Letter: Nautical gender

I REGRET to see that the military neutering of the Royal Navy in the recent Defence Review is being compounded by its grammatical neutering.

Your report, (24 June) states that HMS Portland, now at Leith, is the fastest of "its" class and that "it" will be with us till Sunday. It won't. She will.

When the late Queen Mother launched the (now equally late) HMS Ark Royal she did not say: "May God bless it - and all who sail in it." We all know what she said.

Ships are feminine - and have been for two millennia since the first Roman navis (fem.) docked at Cramond. And why? Forget those cracks about their fine lines, tremendous firepower and being dressed overall. Ships and women have one central characteristic; both are, simply, wonderful.

(Prof) David Purdie

India Place Edinburgh