5 June 2008: Aker Yards has delivered a new fast day ferry for Oslo Line AS, part of Color Line. The vessel built at the Rauma yard is the second in the series of two Superspeed ferries.
“SuperSpeed2” will start on the route Larvik in Norway to Hirtshals in Denmark. With a service speed of 27 knots, the new ferry will be able to travel this distance in three hours 45 minutes, which is two hours faster than with traditional ferries.
The Superspeed ferries are ultramodern fast ships, which are revolutionizing the daytime cruising between Norway and Denmark. The sistership SuperSpeed1 was delivered in February 2008 and use three hours 15 minutes for the crossing from Kristiansand in Norway to Hirtshals.
The contract for two vessels worth approx. EUR 250 million meant 1 600 manyears of work to Aker Yards in Rauma.
The Superspeed ferries are also fast and efficient while they are in port. Trailers and cars are simultaneously loaded on two different decks, enabling unloading and loading to be completed in less than an hour.
“As each of our new deliveries, also SuperSpeed2 brings with it a number of innovations.
It features e.g. a clever radio-controlled loading concept for containers”, says Juha Heikinheimo, President of Aker Yards, Cruise & Ferries
“In addition to these fast ferries, Aker Yards has previously built two of the world’s largest cruise vessels with car decks for Color Line. We highly appreciate the reliance they as ship owners have placed on Aker Yards and are confident that we have a strong foundation to continue the cooperation with further world class vessel projects in the future”, Heikinheimo continues.
The approximately 211 metre long and 26 metre wide vessel has 2,000 lane metres of vehicle space and takes 1,900 passengers. There are no passenger cabins in the day ferry.
Aker Yards’ business area Cruise & Ferries consists of three yards in Finland and two in France, and has after today’s delivery a total of 13 passenger vessels in the orderbook.
As one of the world’s largest cruise ship builders and the leading ferry builder, the company has for years set new standards in vessel design, size, and comfort, both in the cruise industry and the ferry transportation market.
