Wightlink names new ferry
Wightlink’s new £30 million car ferry will be named Victoria of Wight.
The name was chosen by a panel of staff who considered 186 suggestions from 73 employees.
Work is underway on the new ship at the Cemre shipyard in Turkey and she will be officially handed over to Wightlink early in 2018.
It has not yet been decided when she will enter service on the Portsmouth-Fishbourne route.
Victoria of Wight will be a hybrid vessel, powered by batteries as well as low sulphur marine gas oil.
Environmentally-friendly features will include the recycling of hot water from the engines to heat the passenger areas and low energy LED lighting.
There will be a Costa Coffee store on board as well as a shop selling Isle of Wight produce.
Wightlink chief executive Keith Greenfield said: "Victoria was clearly a popular choice among staff. We were very happy to endorse their selection and feel Queen Victoria, as a regular visitor to the Isle of Wight, would have been amused."
Five staff members submitted the winning suggestion for the naming. They have all won a trip to the Cemre shipyard to watch the launch of Victoria of Wight later in 2017.
The new ship is part of a £45 million investment in the route.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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