'For the first time, three ships to win the trophy in succession had been built by the same shipyard.'

Before the introduction of Hoverspeed Great Britain (025) in 1990, operators and passengers accepted that travel by sea implied a relatively slow journey. The introduction of Incat vessels onto routes already operated by conventional ferries has resulted in drastically reduced crossing times. To satisfy market expectations the new generation of fast ferry must be capable of operating at economical high speeds, have fast turnaround times, be comfortable and yet operate more efficiently than conventional ferries. Powered by conventional, affordable, medium-speed diesel engines, yet still offering among the fastest operating speeds in the world, the current generation of Incat vessels is remarkable. Attractive power to weight ratios offered by modern engines enable Incat to increase deadweight capacity and to increase operational speeds of the vessels. The Hales Trophy Blue Riband of the Atlantic Three Times a Challenger – Three Times a Winner The Hales Trophy for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger ship is not only a test of speed, but a test of endurance and reliability. The past three Trophy winners, all built by Incat, each in turn earned the right to fly the prestigious Blue Riband. Since 1998, Cat-Link V (049) has held the Hales Trophy with a record of 41.284 knots. The essence of the Blue Riband dates back to the 1830s, when ships fought over the honour of being the fastest transatlantic liner. To encourage innovation in passenger transport and formalise the Blue Riband, Harold Hales, a British MP, commissioned and donated a four foot high, heavily gilded solid silver trophy, known as the Hales Trophy, in 1935. The last big liner to win the trophy was the SS United States on its maiden voyage in 1952, averaging 35.59 knots. In 1990 Incat’s Hoverspeed Great Britain (025) broke SS United States’ 38 year old record. The 74 metre Incat Wave Piercing, car-carrying catamaran established the record of three days, seven hours and 52 minutes averaging 36.97 knots. The win fulfilled the original purpose of the trophy to encourage the continued development of technology and design in passenger shipping. Eight years later Incat-built Catalonia (047), on a longer route from New York to Spain, raised the average speed to 38.85 knots also becoming the first commercial vessel to cover over 1000 nautical miles in 24 hours. Just one month later, in July 1998, Cat-Link V (049) broke the 40 knot barrier with a new record speed of 41.284 knots. For the first time, three ships to win the trophy in succession had been built by the same shipyard. Incat built ships have continuously held the transatlantic record since 1990.