Brittany Ferries sailings connecting Cherbourg and Rosslare will commence Monday 18 January – two months earlier than originally planned

16 January 2021

Press Release (Dublin)

Brittany Ferries sailings connecting Cherbourg and Rosslare will commence Monday 18 January – two months earlier than originally planned

Brittany Ferries has moved quickly to support the freight sector and to meet the needs of an industry battling Brexit. It has today confirmed its new weekly crossing connecting Cherbourg with Rosslare, which was due to commence in March, will now begin on Monday 18 January 2021. This 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 therefore confirms today that Cap Finistère will cover the twice weekly sailing connecting Rosslare and Bilbao, taking over from Connemara until 10 February. As a consequence of this ship’s flexibility, Brittany Ferries will also add a weekly rotation connecting Rosslare with Cherbourg to the schedule, opening this Ireland-France route two months earlier than originally planned.

“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 17^th January – 17^th 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.

High res Cap Finistère images:  https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/image_category/cap-finistere/

Ends

Contact:

Claire Guiney on 087 6775417 or [email protected]

Aimee O’Driscoll on 087 134 3904 or aimee.o’[email protected]