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Operator P&O Ferries has announced the Pride of Canterbury will be reinstated on the Dover to Calais route from Monday (May, 30). The ferry passed its inspections on last Thursday and has been cleared to sail.

It will be the first time the operator KentLive reports, has had three of its vessels on the route after sacking nearly 800 workers in March. Employees were delivered the brutal news that they had lost their jobs in a short recorded video message.

A senior company executive explained in the video that the job losses were necessary to keep P&O Ferries afloat after losses of £100 million each year over the past two years. CEO Peter Hebblethwaite has admitted he's "incredibly sorry" for the impact caused by the operator sacking hundreds of staff without notice.

But now, the Pride of Canterbury will join the Pride of Kent and Spirit of Britain in sailing between Dover and Calais. In a Tweet, P&O Ferries Freight said: "From tomorrow (30/05/2022), we will be adding some Pride of Canterbury sailing to our schedule."

Published in Ferry

SB20 (formerly Laser SB3) information

Designed by Tony Castro, the SB20 is a British-built strict one-design 6.15m keelboat conceived as a wide appeal, affordable, competitive sportsboat for teams of three or four sailors. It is also, arguably, the most successful sportsboat in the world with 800 owners competing regularly in a programme of exciting local, national and international events.

Originally known as the Laser SB3, the SB20 continues to deliver on its pioneering promise: a boat that is fun, fast and easy to sail by anyone of any age; the best value-for-money sportsboat in the market.

The Laser SB3 was designed by Castro and launched in 2002. In 2007 the Laser SB3 was awarded ISAF Recognised Status and the first World Championships were held in Ireland in 2008. In 2012, Tony Castro appointed a new builder, Sportsboat World. At this time, the Laser SB3 was renamed the SB20 and building was returned to the UK from Malaysia. The ethos of the class continues.

The boat is a strict one-design class, economic to buy and campaign, easy to sail with a simple deck layout and electric downwind performance delivered by the generous sail plan. The boat has a lifting keel, can easily be launched from a slipway and towed behind a family car.

Previous SB20 World Champions

2008 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Roger Gilbert, Roz Allen & Sarah Allan

Host National Yacht Club, Dun laoghaire, Ireland

2009 GBR: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heeley

Host Clube Naval de Cascais, Cascais, Portugal

2010 GBR: Jerry Hill, Grant Rollerson, Joe Llewellyn

Host Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

2011 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Andy Ramus, Ian Mills & Emma Clarke

Host Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK

2012 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Lesley Dhonau, Roger Hudson & Asenathi Jim

Host Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Queensland, Australia

2013 GRB: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heley Host COYCH Club, Hyeres, France