History of Brittany Ferries
In 1973 ago the Kerisnel set sail from the unknown port of Roscoff, bound for Plymouth carrying lorries of cauliflowers and artichokes. Some 35 years later this company operates nine routes with eight vessels, and is the market leader on the Western Channel.
From Artichokes...
Alex Gourvennec, as chairman of the S.I.C.A. organization, announced in 1972 that a group of farmers were to operate a ferry service linking Brittany and Devon. Since the closure of British Rails' Southampton - St. Malo route in 1964 the Breton farmers had been forced to transport all their produce to the UK via Le Havre and Cherbourg, thus incurring considerable haulage charges. The company was initially known as Breton-Angleterre-Ireland (BAI).
Plymouth and Roscoff were chosen as their premier ports, the two towns having a history of trading onions centuries previously. Neither Roscoff or Plymouth had previously operated a ferry service, and as a result considerable investment had to be made on both sides of the channel in preparation of the new service. On the French side of the channel an entirely new deep water port had to be constructed on the town outskirts at a price of 17 million French Francs. In Plymouth a new 180ft linkspan was constructed by Thomas & Co Ltd for £400,000 in Millbay Docks. A six acre site was developed for marshalling lanes and company buildings. Following dredging at both ports the infrastructure was completed in September 1972 in preparation of the first sailing.
The 2,293 GT Lilac was purchased in October 1972 for the freight only service, being capable of accommodating 45 trailers. She was renamed Kerisnel on the 17th December by Alex Gourvennecs' wife. Before commencing service from Roscoff she was chartered by P&O Normandy Ferries to operate between Southampton and Le Havre whilst their own ships were being overhauled.
On the 1st January 1973 the Port du Bloscon at Roscoff was officially opened to a crowd of 3,000. In the late hours of the 2nd January the Kerisnel (ex Lilac) set sail for Plymouth. Brittany Ferries had been born! Unfortunately things were not to go as planned. It was envisaged by the company that 150,000 tons of cargo would be carried in its first year. This target was not met, with only 17,000 tons being carried in the first few months. It soon became clear, however, that there was a demand for a passenger service, and the Poseidon (1,118 GT) was chartered for this purpose for the summer season, commencing the companies first passenger sailing on the 19th May 1973. Soon after the passenger service commenced the company announced that it has placed an order with a yard in La Rochelle for a purpose built vessel to enter service in January 1974. This custom built vessel was to be named Penn-ar-Bed. Capable of carrying 250 pax, 50 lorries, with a 19 kts service speed she was seen as being far too big for the route by competitors. The 2,891 ton vessel finally entered service on the 24th January, having been delayed by strikes at the shipyard. Initial plans to convert the Kerisnel to carry passengers did not take place, and she was disposed of in October 1974 and renamed La Durance. In 1975 the Falster (2,424 GT) was chartered and renamed Prince de Bretagne. A twice daily service was now able to be offered between the two premier ports for the first time. This new vessel was not to prove a success with passengers, and was returned to her owners in October of the same year.
Early in 1975 TT Line expressed an interest in operating a summer only service between Southampton and St. Malo. There was fierce opposition in Brittany, with blockades and strikes affecting the country. Realising they were in hostile territory TT Line withdrew their plans. Brittany Ferries began to investigate the possibility of themselves operating such a route. 3 months of experimental service from Plymouth proved the route to be viable. However, it was decided that the route would operate from the newly built ferry terminal in Portsmouth when completed. The Amorique (ex Terje Vigen) was purchased for the new route, the first passenger sailing taking place on the 25th March 1976 from Plymouth. Two weeks later the route switched to the Hampshire port of Portsmouth on the 7th June. The success of the route was so great that a new ship was ordered from Norway for the following year. This vessel was named Cornouailles. 1976 was not all plain sailing, with the Amorique running aground in St. Malo on 5th July. As a replacement the Bonanza (which has been chartered from Fred Oslen for the Roscoff run) was placed on the route, but was far from ideal due to her lack of cabin space. The Pen-ar-Bed was temporarily moved from Plymouth until the hastily chartered Olau West could arrive. Unfortunately two days after her entry on the route she herself ran aground. The port of St. Malo was closed to allow dredging work to take place, allowing year round access. Repairs to the Amorique were estimated to take 3 weeks, in fact they took three months. Despite the initial problems on the new route carryings were very positive, attracting 75,000 passengers and 18,000 cars in just four months of operation.
To Spain & Ireland
24th May 1977 saw the arrival of the Cornouailles, but her maiden arrival in Roscoff was marred by the blockade of the port by French fishermen. She was forced to return to Plymouth where her passengers used her as a hotel until the blockade ended 3 days later. Brittany Ferries began talks with Irish Continental Line with the intention of operating a route between Roscoff and Rosslare in Ireland. These talks proved to be unsuccessful, with neither side being able to agree on terms. It was announced in October it was announced that Brittany Ferries were to commence a new service to Santander and Cork commencing in 1978. The Amorique was chosen to operate on the route, and underwent a major re-fit including the fitting of a cinema, improved catering facilities and a children's playroom. The announcement was greeted with disbelief by many as Swedish Lloyd, P&O Southern Ferries and Aznar Line has all previously operated services to the Iberian Peninsular, only to close them some months later. Brittany Ferries claimed that by operating the route from Plymouth as opposed to Southampton (as their competitors had done) they were able to reduce the sailing time to just 24 hours instead of 37 hours making the route more attractive for passengers. The Prince of Brittany (ex Prince of Fundy) was chartered to replace the Amorique at St. Malo. On 17th April 1978 the first sailing to Santander took place from Plymouth with the Amorique, which proved to be an outstanding success, the Amorique being a very popular ferry with the public. The Spanish service was increased to a year round service from 1979, including weekly sailings to Ireland.
1979 was a technically fraught year for the company. Three of their vessels broke down, the Cornouailles, Pen-ar-Bed and the Prince of Brittany. The Munster and then the Regina were chartered as replacement vessels whilst the 'regular' ferries were out of service. The Amorique fell victim of a workers strike in Falmouth whilst in refit, delaying her return to service by 3 months. The Prince of Brittany covering on the Santander run until her return.
1980 was a new decade and a year when three new ships joined the fleet. The Faraday (2,932 GT) was chartered for St. Malo, and the Breizh-Izel (ex Iniochos Express) for Santander freight operations. Due to the high demand for the St. Malo route the Goelo (ex Viking 6), was chartered for the summer season to provide additional capacity. The Prince of Brittany was also purchased from her owners for $8 million. In August a major strike hit all French ports. Brittany Ferries took the bold step of diverting all their operations to Santander. On the 20th August the Amorique, Prince of Brittany, Pen-ar-Bed & the Goelo all sailed to the Spanish port, a ship arriving in the Spanish port every 90 minutes. The Cornouailles broke the blockades in Roscoff the following day. During December plans were announced for the purchase of the Bolero (11,344 GT) from Fred Oslen, to be renamed Tregor for their Santander service. However, despite much advertising of this well appointed vessel she never materialized. The company announced that they had made a £1 million loss for that financial year despite carryings being up 18% on the previous year.
In 1981 the Goelo left the fleet on 28th August, having proved an extremely popular vessel on the St Malo service. A loss of £2.4 million was forecast for the year, following the purchase of new tonnage and a fierce price war on the channel. An £8.5 million rescue package was given by the government. Not wanting to dwell on their past problems the company immediately began making more investments in 1982. A new office building was erected in Portsmouth for the Gite and Holiday homes operations. In Plymouth, the company secured exclusive berthing rights and ABP began making major port improvements. The Quiberon, 9,950 GT, (ex Nils Dacke) was chartered from TT Line for the Santander run, her speed of 22kts making it possible for the sailing time to be reduced to 22hrs when required. Following a major refit in Germany the vessel was able to accommodate 1040 passengers and 252 cars. She entered service in May, when the Amorique was then able to return to St. Malo. The vessel was to prove a tremendous success and set new standards on the link. The Prince of Brittany suffered a major engine room fire in the spring destroying an entire engine. The Ailsa Princess followed by the Viking were chartered as relief vessels. The vessel returned to service on the 14th May, ready for the summer season working in conjunction with the Amorique to St. Malo. On the 18th August the Amorique once again ran aground in St. Malo whist in thick fog, the Pen-ar-Bed being sent to cover during her absence. On her return the Prince of Brittany operated a one off cruise between Le Havre, Cork and Swansea whilst 'flying the flag' during October.
On the companies 10th anniversary the new Portsmouth 'Brittany Centre' was opened, and a new terminal was completed. Over £1 million was spent by the company during the winter months on further improving passenger spaces onboard the Quiberon, Prince of Brittany and Amorique. The Benodet (ex Gelting-Nord) was chartered to replace the Cornouailles at Plymouth, and duly entered service on the 30th April. The Pen-ar-Bed was sold to open a new Swedish route.
Poole & Caen
In November 1983 it was revealed that Brittany Ferries, in conjunction with Mainland Marine Deliveries, would operate a competitive service to Sealink British Ferries from March 1985. The Breton company held a 27% stake in the new company, named Channel Island Ferries. The Benodet (re-named Corbiere) opened the service on the 28th March 1984. Later that year the Quiberon was purchased by the company, and the Tregastel (ex: Njeos) was chartered to replace the Benodet at Roscoff, entering service on the 1st May 1985. It was announced in the summer that the Prinses Beatrix had been purchased from SMZ to operate a new service from Portsmouth to Caen the following year. Townsend Thoreson had chosen not to open a route between the two ports, and as a result the route was offered to Brittany Ferries who saw the potential the route offered. The newly purchased vessel was to be renamed Duc de Normandie following an extensive refit. Before the ship was officially handed over she was charted back to SMZ, along with the Amorique allowing them to continue their Harwich-Hook of Holland route until the arrival of their own new tonnage. The company also bought Truckline Ferries and with it began to operate services between Poole and Cherbourg with its two vessels.
The Duc de Normandie (9,367 GT) opened the Caen service on the 5th June 1986 following her conversion in the Netherlands. The vessel became the largest in the fleet, but also the largest ferry operating out of Portsmouth. She immediately set new standards of ferry travel on the channel, proving a very real challenge to the companies competitors. The Cornouailles began operating from Poole to Cherbourg allowing passengers to use the route for the first time. The service was called 'Les Rouitiers' giving value for money, operating up to 2 return crossings a day on the shortest route west of Dover. By the end of the year Brittany Ferries had carried over 1 million passengers for the first time.
Following continued growth on all of the companies routes further increased capacity was required. Plans to jumbo size the Quiberon and Duc de Normandie were quickly abandoned in favour of new tonnage. Following the failure to find suitable second hand tonnage shipyards were invited to tender for a new super ferry which would be deployed on the Santander service in 1989. Chantiers de L'Atlantique won the contract for delivery of the new vessel which would weigh 22,500 GT and carry 2000 passengers and 500 cars. It was announced that this new cruise ferry would be named Bretagne.
Channel Island Ferries proved such a success that the company planned to be merged with Sealink. In the end this did not take place and the company rearranged itself as British Channel Island Ferries. At the end of the year it was announced that a second ship would operate with the Duc de Normandie during the summer months. The Gotland was chartered, having capacity for 1200 passengers and would enter service in May 1988. Industrial action by P&O and Sealink in 1988 forced the company to reshuffle its operations due to the increased demand resulting. The Amorique and Prince of Brittany came to Portsmouth to support the Duc and the Gotland. The Brizh-Izel also came to Caen, resulting in 4 ships operating the same route at once. In June the Connacht was purchased. Having undergone a £2 million refit and the renamed Duchesse Anne, she replaced the Prince of Brittany in St. Malo in December. A new £3.5m computer reservations system was installed at Plymouth by the company, improving customer services and efficiency. This was the most modern ferry reservations system in Europe.
1989 was the year super ferries came to Brittany Ferries. In anticipation of her arrival much fleet reorganization was to take place. The Prince of Brittany was renamed Reine Mathilde and was switched on 17th March to the Caen route. On 4th February the £55 million Bretagne was launched. Finally on the 14th July, following much delay, the Bretagne sailed in to Plymouth Sound, amongst much celebration on Plymouth Hoe, for the first time. She was accompanied by two Royal Naval tugs providing a water jet escort as Plymouth welcomed Brittany Ferries first cruise ferry. 2 days later she entered passenger service. Upon her arrival the Quiberon transferred to the Roscoff route and the Tregastel moved to Cherbourg. During 1989 over 2 million passengers were carried, and the rate of growth on the Poole Cherbourg route resulted in an additional ship joining the route in 1990, the Corbiere, which resulted in 4 ships (2 freight) offering up to 16 sailings a day between the two ports. The Quiberon was sent for a £1m refit giving her a complete makeover with a new reception, duty free shop, bar and restaurant for her new role on the Roscoff route.
On 10th April 1990 the Reine Mathilde suffred a small fire which forced her withdrawal for repairs. The Tregastel covered for her on the Caen route during her absence. In May it was announced that two new super ferries were to be constructed. The Masa Yard, Finland won the contact to build the Normandie for Caen and the contract to build the Barfleur was awarded to Masa Turku. The two ship contracts were worth £130 million. Numbers of passengers carried in 1990 and 1991 led to the Barfleur being jumbo sized mid construction to meet the anticipated demand, the route had in fact witnessed an amazing 98% increase in carryings! This lengthening would allow the vessel to carry and extra 200 passengers.
The Barfleur was launched on the 26th July 1991, at 18,000 GT capable of carrying 1400 passengers and 270 cars or 118 lorries. In anticipation of the arrival of the 27,000 GT Normandie a new double deck terminal was to be constructed at Portsmouth and Caen to allow the new super ferry to berth. Significant dredging also had to be carried out in Caen. Prior to the Normandie's arrival the Duc de Normandie was to have a £3m refit to bring her standards into line with her new running mate.
... to Superferries
No sooner had 1992 arrived the company announced that they had purchased yet more tonnage. The 32,000 ton Nils Holgersson was purchased for £70 million from TT Line for use on the Santander run. The ship was to have a £30 million overhaul before her entry into service in 1993, which included an external rebuild and complete redesigning of her internal passenger spaces to make her more suitable fo the 23hr route. On the 4th April the Barfleur arrived in Poole for the first time. The vessel could carry 1304 pax and 600 cars. She entered passenger service on the 14th April. On 16th May the Normandie made her maiden voyage into Portsmouth. Capable of carrying 2120 passengers and 630 cars the ship was a huge improvement to the immensely popular route. She entered service on the same day and increased the routes capacity by 40% single handedly. Upon her arrival the Amorique, Tregastel, Corbiere and Reine Mathilde left the fleet for further service. A negative point of 1992 was when the Quiberon suffered an engine room fire en route to Roscoff which resulted in the death of one crew member. No vessel was sent to cover during her absence, all traffic being transferred to other routes whilst she was being repaired.
Following major investment over the past few years, and the introduction of three new super-ferries in as many years the company was awarded the AA 5 Star rating for the Normandie and Bretagne - the only ferry company operating on the channel to receive these highly envied ratings.
In 1993 the Duchesse Anne began operating extra Cork sailings both from Roscoff and St. Malo, from Poole. This service began on the 22nd June. On the 15th January the company took delivery of the Val de Loire, and she sailed immediately for her major overhaul at the I.N.M.A shipyard in Italy. The Val de Loire emerged on the 30th May and sailed to Santander for berthing trial under the command of Captain Christian Selosse. She then sailed on a VIP and trade show trip to Plymouth. On the 9th June the Val de Loire entered passenger service and set impressive new standards for the company, and the ferry industry alike. The companies new flagship was capable of carrying 2120 passengers and 570 cars and offered commodore class cabins, swimming pool, saunas, a gym, 4 restaurants, 2 bars, plus a wealth of elegant boutiques. The Bretagne was then transferred to the St.Malo route, becoming the sole vessel on this route.
The next few years were to see little change in the operations of the company. Passenger numbers increased, but the company suffered financial crisis in 1995 and yet another rescue package was received from the government to allow the restructuring of the company. The Duchesse Anne was sold, as was the Purbeck as part of the companies restructuring package. Gites de France was purchased by Brittany Ferries following their long standing holiday home operation. In 2000 it was announced that the company would be building a new vessel for their Caen route to replace the Duc de Normandie, which had been seen for some years to be the poor relation of the company in Portsmouth compared to the mighty Normandie. The new ship was to be built at the Van de Giessen shipyard in Rotterdam, Holland. The vessel would weigh 37,000 tons and become the companies flagship as well as being the largest purpose built ferry operating on the channel. It was revealed that she was to be named Mont St Michel and enter service in July 2002. Upon her arrival the Duc de Normandie would transfer to Roscoff, and the Quiberon would be sold. The company also announced that it had signed an agreement with Condor Ferries to operate a summer season daily fast craft sailing from Poole to Cherbourg. The Vitesse can sail to Cherbourg in only 2h 15 mins making it the quickest crossing to France west of Dover. The service was a remarkable success, surpassing all expectations, and has continued to be popular ever since.
The Mont St Michel suffered severe delays at the shipyard, and it soon became clear in 2002 that she would not be ready. The Quiberon swapped routes with the Duc de Normandie in June as planned, and would remain in Portsmouth until the arrival of the Mont St Michel. As the company awaited the arrival of their new super ferry, the company announced in May that yet another vessel had been ordered. The 40,000 ton Pont-Aven would enter service in March 2004 replacing the Val de Loire. Meyer Weft in Germany were awarded the contract, a shipyard well acquainted with building mighty cruise ships and ferries over the past decade. The Pont-Aven was to have a service speed of 27 kts allowing the crossing time to be reduced from 24 hours to 18 hours to Santander. This new ship would have state of the art features including panoramic lifts, top deck swimming pool with retractable glass dome, cabins with balconies and azipod propulsion. Upon her arrival the Val de Loire will transfer to the St. Malo route.
In August the Quiberon's passenger certificate was reduced to enable her to continue sailing. She covered during the vital summer season where passengers had to be rebooked as the vessel could not carry the numbers booked for the Mont St Michel. The Mont St Michel made her maiden arrival into Portsmouth on the 13th December 2002. The Quiberon remained on the Caen route until the 20th December, when the Mont St Michel finally entered passenger service. The Quiberon was sold to Mediterranean interests, and left the fleet after over 20 years sterling service.
The Mont St Michel set new standards for the company with her open plan, modern design - bringing with her a new identity for the company. It was also revealed in 2002 that the company had redesigned it's logo, which appeared on all correspondence and brochures. It was planned that the fleet was to be repainted to reflect this new image during their winter 2004/5 refits. On the 2nd January 2003 the company celebrated its 30th Anniversary. Just how far this Breton ferry company has grown is remarkable, and its continuing growth assures its existence for many years to come. Here's to another 30 years success!
On the 24th March the Pont-Aven entered service early reducing the Santander route to only 18 hours. The Val de Loire relocated to Portsmouth to join the Bretagne on the St Malo route, but to also open a new route between Portsmouth and Cherbourg in direct competition with P&O Ferries established service. At the end of 2004 it was announced that P&O Ferries would be exiting the Western Channel, leaving only its Portsmouth/Bilbao service running. Brittany Ferries initially expressed an interest in taking over the Le Havre route along with the two ships operating on the line, but later pulled out. In March 2005 Brittany Ferries commenced their own fast ferry service to Cherbourg and Caen using the new Normandie Express. In August 2005 it was announced that an order had been placed for a new freight ferry, Cotentin, for operation on the Cherbourg services.
In February 2006 the Val de Loire was sold to DFDS Seaways for furture employment as the King of Scandinavia sailing between Newcastle and Amsterdam. In her place came the Pont L'Abbe (formerly the Duke of Scandinavia) which had been chartered from DFDS Seaways for operation between Plymouth and Roscoff until the arrival of a newly ordered vessel, Armorique, for the Roscoff route. The order for the new Armorique was placed on 3rd January 2006.
Alex Gourvennec, founder and president of Brittany Ferries died on the 19th February 2007. The Cotentin entered service on the 26th November 2007, and launched a new freight route between Poole and Santander the following weekend.
2008 saw the departure of two vessels from the Brittany Ferries fleet. The Coutances completed her final sailing for Brittany Ferries on the 1st May 2008, sailing between Portsmouth and Caen. She had operated for the company since her construction in 1977. On the 9th November 2008 the Pont l'Abbe completed her final commercial sailing, and the proceeded to St Nazaire where she was laid up pending sale.
2009 has already been a busy year for Brittany Ferries. The new Armorique entered service on the 10th February 2009 between Plymouth & Roscoff. The Bretagne received an 8 million pound refit, and the Barfleur saw the refurbishment of her passenger spaces, including the removal of her a la carte restaurant. On the 17th March 2009 Brittany Ferries expressed an interest in taking over the troubled operations of Seafrance, the Dover to Calais ferry operator. The offer followed the withdrawal of a similar offer by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs. A new weekly cruise ferry service between Portsmouth and Santander commenced on the 18th March 2009 using the Pont-Aven. This new route is in direct competition to that of P&O's own service to Bilbao, but significantly undercuts their sailing time to only 24 hours.
Brittany Ferries future continues to look both bright and successful with continuing expansion plans as well as the continued introduction of new vessels into its already modern fleet.
