Introduction: HMS Raider and Cambridge URNU

HMS Raider is an Archer Class P2000 Patrol craft, used for training purposes by the Cambridge University Royal Naval Unit (CURNU). Based in Portsmouth, HMS Raider is used to conduct training operations at weekends and during vacation periods, when student members of CURNU are familiarised with such elements of Navy life as navigation, seamanship and mess duties. A University Royal Naval Unit or URNU is a Royal Navy training establishment connected to a University, or an number of universities concentrated in one geographical area. ... -1... There are several traditions of navigation. ... Seamanship is the art of operating a ship or boat. ...

The University Royal Naval Units (URNUs)

The fourteen URNUs represent and support leading Universities across England, Wales and Scotland, with the dual aims of educating students in "the need for and role of the Royal Navy, and to develop awareness of career opportunities in the Service". While the URNUs as a whole are commanded by Commodore BRNC (the officer-in-charge of the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth), individual URNUs are each commanded by a RN Lieutenant who also takes command of that URNU's P2000. Each URNU comprises roughly 51 undergraduates who join for up to three years of their study period. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Commodore has several meanings: Commodore International is a computer company Commodore 64 and Amiga were home computers Commodore (rank) is a naval rank Commodore (yacht club) is the senior officer of a yacht club The Holden Commodore is a type of car The Opel Commodore is a type of car... Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, is the location of initial officer training in the Royal Navy, and is located on a hill overlooking the town of Dartmouth in the county of Devon, England. ...

Cambridge URNU, despite the name, serves and represents the University of East Anglia in Norwich as well as the Cambridge based universities, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge. Other URNUs similarly recruit from one or more universities. The famous ziggurats of the student accommodation at Norfolk Terrace, photographed in January 2004. ... Norwich (pronounced variously Norritch or Norridge) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England, and the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. ... Anglia Ruskin University, formerly known as Anglia Polytechnic University, is a university in the United Kingdom, with campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford. ...

Ship's Capabilities

HMS Raider is one of sixteen 20 metre, 54 tonne P2000 Patrol craft employed by the Royal Navy. All sixteen P2000s fall within the Navy's First Patrol Boat Squadron with fourteen of these being affiliated with various URNUs. As a Batch 2, HMS Raider has a theoretical top speed of 24 knots, but can hit 30 knots under the right sea conditions. Faster than her Batch 1 sister ships, HMS Raider's more powerful engines literally give the Cambridge URNU the ability to sail rings around other URNUs when on joint deployments.

The only other Batch 2 P2000 is HMS Tracker which is affiliated to Oxford URNU. Three vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Tracker: Tracker (D24), an escort aircraft carrier Tracker (LST), a Landing Ship Tank Tracker (1997), a 49-ton patrol boat This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...

Crew

In addition to her Captain, HMS Raider has a permanent crew of four members of the Royal Navy. When HMS Raider is on deployment, these five full time members of the RN are joined by up to twelve students and by one of CURNU's four Training Officers (TOs). All TOs are Lieutenants in the Royal Naval Reserve, with the most senior taking the title of Senior Training Officer (STO). Students in CURNU are initially ranked as Officer Cadets, becoming honorary Midshipmen in their second and third years. Captain is both a nautical term and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... A Lieutenant is a military or paramilitary officer. ... The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. ... For the fishes called midshipman, see Midshipman fish In the navies of English-speaking countries, a midshipman is a low-ranking commissioned officer, usually the lowest rank. ...