Brittany Ferries has moved quickly to support the Brexit-battling freight sector by starting its Cherbourg to Rosslare service today, January 18 – two months earlier than originally planned.
The company confirmed its new weekly crossing connecting Cherbourg with Rosslare will initially be served by vessel, Cap Finistère.
Irish and French hauliers have traditionally relied on the UK-land bridge when transporting goods to and from mainland Europe. However, since the beginning of the year, more companies have sought an alternative to the additional administration, new formalities, greater costs and potential delays that come from carrying goods though the UK.
Brittany Ferries also confirmed that Cap Finistère will cover the twice weekly sailing connecting Rosslare and Bilbao, taking over from Connemara until 10 February.
“Brittany Ferries prides itself on decisive action, based on the flexibility of its fleet and we can meet the needs of the marketplace quickly,” said Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries CEO. “Cap Finistère is our fastest Ro-Ro vessel and she is therefore well suited to opening this new Brexit by-pass, making an additional sailing each week connecting France and Ireland.”
Glenn Carr, General Manager, Rosslare Europort said “all at Rosslare Europort welcome Brittany Ferries’ swift response to the needs of Irish industry in commencing this year’s Rosslare to Cherbourg services two months earlier than planned. We have worked closely with Brittany Ferries in ensuring that arrangements for the service were quickly put in place, further cementing Rosslare Europort’s position as Ireland’s Gateway to Europe.”
The schedule for Cap Finistère’s twice-weekly Ireland-Spain service and once-weekly Ireland-France service is as follows:
Cap Finistère – revised schedule 17th January – 17th February 2021
Mondays Depart Rosslare 20:00 Arrive Cherbourg 13:30 next day
Tuesdays Depart Cherbourg 16:45 Arrive Rosslare 07:00 next day
Wednesdays Depart Rosslare 12:00 Arrive Bilbao 15:00 next day
Thursdays Depart Bilbao 17:45 Arrive Rosslare 20:15 next day
Fridays Depart Rosslare 23:00 Arrive Bilbao 08:00 Sunday
Sundays Depart Bilbao 12:00 Arrive Rosslare 16:00 next day
Cap Finistère is 204 metres long and weighs 33,000 gross tonnes. She entered service with Brittany Ferries in 2010, serving the company’s long-haul routes connecting Portsmouth (UK) and Santander and Bilbao (Northern Spain). She has plenty of space for drivers and passengers, with 265 en suite cabins. Her garage decks offer nearly 2km of space for freight vehicles, and she is the fastest ship in the fleet with a top cruising speed of 28 knots.
