The new Incat 112-metre wave piercing catamaran for LD Lines, the 'Norman Arrow', is en route to the UK and France on her delivery voyage.
The ferry left Hobart, Australia, on the evening of Saturday May 2 on an 11,726-nautical mile voyage to the English Channel ports of Dover and Boulogne. Sailing a course via Australia (Fremantle), Seychelles, Suez Canal and Malta (Valetta), the 'Norman Arrow' is expected to arrive on the Dover Strait in two weeks' time.
When it begins service on LD Lines' Dover-Boulogne route on May 29, the 'Norman Arrow' will become the largest ever fast ferry to operate on the cross channel routes between England and France and the first-ever freight carrying high speed vessel across the Dover Straits.
She is also the world's largest diesel-powered catamaran and the first Incat 112-metre craft to operate in Europe.
At nearly 11,000GT the new craft is one of the largest vessels yet built by Incat, providing significantly greater sea keeping qualities and passenger comfort than earlier generation fast ferries familiar to Dover Strait passengers.
The new craft will operate at speeds of 40 knots, provide a crossing time of just one hour and has capacity for 1200 passengers, 417 cars, or combination of 195 cars and up to 30 freight vehicles.
The 'Norman Arrow' was specifically built for the European market by Incat for MGC Chartering, Ireland.