Competition of the channel

1990/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Garraioak

A gigantic catamaran built in Australia next June will compete in the ferry market of the English Channel. You will travel between Portsmouth and Cherbourg at the speed of the hovercraft.

The catamaran will be able to travel an apple or marejada that the “hovercraft” cannot sail. Between the waves of 4 m the catamaran will circulate on two external keys, but if the sea is more angry will begin to work the third central keel to balance the boat. According to the designers, the catamaran can sail in waves of 6 m.

The “hovercraft” need a calm sea to sail. They are not allowed to make a trip between France and England if the waves exceed 3.5 m.

The catamaran has clear advantages over conventional ferries. On the one hand, it is a fifth cheaper part than the auto-ferrys or “hovercraft” of the same capacity, with only 20 million A$. On the other hand, the catamaran will travel three times faster and overnight trips will be discarded.

Christofer Columbus

The 74-m long catamaran is powered by four 3650 kW diesel engines. The maximum speed you can reach is 40 knots, but the normal travel speed will be 36 knots. The distance between Cherbourg and Portsmouth is 120 km and the catamaran is expected to last about 2 hours.