When a new ship is launched, she is named by a Lady Sponsor. HMS Daring will have a Royal launch on Wednesday as the Lady Sponsor will be Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.

When a new ship is launched, she is named by a Lady Sponsor. HMS Daring will have a Royal launch on Wednesday as the Lady Sponsor will be Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.

Everyone knows that when a ship is launched the Lady Sponsor breaks a bottle of Champagne on the bow and names her with the words “I name this ship”. What is less well known is what happens when the bottle breaks.

Daring is currently sitting on top of two wooden platforms called a sliding way and a standing way. If it were free to do so, the force of gravity would cause the sliding way to move over the top of the standing way and all that’s stopping that from happening are four triggers.

When the bottle breaks, BAE Systems Naval Ships’ Harbour Master John Tibbs will push a button which will release the triggers and Daring will accelerate to five metres per second as she slides into the Clyde.

The electronic mechanism which releases the triggers has been carefully designed to ensure that the release does happen but if it should fail there are four men with sledgehammers whose job it is to knock the triggers out manually.

As she starts to move into the river, Daring will quickly accelerate to between five and six metres per second (11-13 mph). The job of slowing her will fall to 680 tonnes of drag chains which were attached to the ship in December. The chains are forty tonnes heavier on the port side so that as she slows she will also turn downriver.

Following launch Daring will move a few hundred yards downriver to number 2 dry dock where the remainder of the work will be carried out.

Launching a warship is a massive logistical exercise. BAE Systems Naval Ships Harbour Master John Tibbs is the man responsible for making the launch go smoothly as well as pushing the button which launches the ship when the champagne breaks.

Daring will build up a significant momentum during her journey down the slipway. In order to arrest her speed there are 680 tonnes of drag chains attached to her. As there are more chains on the port side (the left side as you stand on the ship looking at the bow) she will also turn downriver as she slows.

Obviously, we can’t see the launch until it happens but these computer Generated images give an idea of what will happen on the day.

Daring will be the seventh RN ship to bear that name. Her distinctive crest recalls a young Roman soldier, Gaius Mucius, who was threatened with torture for trying to kill an enemy king. To prove he was not afraid he thrust his right hand into a brazier until it was completely burned. Read more about the history of Daring here: http://www.baesystems.com/type45/type45_5.htm

At approximately 14:25 today HMS Daring will be launched as HRH the Countess of Wessex says the words ’I name this ship Daring’