Brittani Ferries
Case Study: Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French-owned car ferry operator, running ships across the Western Channel between south-west Britain and ports in Brittany and Normandy. The company also operates between Ireland and Brittany, running ferries from Roscoff to Cork.
Brittany Ferries was formed as a result of Britain joining the Common Market in 1972. The local farming co-operatives in Brittany joined with the Finistere Chambre du Commerce to create the company, mainly with the aim of shipping artichokes and cauliflowers from Brittany to Britain.
The farmers recognised the huge potential market in Britain. At the time, the UK was a net importer of food, whereas France was (and still is) a net exporter of food. The Chambre du
Commerce recognised an equally tempting potential for tourism from the UK. Brittany was a somewhat remote part of France, a long way from the Eastern Channel crossing point between
Dover and Calais or Boulogne sur Mer, and not well-served by airports.
In 1978, the company took the brave step of starting a direct route to Spain from Plymouth, making the crossing to Santander. This route opened up the possibility of taking one’s car to Spain without having to make the long drive through France, which in 1978 would typically take two days. 24 hours on a ferry seemed a much better alternative, albeit somewhat expensive. In 2009, the ferry
(the Pont Aven) set a new record for the crossing between Portsmouth and Santander, making the trip in just over 23 hours. From Plymouth the journey is even faster – 20 hours or thereabouts, depending on tides and weather. The ship used for the crossing, the Pont Aven, is the largest ferry operating in the Channel, at 39,000 tons. It has a top speed of 26 knots, approximately 30 miles per hour, which enables it to make the crossing extremely quickly.
The Pont Aven is more like a cruise liner than a ferry. It has four restaurants, (as one might expect from a French company), air-conditioned cabins
Brittany Ferries is a French-owned car ferry operator, running ships across the Western Channel between south-west Britain and ports in Brittany and Normandy. The company also operates between Ireland and Brittany, running ferries from Roscoff to Cork.
Brittany Ferries was formed as a result of Britain joining the Common Market in 1972. The local farming co-operatives in Brittany joined with the Finistere Chambre du Commerce to create the company, mainly with the aim of shipping artichokes and cauliflowers from Brittany to Britain.
The farmers recognised the huge potential market in Britain. At the time, the UK was a net importer of food, whereas France was (and still is) a net exporter of food. The Chambre du
Commerce recognised an equally tempting potential for tourism from the UK. Brittany was a somewhat remote part of France, a long way from the Eastern Channel crossing point between
Dover and Calais or Boulogne sur Mer, and not well-served by airports.
In 1978, the company took the brave step of starting a direct route to Spain from Plymouth, making the crossing to Santander. This route opened up the possibility of taking one’s car to Spain without having to make the long drive through France, which in 1978 would typically take two days. 24 hours on a ferry seemed a much better alternative, albeit somewhat expensive. In 2009, the ferry
(the Pont Aven) set a new record for the crossing between Portsmouth and Santander, making the trip in just over 23 hours. From Plymouth the journey is even faster – 20 hours or thereabouts, depending on tides and weather. The ship used for the crossing, the Pont Aven, is the largest ferry operating in the Channel, at 39,000 tons. It has a top speed of 26 knots, approximately 30 miles per hour, which enables it to make the crossing extremely quickly.
The Pont Aven is more like a cruise liner than a ferry. It has four restaurants, (as one might expect from a French company), air-conditioned cabins