Superfast Ferries Takes Delivery Of Superfast VIII

Attica Enterprises, the holding company for Superfast Ferries accepted delivery of its newest ferry, the Superfast VIII, last month. This is the second of a series of four sister vessels built at Howaldtswerke shipyard in Germany and the fourth delivery from the same yard this year.

Superfast VIII joined Superfast VII on the direct and fast, daily link of Germany to Finland, between the ports of Rostock, Germany, and Hanko, Finland, a service performed in a mere 22 hours, compared with 32-34 hours required by most of the ships in the trade.

During the delivery ceremony, Alexander Panagopoulos, president and managing director of Superfast Ferries, said that “we are proud to see our Superfast Ferries, that are now eight, to be in so much demand in the Adriatic Sea and I am pleased to report that we get the same messages from our new operation in the Baltic Sea.”

Sponsors for the naming of Superfast VIII were the famous Finnish rock music band Leningrad Cowboys. As a contribution to the charitable efforts of the Children’s University Hospital in Helsinki, and as suggested by the Leningrad Cowboys, Superfast Ferries arranged for 50 young patients to travel on Superfast for a mini cruise to Germany.

Next year, Attica expects the delivery of eight more brand new ferries. Two, Superfast IX and Superfast X, will be delivered by Howaldtswerke and will join Superfast VII and Superfast VIII in the Baltic trade introducing a new route between Sweden and Germany between Rostock and Sodertalje, near Stockholm. Two more Superfast ferries, Superfast XI and Superfast XII are being built at the Flender shipyards Germany and are due for delivery in the first half of 2002.

A two-ship service is also due to start next year in May between Rosyth in Scotland and Zeebrugge in Belgium, connecting Scotland to mainland Europe in a direct and fast daily overnight service.

Four more ferries ordered by the group’s subsidiary, Blue Star Ferries, all designed for the domestic market, are due for delivery in the course of 2002. They will be employed in the Cycladic and Ionian islands’ connections to mainland Greece.