Good start to Norman Arrows’ Dover-Boulogne service

French cross channel ferry operator LD Lines new high speed ferry Norman Arrow has had a good first week in service after her maiden voyage on 6 June, with extremely encouraging load factors, Norman Arrow is a 112m wave-piercing catamaran from Tasmania’s Incat and is the largest ever fast ferry to operate on the cross channel ferry routes between England and France.

The 40 knot vessel is also the world’s largest diesel-powered catamaran, the first 112m Incat to operate in Europe and the first ever freight carrying high speed vessel to operate across the Dover Straits.

Norman Arrow can carry 1,200 passengers, 417 cars or a combination of up to 30 freight vehicles and 195 cars. The ability to carry freight was the main reason behind LD Lines entering the fast ferry market. Crossing time between Dover and Boulogne is just one hour, with four return sailings being provided daily.

LD Line’s first fast ferry is on a long term charter from her owners, London-based Montrose Global Capital LLP (MGC), with the French company having a purchase option to acquire the ferry at any time over the next 10 years. LD Lines managing director Christophe Santoni told ‘Off Radar’ that the company was looking at a second 112m Incat for the Dover-Boulogne run and a decision on a second vessel would be made after ‘fine tuning’ the existing product. He is also interested in Incat’s latest 125m design and this could possibly be the vessel that could be introduced on a talked-about fast ferry route between Portsmouth and Le Havre. LD Lines already operates two conventional ferries on this route.   Sphere: Related Content