About Us

Hoverspeed rules the waves with its superb fleet of Seacat fast ferries, giving you a journey that is all about speed, style and service.

There's no faster sea crossing from Dover to Calais. The Company carries 1.2 million passengers and over 360,000 vehicles across the Channel to France each year.

Hoverspeed operates a unique fleet of high-speed catamarans. Two 81m Seacat catamarans will be running on the prime Dover - Calais route from March 2005 crossing in under 1 hour with up to 9 daily return departures during the peak season.

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.

History

Hoverspeed 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 operated between Newhaven and Dieppe from 1999 to 2004. Today, Hoverspeed operates a fleet of high-speed catamarans on the prime cross-Channel service between Dover and Calais.

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