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Brittany Ferries HSC Normandie Express - Further Ferry Information
The HSC Normandie Express is a fast catamaran ferry owned and operated by Brittany Ferries. Since being built in 2000, the vessel has borne the names Incat Tasmania and The Lynx. Normandie Express operates on two routes normally from late March to early November. She spends the rest of year laid up. The routes operated are Portsmouth-Cherbourg and Portsmouth-Caen. Normandie Express was purchased in early 2007 for £30m having been on chartered since 2005.
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HSC Normandie Express was built as Incat Tasmania at the Incat yards in Tasmania, Australia. She was chartered to Tranz Rail for their Interisland Line service between Picton and Wellington, New Zealand. She was renamed The Lynx for this service and remained on the route until 2003 when she was returned to Incat.
In September 2004 P&O Ferries announced they were to withdraw their services from Portsmouth to France, Brittany Ferries later announced they would run a fastcraft service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg/Caen (Ouistreham) as a replacement and The Lynx was chartered. In January 2005 she was renamed Normandie Express and sailed for France, stopping off in Indonesia to drop off supplies and equipment for the tsunami relief effort.
Also on-board for the trip to Europe was the French yacht Sill et Veolia which was being returned to France after being damaged whilst on the Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race. After calling in at Roscoff to drop off the yacht and being shown off to Brittany Ferries management, she undertook berthing trials in Portsmouth, Cherbourg and Ouistreham before starting service in March 2005.
For her first year in service with Brittany Ferries the Normandie Express had a bridge and engine room crew supplied by Northern Marine and was registered in Nassau but protests from French unions meant that from 2006 she would fly the French flag and be registered in Caen with a full French crew.
Normandie Express Shops, Bars and restaurants
Le Café.
Le Bar x2.
La Boutique.
The vessel was fitted with a Club lounge and children's play area but these were removed during the refit for Brittany Ferries in favour of more standard seats. Condor Vitesse which operates for Brittany Ferries under charter from Condor Ferries between Poole and Cherbourg has these facilities.
Brittany Ferries HSC Normandie Express Ferry Statistics
- Gross Tonnage: 6,581
- Length: 97.22 m
- Beam: 26.6 m
- Vehicle Capacity: 260 cars
- Built: 2000
- Passengers: 900
- Service Speed: 38 knots (service), 46.5 knots (maximum)
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