24/07/2013 00:00
TW
0
By Jason Moore WHEN the Captain of the visiting Royal Navy frigate Richmond was asked what port in the Mediterranean he would like to visit after a gruelling six month deployment protecting Iraqi oil platforms, he answered Majorca at once. Commander Mark Southorn has been to Palma on numerous occasions both with the Royal Navy and the French Navy (when he was an exchange officer) and he says that he just loves the place.

The same could be said for his crew of 200 who were looking forward to exploring the island but of course many had been here before. One of the Richmond´s officers, Lt. Commander Steve Spiller, has even competed in the prestigious King´s Cup sailing competition in Palma.

The Richmond is on her way home to Portsmouth and she is slowly getting rid of the layers of sand which had attached itself to the ship´s superstructure during her Gulf deployment.