ceremony.
Additional funding came from the estate of the late Dr Maureen Beryl Bruce Murray, a former GP and NHS leader in Croydon. She developed a long-standing admiration for the RNLI and its volunteer crews, inspired in part by her wartime experiences and her love of the Cornish coast.
The Shannon class is the RNLI's first modern all-weather lifeboat powered by waterjets rather than conventional propellers. Designed by RNLI engineers, it offers greater manoeuvrability and can be launched from a beach, slipway or while afloat.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Larne RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Jonathan Shirley said: "This is a special day for our lifeboat volunteers, our families and all our supporters as we prepare to officially name our wonderful new lifeboat in memory of Machiko Nancy."
"We are proud custodians of this lifeboat, which will go on to rescue and save many lives in the years ahead," he added.
Established in 1994, Larne RNLI has launched 707 times. Its all-weather and inshore lifeboat crews have assisted 775 people, with 43 lives saved.
