Superfast Ferries

Superfast Ferries S.A.
Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry Transport
Headquarters Athens, Greece
Products Passenger transportation, Freight transportation, Holidays, Business travel
Parent Attica Holdings
Website www.superfast.com
MS Superfast XI bound to Ancona passing Kefalonia island.
MS Blue Star 1 of the joint Superfast Ferries/Blue Star Ferries service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge in the Firth of Forth.

Superfast Ferries is a Greece-based ferry company founded in 1993 by Pericles Panagopulos and Alexander Panagopulos. Superfast Ferries is a member of Attica Group and operates 4 ultra-modern car-passenger ferries, offering daily connections between Ancona and Bari (Italy) and Patras and Igoumenitsa (Greece). Together with Blue Star Ferries, it is a subsidiary company of Attica Group, which is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Routes

In the past Superfast Ferries has operated lines in several parts of Europe, on the Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, North Sea, and the Baltic sea. Currently, they are mainly active in the Adriatic sea, operating between Greece and Italy. Their routes are between the Italian ports of Ancona and Bari and the Greek ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras, as well as between Bari and Corfu.

Superfast operated the Rosyth - Zeebrugge ferry service between 2002 and 2008. On 29 May 2008 it was announced that Superfast Ferries would withdraw across the North Sea. The service was subsequently withdrawn on 13 September 2008. The North Sea service was mainland Scotland's only year round, direct, scheduled ferry service to and from Continental Europe. The vessel used was Blue Star 1, which replaced the larger Superfast X on the route. Blue Star 1 has been reallocated to Attica's Mediterranean services. Norfolkline restarted the route in May 2009.[1]

Superfast also operated between Piraeus and Heraklion until 2013. On 8 March 2013 it was announced that Superfast VI has been sold to Genting Group and Superfast XII, which was operating that route, was transferred to its position in Adriatic Sea.

Vessel allocations

In late 2005, Superfast ferries removed one of the two ships operating the link between Zeebrugge and Rosyth, thus turning the daily link from Belgium to Scotland into one operated only every other day. Superfast IX joined the two ship operation between Hanko and Rostock to serve the growing demand in the Finland - Germany service.

In addition, Superfast introduced a new "roll-on roll-off" (RoRo) service between Uusikaupunki and Rostock in January 2005. Attica has since moved one of the RO/RO ships RORO MARIN to their Adriatic Sea routes.

In April 2006, Superfast and Attica once more took the market by surprise by agreeing to sell the Superfast VII, Superfast VIII and Superfast IX ice-class ferries to Estonian operator Tallink for €310 million.

In August 2006 Attica entered into an agreement to sell to Veolia Transport its ice-class vessel Superfast X trading between Scotland and Belgium for € 112mln. The delivery of Superfast X took place in January 2007.

In September 2007, Pericles Panagopulos, the former key shareholder of Attica and then Chairman, sold his family's participation for € 5.50 per share to Marfin Investment Group. The move was seen as a "family transition" decision and was interpreted to be an exit for the then 72-year-old investor. Alexander Panagopulos, CEO of Attica, resigned prior to this sale and founded his shipping company by the name Arista Shipping S.A..

ANEK-Superfast

On June 8, 2011 Superfast Ferries and ANEK Lines create a joint venture in Piraeus-Heraklion and Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona routes with two RO-PAX ships in the first one (the ANEK-owned "Olympic Champion" and the Superfast-owned "Superfast XII") and three in the second one (the ANEK-owned "Hellenic Spirit" and the Superfast-owned "Superfast VI" and "Superfast XI").[2]

Current fleet

Ship Flag Built Route Gross tonnage Length Width Passengers Vehicles Knots Photos
MS Superfast I Greece 2008 Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari 24.950 GT 199 m 26,6 m 928 700 24,2
MS Superfast II Greece 2009 Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari 24.950 GT 199 m 26,6 m 928 700 24,2
MS Superfast XI Greece 2002 Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona 30.902 GT 200 m 25 m 1.639 653 29,3
MS Superfast XII Greece 2002 Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes 30.902 GT 200 m 25 m 1.639 653 29,3

Former ships

Ship Years in service Gross tonnage Current status
MS Superfast I 1995—2004 23.663 GT Since 2008 MS Skania for Unity Line
MS Superfast II 1995—2003 23.663 GT Since 2006 MS Mega Express Four for Corsica Ferries
MS Superfast III 1998—2002 29.067 GT Since 2002 MS Spirit of Tasmania II for TT-Line (Australia)
MS Superfast IV 1998—2002 29.067 GT Since 2002 MS Spirit of Tasmania I for TT-Line (Australia)
MS Superfast V 2001—2010 32.728 GT Since 2010 MS Cap Finistère for Brittany Ferries
MS Superfast VI 2001—2013 32.728 GT Since 2016 MS Cruise Olbia for Grimaldi Group
MS Superfast VII 2001—2006 30.285 GT Since 2011 on charter as MS Stena Superfast VII from Tallink to Stena Line
MS Superfast VIII 2001—2006 30.285 GT Since 2011 on charter as MS Stena Superfast VIII from Tallink to Stena Line
MS Superfast IX 2002—2006 30.285 GT Since 2008 on charter as MV Atlantic Vision from Tallink to Marine Atlantic
MS Superfast X 2002—2007 29.800 GT Since 2014 MS Stena Superfast X for Stena Line

References

  1. ↑ Archived September 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ http://www.anek-superfast.gr/

Further reading

  • Seville, Richard (2009). Mediterranean Ferries. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781871947984. 
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