Wightlink's new flagship ferry gets royal seal of approval

Wightlink Ferries’ new environmentally friendly flagship, Victoria of Wight, was named by Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex in Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight on 20 September.

Local schoolchildren, Wightlink’s suppliers from the Isle of Wight and other invited guests watched as The Right Reverent Christopher Foster blessed the £30 million (US$39.3 million) hybrid energy ferry. According to maritime tradition, the Countess of Wessex then broke a bottle of champagne over the ship’s bow.

During her visit, the Countess of Wessex toured Victoria of Wight with Wightlink’s chief executive Keith Greenfield and also visited the bridge to hear about the ferry’s environmental credentials from captain Tom Vincent and fleet commodore Peter Hayes. The Countess was also able to speak with the ferry’s designers, crew members and local suppliers, and attend an onboard lunch prepared by local chef Robert Thompson who used locally sourced ingredients.

“I was proud to see our brand new ship being named by Her Royal Highness and very fitting that a member of the royal family should name Victoria of Wight just a few miles from Osborne House, a place so loved by Queen Victoria,” said Greenfield. “We were delighted to be joined by so many Isle of Wight companies who supply the refreshments we sell onboard our fleet, as well as local school children, representatives from the charities and sporting groups we support, and members of the local business community. It was a wonderful occasion and we would like to thank everyone who came along to help us celebrate.”

Built by Cemre shipyard in Turkey, Victoria of Wight accommodates 1,000 guests and up to 178 cars on two fixed vehicle decks. The ferry runs on a combination of battery power and conventional engines to minimise emissions, noise and vibrations. Victoria of Wight also has an elevator that can generate electricity through kinetic energy and motion sensor LED lighting in lesser used areas, while her onboard water is heated by warmth generated by the engine. This makes her the most environmentally friendly ferry to have ever operated on the route between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight.

“Visitors to the Isle of Wight will certainly be arriving in style when they travel on Victoria of Wight, a vessel that embodies the island’s reputation as a high-quality tourist destination,” said Will Miles, managing director at Visit Isle of Wight. “Her eco credentials are impressive and as an organisation that is keen to promote sustainable travel on the Island, we welcome this environmentally friendly addition to Wightlink’s fleet.”