from Daily Telegraph report
The scale of the event’s ambition was signalled by the first vessel in the flotilla: a 180ft floating belfry weighing 12 tons whose eight specially cast bells pealed non-stop for the hour and a half it took to reach Tower Bridge, echoed by returning peals from every church and cathedral it passed.
Immediately behind was the newest boat in the Pageant; the gilded and magnificent royal rowbarge, Gloriana, which gave spectators a flavour of a previous Elizabethan age as its 18 oarsmen, led by the multiple Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave, powered the 94ft vessel downstream.