Successful Delivery as Condor 10 Arrives in FranceMarch 5, 2002 Condor 10, the Incat-built 74 metre Wave Piercing Catamaran, has arrived in Poole, England via St Malo, France from Hobart, Tasmania. The arrival marks the completion of an impressive 24 day passage for the vessel and her crew of 13 led by Condor Ferries’ Captain Mark South and Chief Engineer Stephen Fox. The delivery voyage via the Suez Canal to the English Channel saw the ship call at Geraldton, Colombo, Djibouti and Malta en route to St Malo. In stark contrast to the calm sea and low swell of the Red Sea, the south-eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea provided Condor 10 and her crew with gale force winds and five metre swells. Condor 10 is one of the most travelled of Incat craft, she has crossed the Equator more times than any other fast catamaran. From 1993 to 1999 she rotated between hemispheres, operating the northern summer season on various routes in Europe and the southern summer season on Cook Strait in New Zealand. Condor 10 will operate a new vehicle and passenger service between St Malo and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. With capacity for 85 cars and 600 passengers she takes over from the smaller passenger-only Condor 9. The France to Channel Islands crossing is experiencing an increase in demand which has been most evident since the events of September 11. Holidaymakers in the UK and throughout Europe are increasingly taking shorter journeys closer to home and will now be well served by the extra vehicle and passenger capacity offered by Condor 10. It has recently undergone refurbishment at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania, and is set for many more years of service.
