Aker Yard’s newbuilding No. 1362, the “Armorique” to be delivered for the French company Brittany Ferries towards the end of the year, was launched on the 7th of August in the Helsinki yard.

The vessel worth approximately 110 million euro is giving some 700 manyears of work for the yard.

The ferry is designed to carry passengers, cars and road cargo vehicles between France and the United Kingdom. Named after the national park in Brittany, it has been designed specifically for use between Plymouth and Roscoff.

The 167 m long and 27 m wide vessel has been developed in a close co-operation between the owners and the yard. She will be particularly fuel efficient as well as environmentally-friendly by keeping CO2 emissions to a minimum.

“Aker Yards is proudly building for Brittany Ferries this state-of-the-art ferry incorporating the very latest environmental technology”, says Juha Heikinheimo, President of Aker Yards, Cruise & Ferries.  “This new type of ferry strengthens our reputation further as a leading international supplier of modern, quality vessels”, he continues.

The speed of the ferry is estimated to 23 knots, while two-deck loading and discharge will allow for fast turnaround times in port. There will be 1,100 lane metres of vehicle space, i.e. for 500 cars or some 60 trucks.

With 1,500 passenger capacity Armorique will feature a large shopping area, dedicated areas for teenagers, a cinema, and a variety of bars, restaurants and lounges. There will be reclining seats for day passengers. A total of 250 cabins will provide overnight accommodation for a maximum of 780 passengers, including a small number of suites.

The hull of the vessel is identical to that of the Cotentin delivered from Aker Yards, Helsinki last year. The only difference in the vessels’ appearance is that Armorique has a much larger upper deck passenger area.