Viking expert and rowing club to reveal volunteer training plans for project to sail longship reconstruction to Wirral

Jan 4 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

AN update on a project to bring the largest ever reconstruction of a Viking longship to Wirral will be given at a lecture next week.

Work to construct the 114ft Draken Harald the Fairhair is under way in Haugesund, Norway.

The vessel is due to be launched in June and will embark on its maiden voyage in summer 2013.

Wirral’s Professor Stephen Harding – who is in charge of co-ordinating the longship’s arrival in the borough – will talk about the project in a meeting at Liverpool Victoria Boat Club on Monday, January 9, at 2.30pm.

The lecture will be attended by Mayor of Wirral, Moira McLaughlin.

More than 150 people have volunteered to help row the boat into harbour when it arrives in Wirral and Professor Harding and Liverpool Rowing Club will also give an update on plans for training the volunteers.

Anyone interested in attending the meeting should e-mail Jim Bibby at the club in advance on Jimbibby anorak@aol.com or call 639 0354.