The Argentine Navy sail training frigate ARA Libertad is to pay an informal visit to Portsmouth next week.

The vessel is due to arrive on Bank Holiday Monday and leave to continue her training cruise on Friday August 29.

Libertad was last in the country a year ago when she visited London.

A fully-rigged ship, Libertad was ordered for the Argentine Navy in 1956 and built in Rio Santiago, Buenos Aires, by the naval shipyard Astilleros y Fabricas Navales del Estado SA.

She was launched in May 1956 and commissioned almost exactly seven years later, in 1963. In June that same year she began her maiden voyage.

Since then she has made 36 major voyages, visiting 492 ports in more than 76 countries and sailing a total of more than 760,000 miles.

In 1966 Libertad won the Great Medal prize when she sailed the 2,059 miles between Canada (Cape Race) and the UK (an imaginary line drawn between Dublin and Liverpool) at an average speed of 10.1 knots – a world record passage time of just over eight days and twelve hours.

Five years ago she won the American Sail regatta Prize when she took part in the precision race event between Savannah and Green Port on the Eastern seaboard of the USA, and she has six times won the Boston Teapot Trophy, awarded by the International Sail Training Association for the ship with more than 50 per cent of its crew under training and which covers the greatest distance only by sail in a period of 124 hours.

Commanding Officer Capt Andrew Roque di Vincenzo has a crew of almost 300 – 25 officers, 63 midshipmen, 189 ratings and various members of other Argentine services and young officers from other navies.

Each year the frigate also hosts more than ten officers from other navies.

Libertad is 103.7 metres long, has a beam of 14.3 metres and a draught of 6.6 metres, and displaces 3,765 tonnes.

She has 27 sails in a frigate rig on three masts and a bowsprit, with a total surface area of 2,683 square metres.

She also has two 1,200hp diesel engines, and has a maximum speed of 12 knots, though she cruises at eight knots.