THE Princess Royal is scheduled to arrive in Bermuda today for a special reception aboard the US Coast Guard cutter Eagle as part of the celebrations marking the centennial Newport-Bermuda Race.

She will be hosted by the US Consul General Gregory Slayton.

Princess Anne, a sailing enthusiast who has visited Bermuda frequently, is expected to participate in several of the race ceremonies at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

The Eagle is a square-rigged cutter measuring a staggering 295 feet long with a beam of 39.1 feet and a fully-loaded draft of 17 feet. The elegant Tall Ship is a awe-inspiring sight with all her sails deployed measuring some 20,000 square feet.

The purpose of the ship is to train US Coast Guard cadets and officers but will be used for ambassadorial purposes while in Bermuda.

The ship will be available for tours open to the public once it comes to port some time today.

"Bringing the Eagle to Bermuda to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Newport-Bermuda race is just one more example of the close relationship existing between the United States, Bermuda, and the United Kingdom," Mr. Slayton said.

"We have been strong allies for centuries and we continue to build on that partnership, for the benefit of all, for the 21st century."

Mr. Slayton will escort Princess Anne around the ship as well as being her host for the ceremonies to take place aboard the Eagle.

"The reception for Her Royal Highness will be one of the highlights for me of the Newport-Bermuda Race," said Mr. Slayton. "It will be my great pleasure, along with Commanding Officer of the USCG Barque Eagle, E.J Shaw, to escort Princess Anne around the ship, which offers technology often described as demanding and anachronistic."

The Princess Royal will be presented with the first of just 100 special commemorative plates by Peter Cooper on behalf of the RBYC to mark the centenary of the race.