Pont-Aven Brittany Ferries impressive flagship at the weekend resumed its first Roscoff-Cork round-trip this season, in the 20th anniversary year since its introduction on the Ireland-France route and UK-France/Spain links, writes Jehan Ashmore.
During Pont-Aven’s return leg to France on Friday-Saturday, it was just a day short of its two-decade-old service date of March 24, 2004, which saw the 2,400 passenger, 650 car, and 85 lorry flagship also make its Irish debut the following month on the Ireland-France connection.
The 40,859 gross tonnage flagship with a Breton registry of Morlaix, was built by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany for BAI S.A. (Bretagne-Angleterre-Irlande), trading as Brittany Ferries. Its introduction marked a significant chapter for the company, which has built up its brand and a strong relationship, including culturally with Ireland, for more than 45 years. This began with the Munster-Brittany link launched in 1978.
At the weekend, Pont-Aven’s return crossing from Cork was tracked off Land’s End, Cornwall, England, from where the flagship also made its debut in 2004 in neighbouring Devon on the Plymouth-Roscoff route and the Plymouth-Santander service.
The 10-deck flagship continues to be one of the most luxurious operating to mainland Europe, despite the introduction of Brittany Ferries new chartered tonnage from Stena RoRo’s E-Flexer class. They are spacious, modern, and have more environmental merit, yet they do not compensate for the level of cruise-ferry that Pont-Aven provides.
With a service speed of 23 knots, though capable of 27 knots, Pont-Aven has the capacity to keep to its intensive route network of connecting France-UK-Spain routes and the additional France-Ireland round trips.
Over the winter, a 3m 'duck tail' was added to the stern to improve operational efficiency and environmental benefits, which is expected to achieve a 10% reduction in fuel and save costs. Also on the matter of the environment is when in 2016 was installed 'scrubber’ sulphur emission reduction technology, which is welcomed, though considerably altered the external aesthetics of the original funnel that is shrouded in a cage-like structure, which is somewhat ungainly.
Overall, having said that, Pont-Aven presents a sleek profile to a ship with a pleasant-sounding name, which refers to the small Breton town made synonymous with artists, and this is reflected throughout the flagship’s interior décor - Afloat will have more about such features.
Since 2022, the flagship has been joined by the cruise ferry Armorique, which, coupled with extending the season, offers more sailings and choice to holidaymakers. Also, this season sees a first for Armorique to feature 18 pet-friendly cabins due to surging demand, as until now, dogs have had to remain in cars during the crossing, whereas Pont-Aven already has 28 pet-friendly cabins.
The route complements Brittany’s Rosslare-Cherbourg route and the longer link to Bilbao in northern Spain, for which Afloat consulted the company’s sailing schedules, sees its first ‘outbound’ sailing reinstated tomorrow, 27 March, operated by Santoña.
As for the first ‘inbound’ sailing, this departs Bilbao the following day, 28 March, and is to be served by Galicia. Up until then, the route across the Bay of Biscay was closed to enable port-related infrastructure works, which led to a temporary Ireland-Spain service retaining Rosslare as the Irish port but redirecting the route instead to Santander.
Both of these Ireland-Spain ferries are of the E-Flexer class, in which the company also has Salamanca and two more newbuilds to enter service, though on English Channel routes replacing ageing tonnage.
