New Ferry Heads For Dover

New €180 million ship has set off on its maiden voyage to Calais.

P&O Ferries’ new €180 million ship Spirit of Britain, the largest and most revolutionary ferry ever seen on the Dover Strait, has set sail on her maiden voyage to Calais. She left Dover this morning (Friday 21 January) at 09.20.

With capacity for up to 2,000 passengers, and three separate vehicle decks capable of carrying nearly four kilometres of traffic parked end to end, P&O say this leviathan of the seas opens a new era in cross-Channel travel for the 21st century. 

Her revolutionary design, with a unique hull form that reduces drag in shallow Channel waters and enhances fuel economy, means P&O Ferries can claim she will be able to carry twice the payload of today’s ferries for the same running costs, both boosting the company’s environmental credentials and helping to keep ticket prices low. 

Ship fact file
 Length: 213m overall
 Breadth: 31.4m
 Draft: 6.5m
 Lane metres: 3,746m
 Speed: 22 knots
 Gross registered tonnage: 49,000
 Flag: British  
 Classification Society: Lloyd's Register

Spirit of Britain will sail five times every 24 hours and will be officially named by Dame Kelly Holmes in March