BARMOUTH’s new £2.2M Shannon class lifeboat is to be officially named Ella Larsen.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday June 8 at the town’s lifeboat station. The lifeboat has been privately funded by the Basil Larsen 1999 Charitable Trust.

RNLI operations and safety director George Rawlinson will hand over the lifeboat to Barmouth lifeboat station and Ella Larsen will be officially accepted by Barmouth lifeboat operations manager David Baily.

The Shannon class lifeboat arrived in Barmouth in March and was officially placed on service. It has taken over from the station’s Mersey class lifeboat, the Moira Barrie, which has looked after lifesaving in Cardigan Bay for more than 26 years.

RNLI area lifesaving manager Lee Firman said: “Propelled by water jets, the Shannon is a very different lifeboat to its predecessor the Mersey class lifeboat. It is technologically more advanced and can reach speeds of 25 knots, compared to the 17 knots of the Mersey.

“It will enable us to provide a comprehensive search and rescue service across Cardigan Bay and reach people in trouble quicker than ever before.

“The naming ceremony will give the community and the crew an opportunity to celebrate this remarkable milestone and the beginning of a new chapter of lifesaving.”

David Baily, RNLI lifeboat operations manager for Barmouth said: ”A dedication service is an important day for any station and one we are very much looking forward to. Weather permitting our ceremony will take place outside the station, so we’re expecting people to come down and catch a glimpse of proceedings.

“I’m incredibly proud of how the volunteer crew have invested so much of their time to get to grips with this fantastic new lifeboat. The dedication will be a celebration of that achievement.