Classic Fast Ferries · promising future for fast ferries between Ibiza and Formentera. Also in...

classicf a s tferries

M A R C H 2 0 0 2 n 2

22 classic fast ferries 2 – 2002

M A R C H 2 0 0 2 n 2

c o v e r :W95 Rápido de

Formentera isone of several

formerScandinavianWestamaransgetting a newlease in life in

Ibiza(tim timoleon)

Estonian fast ferry operator LindaLine Express has released thisartist's rendition of the company'snew foil-assisted catamaran, dueto enter service on the Tallinn-Helsinki, Finland route at the endof May. A completely new design, thevessel is being built by AlmazShipbuilding of St. Petersburg.Length overall is 40m and beam11m. Four MTU diesels offer aspeed of 45 knots, which translatesinto a trip time of approx. onehour between the two Balticcapitals.

Accomodation is for 286 passengersin two saloons on the single deckdesign; 224 in tourist and 62 inbusiness class. Linda Line also owns a pair of192-seat Morye Olympia hydrofoilsdelivered in 1993-94 and expects tooperate up to 22 single journeys onthe T-H route this coming season,which commences next month, infierce competition with the vehiclecarrying fast ferries operated byNordic Jet Line and Tallink Express.

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Linda Line introduces foil-assisted catamaran

Jetfoil accident in the Canary Islands

Fifty-two people were injured,some of them severly, in anincident on February 10 involvingone of Trasmediterránea's pair ofKawasaki 929-117 Jetfoils, PrincesaTeguise. The hydrofoil, delivered in 1991,had 102 passengers and five crewon board and was traveling fromGran Canaria to Tenerife at 42knots when it came to a sudden

complete stop at 17:10, ten minutesafter it had left Las Palmas. The majority of the injured werestanding up or moving about thecraft as it came off foil. Reportedly,the vessel did not collide with anyobject but rather a mechanicaldisfunction was to be blamed. Allwere taken to hospital by a resquingvessel and Princesa Teguise was sub-sequently towed back to Las Palmas.

classic fast ferries 2 – 2002 33

Rodriquez delivers fourth Foilmaster hydrofoil

Rodriquez Cantieri Navali, Messinadelivered its first hydrofoil in overthree years, Foilmaster Natalie M,to Sicilian operator Ustica Lines onFebruary 22nd. This is the third Foilmaster forUstica since 1996 and the fourthbuilt to date - the prototype wentto Siremar in 1994. During trial runs in the Straits ofMessina earlier this month a maxspeed of 40 knots was achieved byNatalie M. Ustica is expected torun the vessel at 38 knots. Thetwo previous Foilmasters arenamed Eduardo M and Adriana M. Ustica now owns eighthydrofoils which it operates onvarious domestic and internationalroutesin the Adriatic andMediterranean; three Foilmasters,two RHS 160Fs, two RHS 160sand a single RHS 140.

N A T A L I E M .

Length overallLength overall-waterline-waterline

BeamBeamWidth across foilsWidth across foils

Max DraughtMax DraughtDisplacementDisplacement

Materials :Materials :-hull-hull

-superstructure-superstructure-foils-foils

EnginesEngines

GeneratorsGenerators

GearboxGearboxSpeedSpeed, max max

-service-servicePassengersPassengers

WinchesWinchesLiferaftsLiferafts

Rescue boatsRescue boatsAnchorsAnchors

ClassificationClassification

31.2m27m6.7m14m4.1m124t

AluminumAlum./GRPSteel2 x MTU 16V395 TE 74LStamegna SM800ZF BU 75540 knots38 knots2403611RINA

Ustica Lines' new Foilmaster Natalie M prior to the test runs in the Straits of Messina earlier this month (Rodriquez Cantieri Navali)


ONE ROUND TRIP TO

he Spanish Mediterranean island ofIbiza, part of the Balearic archipelago,needs little or no introduction. To mostnorth Europeans at least (and certainlythe locals) it is known as a summerparadise where you go to let your hairlose, leave your inhibitions at home andparty all night long and spend thebalance of day on the beach or in bed torecharge batteries. Not to say thateveryone does, but in millions do everyyear.

With a population of 5,200 – which triplesduring the high season – it is about 90 sq.kilometres in size, perfect for a day out ona rented bike or scooter. And from almostany point on the island you can see theMediterranean. Still, Formentera offersmore than one hundred hotels andvacation flats, some seventy restaurants –and even five or so discos. The mean annual temperature is 17degrees centigrade, so coming here in theearly spring or autumn is not a bad ideaeither.

The island, 572 sq. kilometres in size,has some 300 hotels, seven campingsites, well over 600 restaurants and closeto 100 clubs and discotheques. So, thereyou have it. But Ibiza also offersbreathtaking scenery and picturesquevillages. The small neighbouring island ofFormentera, on the other hand, is adifferent kind of paradise known for itstranquil laid-back atmosphere, beautifulclothing-optional beaches, secluded baysand caves.


PARADISE, POR FAVORF l e b a s a L i n e s___________________________________________________

It was not until 1989, however, that fastferries appeared on the 11 nautical mileroute between Ibiza and Formentera –with surrounding smaller islands alsoknown as the Pitiusas. But before this, in November 1987, acompany based in the Canary Islandsacquired a fifteen year old RodriquezRHS 140 hydrofoil from Dampskibs-selskabet Øresund in Denmark. Since itsdelivery by the Messina yard in 1973 the115-seat hydrofoil, Viggen, had beenemployed on the Malmö–Copenhagenroute, operated jointly by DSØ and itsSwedish partner SRÖ, Svenska RederiAB Öresund, carrying in the region offour million passengers on 46,000crossings. Prior to the sale the vessel hadbeen laid up at Malmö for more than ayear though. Viggen sailed for Spainunder its own power on November 9th

1987. Initial reports stated the hydrofoil wasto enter service in either the Straits ofGibraltar, presumably between Algecirasand Ceuta in Spanish North Africa, orbetween Mallorca and Menorca.

However, following refurbishing,which included reverting to the originalattractive all-white external paintscheme, and renamed Rápido de Ibiza, thehydrofoil instead appeared on asomewhat more exposed route linkingDenia on the Spanish mainland and SanAntonio in west Ibiza with Flebasa Linesin 1988. With a scheduled journey timeof three hours, two daily round tripswere made The following year Flebasa, orFletamentos Baleares SA to give thecompany its full name, purchased aWestamaran 95 catamaran, Tranen, fromDet Stavangerske D/S in Norway. Originally delivered as Sleipner byWestermoen Hydrofoil in 1974, theW95 had spent most of its life on theStavanger–Bergen coastal route,replacing a Rodriquez PT.50 hydrofoilof 1961vintage carrying the same name.The W95, in turn, was being supersededby the bigger and faster Fjellstrand38.8m design. Now with two fast ferries in its fleetFlebasa was able to introduce one ofthem between Ibiza and Formentera inaddition to the original route. Or rather,the craft would alternate between routes.

A b o v e :One of Baleária's two W95 catamarans, Rápido deMenorca, in the small charming port of La Savina,Formentera in March this year(GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)

O p p o s i t e :The first fast ferry to enter service withFlebasa Lines, since gone, was a RodriquezRHS 140 hydrofoil, Rápido de Ibiza(GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)


The advertised trip time between Ibizaand La Savina, Formentera of "only 20minutes" was true only where the RHS140 was concerned however. With itslower service speed a more realisticfigure for the Westamaran was 30-35minutes. The fast ferry link with the mainlandwas subsequently abandoned but wasnot closed down alltogether asconventional ferries carried on, and laterFlebasa re-introduced a hydrofoil in theform of the bigger RHS 200 designwhich was better suited for this route. In 1990 Flebasa, through its associatecompany Isleña de Navegación, Isnasa,acquired two 294-seat Fjellstrand 38.8mcatamarans for operation betweenAlgeciras and Ceuta. These wereoriginally delivered by the Norwegianbuilder to a company based in theBahamas, Viking Express, in 1986 and1987 and introduced on two routesbetween Freeport and Fort Lauderdaleand Miami, Florida as Caribbean Princessand Bahamian Princess . This service hadbeen suspended however, and bothcatamarans were back in Norway when

A b o v e :

R i g h t :

Flebasa purchased them (also see separate story elsewhere inthis issue). Renamed Sevilla Noventa y Dos and Rápido de Algecirasthe two Fjellstrand craft entered service in the Straits ofGibraltar in April, marketed as Isnasa Express, butoccasionally could also be seen on the Ibiza–Formentera route as fill-in for either the RHS 140 orW95.

___________________________________But Flebasa was not the only company scenting apromising future for fast ferries between Ibiza andFormentera. Also in 1989 Trasmapi, an established operator in thearea since the 1970s, added a catamaran to its existingfleet of traditional vessels. Acquired from Italian fastferry pioneer Alilauro and renamed Formentera Jet, thiswas an unusual design in many ways.

Conversly, quite a few W95catamarans were built over the years.

Rápido de Formentera enteredservice with Flebasa Lines, also in

1989 (TIM TIMOLEON)

Trasmapi introduced the sole MarinteknikVerkstads JC-F1 built in 1989. The designfeatures detachable hulls, clearly visible inthis shot (TIM TIMOLEON)


The first fast ferry to be completed byMarinteknik Verkstads AB, Sweden, which wasalso responsible for the design concept, the30m waterjet-propelled JC-F1 JetCat catamaranwas launched in 1980 as Number One andsubsequently saw, or nearly saw, short livedservices in Sweden, Gibraltar, the UnitedKingdom and Turkey carrying three differentnames before ending up with Alilauro in Napoliin 1987. What was special about the design was thatthe symmetrical hulls were detachable (andinterchangable) from the superstructure. Apartfrom a streamlined production point of view,this would allow for quick replacement shouldeither of the hulls get damaged, thus minimizingcraft unavailability which obviously is crucial toboth the owners and passengers alike. Given, ofcourse, that a spare hull would be at hand! Also,thanks to the floating technique used for themounting of the hulls to the superstructure thiswould offer improved riding comfort with lessnoise and vibration in the passenger cabin. Afull load service speed of 30 knots was achievedby a pair of MTU 12V 396 TC82 1,410 hpdiesels. Two years on, in 1991, Trasmapiintroduced its second fast ferry on theroute. A Kolkhida hydrofoil, built byOrdzhonikidzie in 1987, this, Tiburon,had previously been operatedbetween Ibiza and Palma deMallorca by NavieraMallorquina, asubsidiary company of state-owned Trasmediterránea. However, in December 1992Tiburon ran aground offFormentera, and while no onewas severly injured there wassubstantial damage to thebow foil and hull.On examining the damagerepairs were estimated to betoo costly and the vessel was declared aconstructive total loss. Consequently, a replacement had to be found in timefor the 1993 season. DSØ, from which competitor Flebasa had acquiredthe RHS 140 in 1987, had two Westamaran 95s on the marketas it was moving on to bigger and newer craftand Trasmapi decided to acquire both of these.Delivered in 1977 as Tunen and Tranenthe W95s left Copenhagen for theMediterranean as deck cargo on April 2nd 1993. On arrival in Ibiza the catamarans were refurbishedto Trasmapi requirements, including theinstallment of air-conditioning units – somethingthat is not, or very rarely, needed in the much cooler North.Conversly, of utmost importance to DSØ's economy (like any company operatingan international route at the time) had been the sale of tax free goods, sinceabandoned, and so both craft were laid out with kiosk/catering facilities.

A b o v e :The Kolkhida hydrofoil Tiburon had a shortlife. It was run aground in December 1992and subsequently written off (TRASMAPI)

T o p :

As replacement for the KolkhidaTrasmapi acquired two W95s inDenmark. One of them, Tagomago Jet,is seen here shortly after arrival in Ibizain 1993 (TIM TIMOLEON)


Obviously this was not relevant in their new role and parts of thistherefore were removed, allowing for more seats to be fitted. Renamed Tagomago Jet and Ibiza Jet the vessels entered servicewith Trasmapi in June. Incidentally, neither of the Westamaranshas waterjet propulsion, but rather propellers/rudders, soincorporating Jet in their names may seem a bit misleading, but ofcourse only reflected the relationship with Formentera Jet, plus thefact that the fast ferry segment of Trasmapi was (and still is) beingmarketed as Linea Jet.

____________________________________________Latest entrant into the fast ferry business on the Ibiza–Formentera route is Mediterranea Pitiusa, a small company basedin Formentera. This acquired a Westamaran 95, Trident 5, inFrance two years ago and introduced it on the route in June 2000. Now renamed Aigües de Formentera, the catamaran was originallydelivered to Det Stavangerske D/S, Norway in 1974 as Vingtor ,and thus in fact is the sister vessel to Flebasa's Rápido de Formentera.It had been with Emeraude Lines since 1990 operating a seasonalservice on different routes between the Brittany coast and theChannel Islands.

B e l o w :

Westamaran 95 Ibiza Jet arriving inIbiza on a hazy afternoon in June 1993.Initially, the two Trasmapi W95s kept thepaint scheme they had had with DSØ in

Denmark (TIM TIMOLEON)

R i g h t :Same vessel in March 2002, sportingTrasmapi company colors of white,

red and dark blue(GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)


Because of the limited time available between thearrival in the Balearics and introduction intoservice, the Westamaran continued operating inEmeraude colors throughout the 2000 season. Itreceived its present paint job when it was taken outof the water for overhaul in January-April last yearduring which time the service was being maintainedby another vessel belonging to the company. Alloperators currently on the route operate year-round, although a reduced time table normallyapplies during off season. The original pair of French SACM engines, whichwere widely used in the W95s, have been retainedin Aigües de Formentera. Passenger capacity is 200.

A b o v e :Mediterranea Pitiusa is the youngest ofthe three companies currently employingfast ferries on the route. Its nicely keptW95 Aigües de Formentera is seen heredeparting La Savina earlier this year...(GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)

... and reversing from the quay inIbiza with a good load last summer

(JUAN J. FERRER)

B e l o w :


__________________________ Right now there are as many as seven catamarans in Ibiza allocated to the Formentera route. Admittedly, not all of them are inservice at the same time.

For instance, the former Danish W95s Ibiza Jet

The Westamaran operated byFlebasa, Rápido de Formentera, wastaken over by Baleária EurolíniesMarítimes which has since added asecond W95, Rapido de Menorca, tothe route. This was originallylaunched as Martini Bianco in 1975and delivered to Alilauro in Italyfor operation out of Napoli andlater sold to Aliscafi SNAV. Whenacquired by Baleária it was knownas Nastro Azzurro and as such hadoperated in Sierra Leone. The seventh catamaran, ofcourse, is Pitiusa's Aigües deFormentera. The original Formentera Jet,Marinteknik JC-F1, has been soldand the former Flebasa RHS 140,Rápido de Ibiza, is laid up inMallorca since some years.

and Tagomago Jet have been reduced to back-upand charter vessels following the acquisition byTrasmapi in 1999 of the two Fjellstrand 38.8mcatamarans previously operated by IsnasaExpress between Algeciras and Ceuta. Thisservice was terminated in 1998 when Isnasawent out of business. Both craft have been renamed; Rápido deAlgeciras now is known as Formentera Jet andSevilla Noventa y Dos has changed identity toEivissa Jet (Eivissa, Catalan for Ibiza). Reportedly, the W95s also have engineproblems since some time, resulting in theirservice speed now being only 16-17 knots.


CATAMARANS CURRENTLY

____________________________

Aigües de Formentera W95/PitiusaEivissa Jet 38.8m/Trasmapi-Baleária

Formentera Jet 38.8m/Trasmapi-BaleáriaIbiza Jet W95/Trasmapi

Rápido de Formentera W95/BaleáriaRápido de Menorca W95/Baleária

Tagomago Jet W95/Trasmapi

______________________________While remaining separate companies,Trasmapi and Baleária have pooled as fasas the timetable and craft utilization areconcerned. First-choice craft are Baleária'sW95s or Trasmapi's Fjellstrand 38.8ms;these seem to be randomly rotatedaccording to demand and maintenance. Six daily round trips by catamaran aretimetabled during off season, whichincreases to ten in the summer. Firstservice leaves Formentera at 07:30 andIbiza at 07:45 and the last from either endis at 18:30 in the winter and 20:00 in thesummer. Additional services are operatedwhere needed, but with five vessels intheir fleets Baleária and Trasmapi shouldhave a reliability figure of 100 per cent!

With just the sole W95 so far in the fleet,Pitiusa offers four trips in each directionby fast ferry, plus four by a marginallyslower monohull, between 08:30 and22:30. The advertised trip time for thecatamarans is 25 minutes, whereas theTrasmapi/Baleária car ferries takes 65minutes. Prices last year on the catamarans (alloperators) were EUR 13 single adult fornon-residents; for residents, seniorcitizens, children and groups special ratesapply. The substantial discounts offered toresidents are state subsidied. n

O p p o s i t e :

T o p : Fjellstrand 38.8m Eivissa Jet being tied up in Ibiza harbor and enjoying a bitof afternoon sun earlier this month (GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)

B o t t o m : ... and while operating further south, between Algeciras and Ceuta,with Isnasa as Sevilla Noventa y Dos in 1994 (TIM TIMOLEON)

The Trasmapi/Baleária pooling arrangement is being distinctly advertised onFjellstrand 38.8m Formentera Jet – the second catamaran on the route to carry

this name. Note the lack of forward facing windows on main deck, otherwisewidely featured on this design (GERARDO FERRERO AMANDI)


BERGEN-CÁDIZIN 25 DAYS

(and that's by fast ferry)

n January 25th 1990 a pair ofFjellstrand 38.8m catamarans leftBergen, Norway for Cádiz on Spain'ssouth-west coast with ten crew fromlong-time fast ferry operatorHardanger SunnhordlandskeDampskipsselskap. Which did notmean HSD was looking into thepossibilities of establishing a directNorway–Spain catamaran service.And even if it had been, it soonwould get wiser. The craft, Caribbean Princess andBahamian Princess, had originally beendelivered to an operator in theBahamas, Viking Express, in 1986–87 and entered service on two routesbetween Freeport and Florida. Business failed however, and thecatamarans were taken over by aNorwegian bank and brought back

to Bergen where they were laid up atthe HSD wharf as the company hadagreed to look after the vessels untilsold. The two sisters were subsequentlypurchased by the parent company ofFlebasa Lines/Isnasa (also see separatestory elsewhere in this issue) and HSDwas asked to supply crews for theirdelivery trip from Norway to Spain. Tells Bjørn Møllerhaug, one of theparticipating HSD captains: "We had expected the trip to takeabout two weeks, but got extremelyunlucky with the weather and didn'treach our destination until February18th. A great deal of this time wasspent alongside in different ports inDenmark, The Netherlands andFrance. For instance, we reachedCádiz in just three days from Brest,

The Norwegiancrew members

provided byHardanger

SunnhordlandskeD/S gathered in

front of CaribbeanPrincess just priorto their departure

from Bergen toSpain(HSD)

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France – a distance about 3/5 of the entiretrip!" While in the ports there would be at leasttwo crew on board to keep watch at any giventime. The rest stayed in B&Bs. "The constant wind was so strong thatmoving about on the craft was difficult evenwhen we were moored. And even during thetimes when you were officially off duty therewere so many things to attend to on andabout the ships that you didn't really get muchfree time – or sleep. Also, because of thehorrible weather conditions we didn't seemuch on the journey anyway, or the ports wecalled at." In more detail, Møllerhaug continues: "Our first stop en route was Esbjerg insouth-west Denmark. We had to stay put herefor a whole week before being able tocontinue to Cuxhaven at the mouth ofGermany's river Elbe. Then on to Haarlingenand Amsterdam. When approachingAmsterdam we had to take on a pilot, whowas dropped off again at the railway station[Amsterdam Central station is situated rightnext to the harbor front and the IJ canal, Ed.]. Next stop was Cherbourg, France where wehad to stay for another three days before wecould carry on. However, after about 1½hours we experienced 5–6m waves in the

Channel and had to return. We finally reachedBrest, but were again grounded for four or fivedays. Here the wind really built up into a frenzy.Everything on board was flying through the air,and an 8000-ton car carrier which was lyingnext to us in the harbor had a 45 degree list!" Leaving Brest conditions in the Biscay did notimprove until the two craft reached the Spanishcoast. "By that time the weather finally settled, andthe last two days it was so calm you could evendrink your coffee on the bridge – until now youhad had to hold on tight to anything firmlyattached to the structure in order to keepupright." But a voyage like this is not only a concern ofthose on board. How about the families athome who obviously are glued to their radiosand TV sets keeping track with the not-very-promising weather forecasts? "We were not able to call from the craft butphoned the minute we got to port, so that wasOK" says Møllerhaug. "And even though wewould have liked the sea to be less upset, noneof the crew regrets he said yes to deliver thecatamarans. It's always nice with a bit of change.And if we were asked we would do it again. Still,we all appreciated that we were flying backhome to Bergen though." n

Fjellstrand 38.8m Caribbean Princess as delivered by the yard to Viking Express in October 1986 (FJELLSTRAND)


F I N L A N D

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ince our last Finnish report(October 2000 CFF) we have learntabout a second Raketa hydrofoiloperating in Finland, and also havean update on Tehi which featured inthat issue. The Raketa hydrofoil, developedespecially for fast transportation onthe many shallow waterways in theSoviet Union, first appeared in 1957.Some 300 vessels were delivered upto the mid-70s when the design wasreplaced by the Voskhod, still inproduction. A number was exportedto places as diverse as Poland, theCaribbean, Great Britain andGermany. The type is still to befound in regular service in Russiaand Poland.

S u v i j e tBuilt in 1963 by the FeodosiyaShipyard, Ukraine, it was not until1993 that this Raketa arrived inFinland. Before that it had beenoperating in Estonia as Raketa 314.Purchased by a Helsinki basedcompany the name of the hydrofoilwas subsequently shortened to Raketa. Two years later, in 1995, the vesselwas renamed Suvijet as it was acquiredby a company called Suvetar Oy andentered service on tourist trips onlakes Päijänne and Keitele during thesummer months. In 1997 the vessel had its original(Soviet) engine replaced (by a Russianunit) and, keeping its name, was again

S

Second ever Finnish Raketa hydrofoil?Suvijet idles at the berth at Lahti in 1999 (ALEKSI LINDSTRÖM)


transferred to another owner whichoperated the vessel out of Lahti until2000. Last year it was sold to yet anotherFinnish company and renamedRosetta is now being used as arestaurant and movie theatre vessel.It has not been possible to verifywhether or not the vessel's foils havebeen removed – as is the case onTehi.

T e h iThe first hydrofoil to be delivered toa Finnish operator, Tehi enteredservice on Lake Päijänne with thePaijanteen Hydrofoil Co. (PäijänteenKantosiipi Oy) in 1962. For morethan twenty years it would operate aseasonal inter-lake service betweenLahti in the south and Jyväskylä inthe north; a scenic journey taking inthe region of three hours. Some ten or so years ago thehydrofoil was acquired by anothercompany, likewise based in Lahti,and converted into adinner/sightseeing vessel. The foilswere removed and the originalItalian CRM engine, which with amax. output of 1,050 hp gave Tehi aservice speed of 33 knots, wasreplaced by a Volvo Penta 250 hpdiesel allowing for the formerhydrofoil to cruise at 12 knots.Passenger capacity was increasedfrom the original 64 to 80. More recently the wheelhouse hasbeen rebuilt – unfortunately withlittle (or no) respect for the craft'soriginal lines and appearance. From mid-June to mid-August Tehinow operates between Lahti andHeinola and Heinola andVuolenkoski on alternate days of theweek. The Lahti–Heinola trip takesjust under four hours, with a 2-hourstop-over at Heinola, and passesthrough the Vääksy and Kalkkinencanals. In addition the vessel isavailable for charters during theshoulder seasons as well as on thedays when it is not operating ascheduled service. n

A b o v e : Rear viev of Suvijet alongside at Lahti in 1999(ALEKSI LINDSTRÖM)

B e l o w : A recent shot of Tehi showing the not very becomingrebuilt wheelhouse - and...

B o t t o m : ... in its heyday on Lake Päijänne (postcard)


classic sh tso

EvocativePower

In this month's classic shots we bring you another truly charming scenefrom Messina in the heyday of the hydrofoil, captured by LorenzoBonasera. And it isn't just the hydrofoil itself being secured to the deckof a freighter that makes this an interesting and evocativephotograph. . . The men standing on top of Flying Flamingo,the on-looking crowd on the quay, the Fiat hatch-back andthe man leaning against his Vespa all add to the (Italian) feel. The PT.50/S Flying Flamingo had been ordered by Hongkong MacaoHydrofoil Co., and in this April 2nd 1967 shot - in other words, almostexactly 35 years ago - has just been loaded onto the vessel which willtake it out east. It was the fourth and last of the PT.50 type to bedelivered by Rodriquez to HMH since 1964, which moved on to the newRHS 140 design in 1971. In July 1982, about midway between Hong Kong and Macao, FlyingFlamingo collided with one of the company's five RHS 140s, FlyingGoldfinch, causing serious damage to both vessels. Two people werekilled and 84 injured in the accident. Flying Flamingo was subsequently scrapped, whereasthe RHS 140 was repaired and re-appeared on the route asFlying Swift.

LORENZO BONASERA PHOTO

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