In early August, the Dock Express ship will sail into Browndown Bay, five miles to the north east of Cowes, and sink! Not literally of course, but on Tuesday 14 August it will flood its flotation tanks and lower itself gently deeper into the water so that its very special cargo of 35 yachts can float off into the Solent and make their way to their Cowes moorings for the America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta.

The Dock Express is a 500-foot long semi-submersible ship inspired by military style landing craft with a big open bay in the stern that can accommodate several dozen large yachts in a dry dock environment with their masts still stepped.

Onboard the Dock Express, chartered specifically to bring the US America’s Cup Jubilee fleet to The Solent, quickly, cheaply and without risk of damage, will be 35 boats from all generations including a myriad of 12-Metres, classics and moderns, along with some of their owners’ Superyacht tenders.