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Think what you like about the royal family, but there’s no doubting the Queen’s sense of priorities. While she has chosen not to attend her own eldest son’s wedding next month, she has wholeheartedly agreed to spend a day in June bobbing about in the Solent watching boats go by.

Admittedly, there will be a few more boats than usual (around 150 at the last count) not to mention some rather large ones (three aircraft carriers are already confirmed), but it’s still good of her Maj to take a day out to come and celebrate the anniversary of some long-dead, one-armed sailor.

She won’t be disappointed. Trafalgar 200 promises to be the marine event of the year. Seeing one big naval ship steaming up the Solent is an event worth watching; seeing more than 100 of them filing through this narrow stretch of water is most boaters’ idea of a wet dream.

And here at MBM we are giving you the chance not just to view it from one of the pre-arranged anchorages but actually to take part in the sailpast. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to have your old tub reviewed by the Queen, so I strongly suggest you turn to page 6 to find out how.

One interesting nugget of information we have gleaned from the organisers is that her Royal Highness will be reviewing the fleet from the deck of a naval vessel painted red rather than the usual sombre grey. The official line is that this will help onlookers identify her, but I suspect the real reason is to support MBM’s campaign to save red diesel.

Clearly, ever since one’s Royal Yacht was confiscated, one has been looking for an chance to get one’s own back. Rest assured we’ll be sending the Queen a Red Alert campaign sticker for the window of the royal limo.

Hugo Andreae, 17 March 2005