SUPERFAST THE LAST HALF DOZEN
Twenty-seven years after the operation was first created, only Superfast XI from the original 12-strong series built at four different German yards in the space of just seven years remains in service for Superfast Ferries. She is still fully employed on her original route from Ancona in Italy to the Greek ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras.
While Superfast XI now figures in a joint service between Superfast and fellow Greek operator ANEK, the other 11 former Superfast vessels continue in service with seven different operators, including Stena Line, which uses Stena Superfast VII and VIII for the Irish Sea North Channel service between Cairnryan on Scotland’s Loch Ryan to Northern Ireland capital Belfast, following a successful conversion from night to day ferries.
The former Superfast III and IV run between Devonport, Tasmania and Melbourne in Australia for TT-Line Tasmania as Spirit of Tasmania I and II, while Brittany Ferries’ recently sold Cap Finistère, originally Superfast V, to Grandi Navi Veloci as GNV Spirit.
Russell Plummer completes a look at the Superfast Ferries ships, which first came to prominence during the 1990s, when the initial pair was introduced.
This brings the Grimaldi Group’s Superfast tally to three, with their line-up also including the former operating as along with which was The Mediterranean fleet of Corsica Ferries includes the original as ; the former is now for Corsica Ferries; and series pioneer, the original , is still going strong in the Baltic as for Poland’s Unity Line.
