hsc Normandie Express
Normandie Express connects Portsmouth to Cherbourg and Caen in just 180 and 225 minutes respectively thanks to her impressive cruising speed of 42kts. The Normandie Express operates between March and November supplementing Brittany Ferries existing cruise ferry services to the two popular Norman ports.
History
The Normandie Express was constructed by Incat as hull number 057 in the year 2000. Before she was completely fitted out she had the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch during the torch relay in Australia. Once she was fully completed she sailed to Sydney's Darling Harbour and was used as a floating function venue for the Australian Trade Commission during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games period. Functions and receptions were held onboard with international VIPs attending including Royalty.
After the games period the vessel sailed to New Zealand and operated on the Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton under the name 'The Lynx' for the operator InterIsland Line, a division of TranzRail. During 2003 she proved to be too large for the route and was replaced by a smaller craft, and was later laid up at the Incat shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay near Hobart in the the state of Tasmania, Australia on the 16th July 2003.
On the 15th December 2004 it was announced that Brittany Ferries had secured the charter of the vessel from Incat Australia and that she would be re-named 'Normandie Express' for her new role operating between Portsmouth, Cherbourg and Caen. She underwent some minor work, completed at the Incat yard, prior to her departure to France on the 21st January 2005.
Her delivery voyage to France was diverted to Indonesia as part of a joint aid package by Brittany Ferries, the Australian government and Incat (AusAid). The craft docked in Jakarta in Indonesia to off-load aid for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami disaster. Following the aid delivery the craft then headed through the Suez Canal before arriving in Roscoff on the 13th February. She entered passenger service on the 16th March sailing between Portsmouth and Cherbourg. Following the conclusion of her successful inaugural season, Normandie Express headed to Dunkerque where she spent the winter, before being re-registered in Caen during March 2006.
On the 15th January 2007 Brittany Ferries announced that they had purchased the Normandie Express, which had been chartered for the previous two years. Commenting on the purchase David Longden, Managing Director, said "To be able to offer our customers a choice of both conventional and high-speed services, as well as routes, is an important feature of our strategy. Normandie Express has proved to be to be highly reliable during the two years we have chartered her, and the short crossing of only 3 hours has great appeal particularly amongst those who appreciate how accessible Portsmouth is from London."
In February 2008 the Normandie Express was brought back into service early to cover for the delayed return of the Pont l'Abbe from dry dock. She operated between Plymouth and Roscoff, the first time the ports had been served by a high speed ferry. Her 2008 season operating from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and Caen saw a slightly reduced sailing schedule compared to previous years as a result of the global increase in fuel costs. In August 2008 it was announced that her season would end early at the end of September instead of November as originally planned.
Her 2009 season commenced on the 1st April, and will operate as in 2008 with a daily service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg, with an additional weekend sailing to Caen.
