Brittany Ferries starts new year with new ship order

Following the placement of an order for a new freight ship, Coutances II, in August last year, leading ferry company, Brittany Ferries, has confirmed it has signed a letter of intent with the Finnish Aker shipyard to build a new passenger ship, Bretagne II.

The new vessel will be used on the Plymouth-Roscoff route replacing Pont l'Abbé, on short-term charter, in the autumn of 2008.

She will be identical to Coutances II from the keel to deck 5, above which the decks will be given over to cabins and public areas.

David Longden, Managing Director, added: "Bretagne II, which incidentally is only a project name, is being specifically designed for the Plymouth-Roscoff route and will provide new levels of comfort for our passengers. The recent sale of Val de Loire and the charter of Pont l'Abbé were both elements in the larger plan to upgrade our fleet to become the most modern and certainly the most comfortable on the channel."

Note to Editors: Bretagne II will be 167 metres long and 26.8 metres wide. With a cruising speed of 23 knots, she will have 250 cabins and be able to accommodate 1500 passengers, 470 cars and 65 lorries.

For further information contact Stephen Tuckwell at the Brittany Ferries Press Office.
Telephone:  0870 901 0215
Fax: 08709 000 289
Email: pressoffice@brittanyferries.com

Released 3 January 2006