IT WAS the day the world's two most famous liners took a bow in front of an audience of thousands in their home port of Southampton.

Queen Mary 2, the biggest passenger ship ever built, and the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 made a rare appearance side by side and received a standing ovation all along the waterfront.

The best seats in the house went to 50 lucky Daily Echo readers who won a competition in the newspaper to attend a champagne reception on a specially chartered boat to watch the sail-past of the two Cunard Queens.

As the 151,400-ton megaliner QM2, that entered service only last year, pulled away from the city's Western Docks she dwarfed the flotilla of pleasure craft, yachts, motor boats and even jet skis that followed in her wake as the massive vessel made her way past Mayflower Park packed with sightseers.

For the full story and other Southampton shipping news - click the 'Shipping' link at the top of this page.