LLANDUDNO RNLI Lifeboat Station will welcome its new £2.2 million lifeboat this Sunday.

After months of hard work and preparation, excitement is building ahead of the arrival of the first Shannon class lifeboat to be stationed on the Welsh coast.

RNLI volunteers have travelled to the charity’s headquarters in Poole, Dorset to take part in a week’s  training before bringing the lifeboat named William F Yates on the 400-mile journey to Llandudno.

The vessel, due to arrive in  Llandudno, at midday will be met by the town’s Mersey class all-weather lifeboat and D-class inshore lifeboat and escort her around Pen Trwyn to her new home.

The lifeboat is the first to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making her the most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet, designed to replace the station’s existing Mersey class lifeboat Andy Pearce, reaching the end of her operational life.

Capable of top speeds of 25 knots, it is nearly 50 per cent faster than the Mersey.

Graham Heritage, Coxswain of Llandudno lifeboat, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Llandudno RNLI and it’s a great honour for all on board to be chosen and to be given the responsibility of bringing home our brand new all-weather lifeboat.

“Hopefully the local community will join the RNLI volunteers and supporters in welcoming home Wales’ very first Shannon class lifeboat this Sunday.

“Welcoming an all-weather lifeboat is always a big occasion for every coastal community. As we’re expecting quite a crowd on the day, we would like to ask our supporters to leave plenty of time to make their way safely over to the new lifeboat station in Craig-y- Don.”