seatec - Finnish marine technology review 1/2011 | Page 36

Captain David Miller, Senior Master of Spirit of Britain, with the ship during construction. New P&O ships receive state of the art design support from Lloyd’s Register P&O’s Spirit of Britain, delivered of the P&O project’, commented Lloyd’s plan approval and site teams once the con- in January, is a brand new ro-ro Register’s Richard Goodwin. Manager, Pas- tracts were signed, and providing a single senger Ship Support Centre – New Con- point of contact for each stage.” passenger ship on the English Channel route. Built at STX Rau- struction. The ships’ state-of-the-art design re- John Garner, P&O’s Fleet Director, ex- flects the company’s desire to be pioneers ma in Finland she will be joined by plains: “The design concept for these fer- and to stay at the forefront of regulations her sister Spirit of France, from the ries is for them to have roughly the same and technology. Both ships comply with same yard, in September. operating costs and fuel consumption, and the changes in methodology for damage to turn around on the same schedule, as stability and survivability and the Stock- the ones they are replacing, even though holm Agreement requirements for ascer- they will have double the payload.” taining the effects of water on deck fol- T hese ferries are the first to be designed lowing a sustained damage. to comply with the new Safe Return The presence of Lloyd’s Register to Port (SRtP) requirements – even though from the very beginning of the project Besides the stringent safety and en- the regulations weren’t yet in force when has been reassuring. Mike Langley, P&O’s vironmental aspects, all elements of pas- the ships’ keels were laid. The SRtP regula- Programme Manager, Newbuilding, says: senger comfort have been considered for tions, though concise, have enormous im- “These are the first new ferries we have the ships. The design features a more cus B