Wightlink’s environmentally friendly flagship, Victoria of Wight, was officially named today (Thursday 20 September) by Her Royal Highness Sophie The Countess of Wessex, the company said in its press release.
The new £30 million hybrid energy car ferry received a blessing by The Right Reverent Christopher Foster at Wightlink’s port of Fishbourne before the Countess of Wessex broke a bottle of Champagne over the ship’s bow, in the long-established maritime tradition.
Powered by hybrid energy, Victoria of Wight uses a combination of battery power and conventional engines to minimise emissions. Its eco-friendly features also include a lift that can generate electricity through kinetic energy, onboard water heated by warmth generated by the engine and motion sensor LED lighting in lesser-used areas of the ship.