Express, also known by former official names as Catalonia and Catalonia L or by the marketing names Portsmouth Express or Cherbourg Express is a 91 metre long, high speed catamaran built in 1998 by Incat for Uruguayan line Buquebus. On 9 June 1998, she set a record for the fastest eastbound transatlantic journey, previously held by another Incat craft Hoverspeed Great Britain (see Blue Riband), making the run from Manhattan to Tarifa, Spain in 3 days 7 hours 54 minutes, traveling at an average speed of .
During that same voyage, the ship became the first passenger ship to cover or more in one 24-hour period. In covering in one day, it superseded the record set by SS United States in 1952.
The record lasted for about six weeks, superseded by sister craft Cat-Link V. Following her Atlantic crossing she entered service with Buquebus between Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca and later between Ceuta, Malaga and Algeciras as the Catalonia L. In 1999 she was chartered to P&O Portsmouth for service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg replacing the smaller Superstar Express and adopted the trading name Portsmouth Express though her official name remained Catalonia. Her first season as Portsmouth Express was marred by a series of serious technical problems which at one point resulted in the Superstar Express returning to the route from P&O Irish Sea. The ship operated with P&O Portsmouth during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 summer seasons and returned to Buquebus for the rest of the year, in each summer season on the Cherbourg route the ship experienced a number of technical problems which often resulted in the ship running on three or less of its four engines. In 2002 the ships marketing name became Express after P&O Portsmouth became part of P&O Ferries. In 2004 the ship was officially renamed Express but her marketing name became Cherbourg Express to differentiate the service from the Caen Express service which P&O started that year. In September 2004 the ship completed her final Portsmouth-Cherbourg sailing and the ship was laid up at A&P Birkenhead. In 2005 her charter was transferred to P&O Irish Sea and the ship once again replaced the Superstar Express. Express remains with P&O Irish Sea on the Troon/Carinryan-Larne route.
Sister Ships
- T&T Express
- Max Mols
- Fjord Cat
Express differs from the other Incat 91m catamarans due to an addition lounge and large scenic window over the stern. She allow has a considerably larger retail area on the lower passenger deck
References
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Last updated on Thursday September 11, 2008 at 14:04:13 PDT (GMT -0700)
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