#LiberationLaunch – The countdown is finally over as Condor Ferries launched state-of-the-art fast ferry, Condor Liberation with the first official sailing yesterday from Poole to the Channel Islands.

The 880 passenger car-carrying trimaran had called to Guernsey (St.Peter Port) and Jersey (St. Helier). In addition the maiden voyage was an opportunity to reveal the company's new branding of a livery scheme sporting new colours as she headed out of Poole Harbour, Dorset.

Amid much fanfare the 102m fast-ferry set sail on her inaugural sailing, where local schoolchildren and ferry enthusiasts joined the Mayor of Poole, Councillor Peter Adams at Baiter Park to watch the newcomer depart across Poole Harbour, past Brownsea Island and Sandbanks Peninsula.

Representing £50 million investment, Condor Liberation is the first of her kind in Northern Europe, and marks a new era in sea travel. The Austal 2010 built craft trimaran (three hull) design offers greater stability and better sea-keeping abilities, providing a smoother ride for passengers.

Commenting on the maiden voyage, Alicia Andrews, Executive Director – Commercial at Condor Ferries, said: "Today marked a very important milestone in the history of Condor Ferries. We are very excited to welcome Condor Liberation into service and delighted to see the huge crowd gathered at Baiter Park to help us celebrate this momentous occasion".

Since her 10,500 nautical mile delivery voyage into Poole on Boxing Day as previously reported on Afloat.ie, Condor Liberation has undergone an extensive customisation programme. This has involved installing a new Duty Free shop, children's play area, a range of eating and drinking outlets plus a choice of three new seating lounges, to include two upgrade areas.

For a video of Condor Liberation on berthing trials, click here to see the trimaran approaching Jersey's St. Helier Harbour.

The Channel Islands operator now in their 51st year also have another fast-ferry, the InCat 86m built, Condor Rapide that serves the Guernsey to France route, using the Breton port of St. Malo.

In addition to running Commodore Clipper, a conventional car, passenger and freight carrying vessel that offers an all-weather, year round Portsmouth to Guernsey and Jersey service.

Afloat.ie adds that the 500 passenger / 100 car/ 92-trailer ferry is fresh from refit. She had completed a 10-day call at A&P Falmouth from where she returned to service only last weekend.

In addition to all the publicity centred on the Condor Liberation, Afloat will later also be focusing on the role of Commodore Clipper.

Since the introduction of Commodore Clipper in 1999, the ferry has brought countless holiday makers to the Channel Islands. Plus the ferry serves as an integral lifeline for residents on the Channel Islands and the link to mainland UK.

#CondorLiberation – Channel Islands ferry operator, Condor Ferries are to launch in one month's time the first sailing of Condor Liberation, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Condor Liberation, a £50m high-speed trimaran carferry which is the first of its kind to operate in northern Europe. She will serve Condor's routes based from Poole, Dorset by running daily sailings throughout the summer.

The Austal built 102m high-speed ferry represents a new era in sea travel for Condor when the inaugural sailing on 27 March departs Poole to Guernsey (St.Peter Port) and Jersey (St. Hellier). 

As the newcomer is a trimaran her (three-hull) design offers greater stability and better sea-keeping ability. Plus a recent refit of the 2010 built craft of on board passenger facilities carried out by Southampton based company Trimline.  

Last year, Condor Ferries celebrated their 50th year of running operations that first started in 1964 with passenger-only fast-craft.

As of last month, Condor announced in a naming competition by islanders that the 102m trimaran would be named Condor Liberation. The name chosen is in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the occupied Channel Islands during WW2.

By introducing not only a new high-speed ferry to the Islands, Condor are also to use the launch opportunity to show-off a rebranded corpoarte livery scheme.

Condor also operate UK-Channel Islands based from Portsmouth in addition to services linking both Guernsey and Jersey to St. Malo, France.

After the 'Liberation's setting down period, Condor will have then withdrawn two of an existing trio of Incat 86m fast-ferries leaving Condor Rapide to remain. In addition to this pair of fast-ferries, Condor continue to run the ro-pax ferry Commodore Clipper and a ro-ro freight-ferry, Commodore Goodwill. 

#Condor102 – The latest addition to the Condor Ferries fleet, Condor 102 as previously reported arrived into the UK waters yesterday following her 10,500 nautical mile delivery voyage.

The Condor 102 sailed into Poole, Dorset, which is to be her UK base when she enters Channel Islands service in late March 2015. The ship will be the first of her kind in Northern Europe.

Watched by keen on-lookers and escorted by a tug, Condor 102 sailed past the Sandbanks peninsula and alongside Brownsea Island, before berthing at Poole Port.

The arrival concludes her long journey from Cebu in the Philippines, from where she departed on 4th December. During her delivery voyager she has sailed across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal and via the Mediterranean before travelling up the Bay of Biscay and into the English Channel.

The new ship represents £50m of investment in the Channel Islands, securing the future of high speed ferry travel to the Islands.

Condor 102 will now go through a period of customisation in Poole with a full internal fit out completed by interior refurbishment specialists Trimline. She will also complete a series of sea trials in the UK and the Channel Islands before she officially comes into service in late March, sailing from Poole to Guernsey and Jersey.

Captain Fran Collins, Executive Director – Operations at Condor Ferries commented: "We're delighted our new ship – Condor 102 – has completed her long journey here to the UK and is now safely docked at Poole Port."

She continued: "It was exciting to see her sail into the port early this morning - the crew were in great spirits. They have done a fantastic job of bringing her home on schedule - everyone at Condor is very thankful for all their hard work and commitment over the last 24 days, and we hope they get home to their families soon to enjoy the rest of the festive period and to see in the New Year."

Jim Stewart, Chief Executive Poole Harbour Commissioners welcomed the sleek new state-of-the-art 102m trimaran saying: "We are delighted to welcome this superb new ship to Poole port which will be her operational base. Poole is a highly successful south coast port set in the beautiful location of Poole Harbour and we look forward to continuing our long and successful working partnership with Condor Ferries.

"From the end of March, all journeys to the Channel Islands will be on the new Condor 102 from Poole, offering improved reliability, increased capacity, and a greater level of comfort with smoother journeys. Condor 102 will also feature three seat classes, with two upgrade areas available for passengers.

#Channelislands – Channel Islands based operator, Condor Ferries which announced in August its acquisition of a new fast ferry, are now able to offer islanders to book sailings to the UK and France for journeys taking place up to 2 November 2015, following publication of new sailings schedule.

The schedule includes sailings on the new Condor 102, which will deliver a whole new on board experience, as well as more comfortable and more reliable travel for islanders sailing to and from the UK.

Islanders can now book sailings to both France and the UK right through to November next year, but it is the UK sailings which will really capture Islanders' imaginations," said Alicia Andrews, Executive Director – Commercial at Condor Ferries.

"From the end of March, all UK journeys will be on the new Condor 102 which offers smoother journeys, greater reliability and a superb on board experience including a wider choice of seating, a range of dining, and even shopping facilities for our passengers to enjoy.

"We are all very excited about the arrival of the Condor 102 and I'm sure that islanders and visitors will love sailing to the UK on our new ship."

#Channelislands - Following an incident last month that led to the dry-docking of Condor Ferries ro-pax Commodore Clipper, the main ferry that serves between the UK and Channel Islands, the freight-ferry Arrow on charter from Seatruck Ferries to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. was called in to relief duties however also developed a problem.

The 65-trailer unit Arrow had developed a problem with one of her propellers on Tuesday while operating on the English Channel.  It was advised that Arrow which was on passage from Portsmouth to Guernsey instead call to neighbouring Jersey.

According to Condor Ferries, the freight trailers that Arrow was due to deliver to Guernsey were due to be taken by their freight-only ferry, Commodore Goodwill yesterday morning. Commodore Goodwill has operated an extra inter-Island sailing for this purpose, however, her schedule has therefore been disrupted.

Arrow has since returned to Portsmouth with her passage time more slowly than usual. Her owners are to resolve the technical problems as soon as possible.

In the absence of ro-pax Commodore Clipper which remains dry-docked in Falmouth and where repair works are progressing well, the operator has also chartered MN Toucan to maintain deliveries between the UK and the Channel Islands.

For further updates and for alternative fast-ferry services, consult the operators website HERE.

#OpenHydro - The Irish Times has a report on OpenHydro's new €600 million deal with a Channel Islands company that's set to establish one of Europe's biggest renewable energy schemes.

Dublin-based hydro-power firm OpenHydro - which earlier this year gave a controlling stake to French naval defence giant DCNS for a €130 million investment - has teamed up with Alderney Renewable Energy to set up a new company called Race Tidal that aims to generate 300MW of power for export to Britain and France.

The project would take advantage of the strong tidal waters off Alderney, the northernmost of the Channel Islands, which OpenHydro CFO Peter Corcoran says have a potential capacity of 3GW.

The long-term project requires obtaining all necessary permits, expected to take four years, followed by two more years of construction and installation of OpenHydro's turbines.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#ChannelISLANDS – Following the demise of Huelin Renouf Shipping in August, a new UK based company is planning to replace the freight service between the Channel Islands.

If implemented, the new shipping company, Channel Island Lines (CIL), will charter the Irish flagged Huelin Dispatch which has been operating for Huelin Renouf and only since September of last year.

Under the proposed new service, the vessel would operate three return journeys a week between the islands and the UK, creating around 60 jobs and employing former staff where possible.

For more on this story, The Handy Shipping Guide has a report.

BBC News reports that two seasick sailors and their yacht had to be towed to safety yesterday by the Alderney lifeboat in the Channel Islands.

The 12m yacht Astazou - which was returning to mainland England from Guernsey - had reported engine problems, and its crew were unable to sail due to severe seasickness.

RNLI Alderney launched the lifeboat Roy Barker I on Thursday at 7.45pm and was alongside the yacht within the hour. Yacht and crew were then towed to Braye Harbour before midnight.