Superfast Ferries
Superfast Ferries is a shipping and 100 percent subsidiary of the Greek Attica Group.
It has five modern, built exclusively in Germany and Italy fast ferries. In addition, the Attica Group is also the parent company of the brand Blue Star Ferries (formerly Strintzis Lines ), which operates seven ferries on five lines in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. Both fleets are members of the international accounting and sales network of premium Alliance.
The Group was founded in 1918 in Piraeus, Greece and received the 2002 names Attica Enterprises. In the summer of 2004, the Group received its present name Attica Group SA The company is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange since 1924 and since that time has the suffix " SA " for a public limited company under Greek law. Pericles Panagopulos is Chairman of the Group today.
- 2.1 ro-ro ferries
- 3.1 Adriatic
- 3.2 Aegean
- 3.3 North Sea
History
The concept of Superfast Ferries to revolutionize the ferry traffic between Greece and Italy by means of fast, modern ro-pax ferries, was developed by the Greek entrepreneur Pericles Panagopulos and his son Alexander. 1995, one year after its founding, could the travel time from Greece to Italy to be reduced by 40 % with the fast ferries Superfast I and Superfast II, ( from 36 to 20 hours) with new standards for safety and comfort has been reached. In addition to a consistent corporate design, which covers all areas of design, was abandoned unprofitable comfort areas (eg cinema or row of shops ) and watched the ships as primary transportation. ( Numbering instead of names: eg " Superfast IX ").
The route from Bari to Igoumenitsa and Patras was opened in 1998, on which the new building ships Superfast III and IV are used. By 2001, a total of twelve ferries for Superfast Ferries were built. In 2004, Superfast Ferries from ADAC Ferry Review eastern Mediterranean the award " very good".
2008 Superfast acquired two unfinished ro-pax ships of the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci. They were ready built by the Italian shipyard Nuovi Canterie Apuani and bear the names Superfast I and Superfast II The new Superfast I was delivered on 6 October 2008 and completed on 13 October 2008 on her maiden voyage. Since then she has served the route Bari - Igoumenitsa -Patras. The new Superfast II was put into service on 6 October 2009 and served the same route as her sister ship.
Since June 1, 2011 Superfast Ferries cooperates with ANEK Lines for three years on the lines Ancona - Igoumenitsa -Patras and Piraeus - Heraklion to improve the utilization of ships
Baltic Sea
From 2001 wrong Superfast VII and Superfast VIII between Rostock ( Germany ) and Hanko (Finland). The success of Finland route was so great that the Superfast IX was withdrawn from the North Sea in November 2005 as the third ship of Finland was used. In early 2007 decided the shipping company, not to run but the Hanko West Port Helsinki.
The concept of the ships as " transport instead of cruise " could in the medium term on the Baltic route does not prove, the competition for bigger and more comfortable ships went on. After five successful years of operation Superfast Ferries was the end of March 2006 that the three ships of the Baltic Sea route, Superfast VII will be sold in April 2006 at the Estonian AS Tallink Group VIII and IX. The new owners have retained the name and appearance of the ferries and pay licensing fees. The reason for the sale of the three Baltic ferries was the forthcoming competition from Finn Lines, which had invested to even greater and thus marketable tonnage.
The Superfast IX. was chartered in 2008 to the Canadian shipping company Marine Atlantic. In December 2009 Tallink announced that the route is exposed from early 2010 until further notice due to a scheduled dry dock stay. Estonian media reported the fact that Tallink wants to charter out the remaining two Superfast vessels as accommodation for workers of the earthquake in Haiti.
Current fleet
- Superfast I ( 2008) ( II)
- Superfast II ( 2009) ( II)
- Superfast VI (2001)
- Superfast XI ( 2002)
- Superfast XII ( 2002)
Ro-ro ferries
On 10 February 2007, the Ro-Ro vessel " Marin " took on the cargo ferry service between Venice and Patras.
Stretch
Adria
- Patras -Ancona
- Patras - Igoumenitsa -Ancona
- Patras - Igoumenitsa -Bari
- Patras - Igoumenitsa - Corfu -Bari
In the Adriatic, the Superfast Ferries run the ports of Ancona, Bari, Patras, Igoumenitsa and, in season, Corfu. With a cruising speed of up to 31 knots, for example, is the Greek Patras reached from Ancona, Italy, from in around 20 hours.
Aegean
- Piraeus - Heraklion
Since March 2009 Superfast Ferries operates daily with Superfast XII between Piraeus and Heraklion in Crete.
North Sea
The ship Superfast X was sold to Veolia Environnement in August 2006. The route was operated since 30 &nbps; January, 2007 by Blue Star 1, a passenger ferry Attica pan-European Group. This ferry was mid-September 2008 and set Blue Star I laid in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2009 Norfolkline has taken the route again.