Brittany Ferries' spacious new luxury
cruise-ferry, Armorique, launched

Brittany Ferries’ Executive Board: David Longden, Martine Jourdren, and Jean-Michel Giguet

Yesterday Brittany Ferries' new luxury cruise-ferry, Armorique, was launched in Helsinki, Finland. She will be delivered in December, and then fitted out, before entering service in March 2009.

The state-of-the-art £90 million ship, named after the national park in Brittany, has been designed specifically for use between Plymouth and the pretty Breton port of Roscoff. With room for 1,500 passengers and over 500 cars, this new vessel will provide exceptional levels of comfort and style on the route which established the company some 35 years ago. Incorporating the very latest technology, Armorique will be particularly fuel efficient as well as environmentally-friendly by keeping CO2 emissions to a minimum.

David Longden, Managing Director, commented: "Unlike aircraft, each ship has its own character and Armorique is no exception. We take great care with the design and décor to provide our passengers with an environment which is both comfortable and stylish, and our designers have followed a theme that reflects the 'colours and space of Brittany' to give this ship a very modern feel. One of the great luxuries when travelling nowadays is space and, whilst this commands a huge premium when travelling by air, it is something that all passengers on Armorique will be able to benefit from. We are confident that passengers will enjoy travelling on her."

-Ends-

Note to Editors:

• Armorique is 165 metres long and 27 metres wide. With a cruising speed of 23 knots, she has 248 cabins and garage space for over 500 cars or approximately 60 freight units.
• Armorique has been built by the Aker Yards in Helsinki, Finland. She has the same hull as the most recent addition to the fleet, Cotentin, which entered service last year and has since operated successfully on the Poole-Cherbourg and Poole-Santander routes.
• Further images are available from Brittany Ferries' Press Office.

Released 11 August 2008