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Hoverspeed, formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd, was a Ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005.

The last owners were Sea Containers Ltd. ; the company ran a small fleet of 2 high speed SeaCat Catamaran ferries in its final year.

Hoverspeed is notable for its part in developing the Hovercraft , and ran six Mountbatten Class Hovercraft (SR-N4 craft) and one SEDAM N500 Naviplane. Hoverspeeds last operated Hovercraft on its Dover to Calais service. They were withdrawn on the 1st October 2000 and replaced by Seacat Catamarans .


ROUTES


Throughout its history Hoverspeed has operated several routes these are:-


Hoverspeed's primary service was established by British Railways owned Seaspeed in 1968 with the car carrying SRN 4 Hovercraft '' The Princess Anne'' and ''The Princess Margaret''. Seaspeed were not the first Hovercraft service between Dover and Calais , Townsend Car Ferries had operated a passenger only SRN 6 in 1966. Hoverlloyd also ran Hovercraft services in 1966 to Calais but from Ramsgate . Seacats were introduced on the route on the 2nd June 1991. It was intended that the Seacats would replace the remaining SRN 4 Hovercraft but this did not happen until 2000 . The Dover - Calais services has seen all members of the Hoverspeed fleet operation on it at some point. The route closed on 7th November 2005 , the ''Seacat Diamant'' operated the last crossing.





Hoverspeed took over the high speed passenger service after P&O Stena Line's withdrawal the year before. Hoverspeed last service on the route was at the end of the 2004 summer season. Despite taking bookings for 2005 they withdrew from the route, a deal that would have seen Transmanche Ferries charter ''Superseacat One'' for the route fell through.


Hoverspeeds first Seacat route using the ''Hoverspeed Great Britain'', this was closed on the 6th January 1991 after a series of technical problems throughout the operating season.

Hoverspeed briefly ran services from Ramsgate Pegwell Bay Hoverport in 1982 which had been the base of Hoverlloyd Hovercraft services.


FLEET



Hovercraft

  • ''The Princess Anne'' (built 1968 ). Built for Seaspeed and stretched in 1977. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Withdrawn in 2000 .


  • ''The Princess Margaret'' (built 1968 ). Built for Seaspeed and stretched in 1977. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Withdrawn in 2000 .


  • ''Swift'' (built 1969 ). Built for Hoverlloyd. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Withdrawn in 1991 . Broken up in 2004 .


  • ''Sure'' (built 1969 ). Built for Hoverlloyd. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Withdrawn in 1983 . Broken up at Pegwell Bay between 1983 and 1987 .


  • ''Sir Christopher.'' (built 1972 ). Built for Hoverlloyd. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Broken up in 1991 .


  • ''The Prince Of Wales'' (built 1977 ). Built for Hoverlloyd. Transferred to Hoverspeed on creation of the company in 1981 . Broken up after an electrical fire in 1993 .


  • ''Ingénieur Jean Bertin'' (built 1977 ). A SEDAM N500 Hovercraft built for Seaspeed by SNCF . Transferred to Hoverspeed in 1983 after a number of modifications but is returned to SNCF later that year after Hoverspeed decide she is not suitable for their services. Broken up in 1985 at the Boulogne Hoverport.



Incat 74m Catamarans

  • ''Hoverspeed Great Britain'' (built 1990 ). Former holder of the Hales Trophy for fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. initially entered service on Portsmouth - Cherbourg but transferred to Dover - Calais / Boulogne and later to Folkestone - Boulogne . Chatered to Emeraude Jersey Ferries in 2004 and was renamed ''Emeraude GB''. In 2005 she was transferred to a to Sea Containers Mediterranean service where she remains to this day under the name ''Speedrunner 1''. In service with Hoverspeed 1990 - 1991 , 1993 - 2000 and 2002 - 2003 .


  • ''Hoverspeed France'' (built 1991 ). Has operated for Hoverspeed under serveral names, she was renamed ''Seacat Boulogne'' in 1993, transferred to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPC) as ''Seacat Isle of Man'' in 1994 but returned under that name to Hoverspeed in 1996 and 1997 . In 1996 renamed ''Seacat Norge'' and chartered to ColorSeacat, a joint venture between Sea Containers and Color Line . Renamed ''Seacat Isle of Man'' again in 1997 and had it's final season with Hoverspeed on the Dover - Calais route in 1998 before returning to IOMSPC. She is currently named ''Sea Express 1'' and is owned by IOMSPC.



  • ''Seacat Tazmania'' (built 1990 ). Operated for Hoverspeed in 1992 on the Folkestone - Boulogne route and in 1993 on Dover - Calais along with the Folkestone service. Renamed ''Seacat Calais'' in mid- 1993 before being chartered out in late 1993 . She returned to Hoverspeed in 1999 and ran on the Dover - Calais service. In 2000 she moved to the SNAV/ Sea Containers joint venture as ''Croazia Jet'' before again returning to Hoverspeed in 2002 as ''Seacat France''. She was chartered by Emeraude Jersey Ferries as ''Emeraude France'' for two months in 2005 . As of March 2006 she is laid up for sale.




Fincantieri MDV1200 Superseacats


Four Superseacats were order by Hoverspeed's parent company Sea Containers after the original Superseacat design built by Austal Ships failed to meet the speed required.

  • ''Superseacat One'' (built 1997 ). After operating on Sea Containers Frederikshavn to Göteborg route the vessel entered service with Hoverspeed in 2000 on the Newhaven - Dieppe route. In 2001 she moved to operated with two of her sisters on the Dover - Calais and Ostend routes. She returned to the Dieppe route in 2002 where she remained until the end of the 2004 summer season when the Hoverspeed service from the port ended. In 2005 she operated for Silja Line before being laid up. Superseacat One was sold in April 2006 to Acciona Transmediterranea and was renamed ''Almudaina Dos''.


  • ''Superseacat Two'' (built 1997 ). Entered service with Hoverspeed in June 1997 on the Dover - Calais service where she remained until March 1998 . She moved to the Sea Containers /IOMSPC Liverpool - Dublin service. She was replaced in that service by her sister Superseacat Three in 1999 so she moved back to Hoverspeed for the Newhaven - Dieppe service for a season. She returned to with Hoverspeed in 2000 on the Newhaven - Dieppe route. In 2001 she returned to Dover to operate with two of her sisters on the Dover - Calais and Ostend routes. At somepoint she operated on the Heysham - Belfast route before returning again to the Dieppe route in 2003 . She was transferred to IOMSPC to whom she remains on charter to this day.



Superseacat Four never operated for Hoverspeed.


Incat 81m Catamarans


  • ''Diamant'' (built 1996 ). Purchased by Holyman before completion in 1996 she was launched as ''Holyman Express'' but was renamed ''Holyman Diamant'' in 1997 as a result of a competition to decide the names of the fast ferries for use on the Holyman Sally service between Ramsgate and Ostend . In 1998 Holyman Hoverspeed was formed and the vessel's name was shortened to ''Diamant''. Her UK base of operations was moved to Dover and she received Seacat livery. Hoverspeed eventually purchased Holymans share and Diamant came under Sea Containers ownership. She remained on the Dover - Ostend route until 2001 where she operated on the Newhaven - Dieppe route for the summer season. In 2002 she briefly operated for IOMSPC before commencing her last summer on Newhaven - Dieppe . In 2004 she transferred to Dover - Calais where she more or less ramained until the closure of the service. For her last two seasons in Hoverspeed service she wore a distinctive Union Flag livery in an attempt to show how British Hoverspeed were, Diamant was built in Australia , owned by a Bermuda registered company and the vessel itself was registered in Nassau, Bahamas and later moved to the Italian Registry as Seacat Diamant. As of March 2006 she is laid up for sale.


  • ''Rapide'' (built 1996 ). Built for Holyman as ''Condor 12'' she initially operated for Condor Ferries which at the time was part owned by Holyman. She was replaced by a larger fastcraft in 1997 and moved to Holyman Sally's Ramsgate - Ostend service. As was the case with the Diamant she was renamed ''Holyman Rapide'' as a result of a competition. In 1998 she was trasfered to Holyman Hoverspeed along with her sister and the vessel's name was shortened to ''Rapide''. She briefly returned to Condor Ferries to cover for the refit of Condor Express and operated between Poole and the Channel Islands for one month. As with the Diamant, ''Rapide'' came under Sea Containers ownership. She remained on the Dover - Ostend route until 2001 when she moved to the Sea Containers /IOMSPC Liverpool - Dublin service. In 2002 she moved to Heysham - Belfast and eventually replaced Seacat Scotland on the Belfast - Troon service in 2003 until the end of the 2004 season.. In 2005 she transferred to Dover - Calais alongside her sister where she more or less ramained until the closure of the service. She was renamed ''Seacat Rapide'' upon her transfer to the Italian register. She also received the Hoverspeed Union Flag livery. As of March 2006 she is laid up for sale.



CLOSURE


After years of losses due to strong competition and the Channel Tunnel link, Hoverspeed announced that they would cease operations on the Dover-Calais route, ending over 40 years of service. The last ferry run was on November 7, 2005.

The future of the two SeaCats is unknown. It was thought likely that they would both move to Sea Containers Mediterranean services; however in March 2006 Rapide and Diamant were put up for sale by Sea Containers . Superseacat 1 which had operated for Hoverspeed on its now closed Newhaven - Dieppe (2000 and 2002-2004) and Dover - Calais / Ostend (2001) fast ferry services was sold in April 2006 to Acciona Transmediterranea and was renamed 'Almudaina Dos'. Although the company ended Hovercraft service, they still retained ownership of the remaining 2 SRN 4 until 2006 when they were sold to a super yacht owner with the intention of using the hovercraft engine as spares for his own Proteus-powered boat. They currently reside at the Hovercraft Museum in HMS Daedalus .


POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS FOR HOVERSPEED


Navmed Limited planned to operate a Seacat service to Calais, Boulogne and Ostend. Navmed had planned to start operations on the May 15, 2006 but as of April 2006 do not have any vessels or berthing slots in Dover .
Navmed had made attempts to purchase the Canadian Ferry Spirit Of Ontario I but the owners were in serious negotiations with another buyer.

The Dover Express newspaper reported on 13 April, 2006 that Navmed would no longer be involved in the attempt to run a replacement service. Instead Illinois Chikara Holdings plans to run service under a brand new name yet to be released.

Euroferries Limited are also attempting to launch a service to replace those of Hoverspeed. Led by former Hoverspeed boss Geoffrey Ede the company intends to run services between Dover and Calais and Dover and Boulogne in competition with SpeedFerries but not a budget operator. Former Hoverspeed vessels ''Rapide'' and ''Diamant'' are likely to be used by this company should it actually begin operations. The company is also rumoured to be looking at the Spirit Of Ontario I . NEWS 10NBC claimed in a report that crew members hired to reactivate and deliver the vessel to it new owner had been told that Spirit Of Ontario I had been sold to a company called Euroferrys. No official announcement has been made about the sale of this vessel and if indeed has been sold to Acciona Euroferrys or as some rumours suggest to Euroferries Limited.