Olympian arrival for Red Jet 5

The traditional naming ceremony attended by invited guests and dignitaries took place at Cowes Yacht Haven on the Isle of Wight. The ship was formally blessed by Reverend Emblin of Cowes before Shirley Robertson smashed a celebratory bottle of champagne on the hull for good luck.

The £2 million, 35m Solent Class aluminium alloy catamaran, designed by FBM Marine of Cowes and built by the Pequot River Shipworks in Connecticut USA, joins sister vesselsRed Jet 3 and Red Jet 4 on Red Funnel’s Hi-Speed route between Southampton and West Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The interior layout is modelled on Red Funnel’s largest Hi-Speed craft, Red Jet 4. It will seat 186 passengers who will benefit from full air-conditioning, leather seats, laptop power points and onboard video. A range of hot, soft and alcoholic drinks, sandwiches and pastries will be available from ReFuel Express, Red Funnel’s in-house food and beverage offer.

Powered by environmentally efficient MTU 4000 series engines developing 3,476 kW at 2,000 rpm and propelled by Kamewa SII waterjet units, Red Jet 5 is highly manoeuvrable and capable of 38 knots. The 33m LOA vessel weighs 209 tons and is surveyed to MCA Class IV. It shares the same low wash characteristics as its sister vessels, features which are essential for high speed ferry operations in the Solent.

James Fulford, CEO of Red Funnel said, ‘We are delighted to welcome Red Jet 5 to our Hi-Speed fleet. Red Jet 5 offers a high quality travel experience for customers and is significantly larger and more comfortable than both of the older Red Jets she replaces. This investment, together with upgrades to both our Hi Speed terminals, especially in the context of the current economic climate, is a significant step towards achieving our goal of providing the best customer experience on the Solent.’