About usHoverspeed rules the waves with its superb fleet of Seacat and Superseacat fast ferries, giving you a journey that is all about speed, style and service. There's no faster sea crossing to France with seasonal services from Dover to Calais and from Newhaven to Dieppe. The Company carries 1.5 million passengers and over 300,000 vehicles across the Channel to France each year. Hoverspeed operates a unique fleet of high-speed catamaran and monohull car ferries. The combination of 74m and 81m Seacat catamarans running on the prime Dover - Calais route from March 2004, will cross in around 1 hour with up to 15 daily return departures during the peak season. Hoverspeed is the only high-speed operator from Newhaven to Dieppe. The Company reinstated this popular direct link to Normandy in April 1999. The Superseacat monohull high-speed ferry operates on this seasonal route with a crossing time of around 2 hours, with up to 3 return crossings running daily in the peak period. Compared to conventional ferries, Hoverspeed's fleet of smaller, faster vessels results in fast loading and unloading - coupled with the fact that all our cross-Channel services are run from dedicated ports, makes travelling with Hoverspeed a personal, stylish, fast and hassle free experience. HistoryHoverspeed was created on the 25 October 1981 with the merger of two Cross-Channel operators - Seaspeed, which operated services from Dover to Calais and Boulogne, and Hoverlloyd, which operated from Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate to Calais. The Company's history is closely linked with the development of commercial hovercraft, operated by the Company up to the year 2000. The merged Company initially operated a fleet of six hovercraft on services to Calais and Boulogne from Dover. In June 1986, Hoverspeed was bought by Sea Containers Ltd. In 1990, Hoverspeed pioneered operations of the world's first vehicle-carrying catamaran, the Seacat, Hoverspeed Great Britain. The company also pioneered operation of the Superseacat, the largest monohull fast car ferry to operate in UK waters, which commenced operation between Newhaven and Dieppe in 1999. Today, Hoverspeed operates a fleet of high-speed catamarans and monohull Superseacats on Cross Channel services to France. |