TonyMWeaver Posted June 21, 2019 Brittany Ferries Wants To Buy Condor Ferries https://lemarin.ouest-france.fr/secteurs-activites/shipping/34492-brittany-ferries-veut-racheter-condor-ferries?fbclid=IwAR3vNvhmCVDLQ9FIUtfN92nW-9g1k6gria758MOXlRfdo1Ikyb5bVoUWzu8 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 Apparently the BF shareholders have given their approval for an offer to be tabled providing a co-investor(s) can be found. Presumably by that they mean The States. Ed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted June 21, 2019 Gives BF other opportunities for reusing Normandie Express ! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daves_pad! Posted June 21, 2019 Interesting..... Going back to the BCIF days I guess. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted June 21, 2019 Always said BF should get Libby...😁😁😁👍👍👍 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 That sounds good to me. I love travelling on her and she'd be a real asset. But we'd have to pronounce it : Libération Ed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paully Posted June 21, 2019 From a business perspective, they must be mad......Condor provide no competition to BF at all. Their fleet is ageing and in need of replacements both fast craft and conventional. Their reliability record, compared to BF, is appalling. Cant think of any of BF`s fleet that could get alongside in the CI`s... Yet......its well known that Condors owners wants out as fast as they can. There is virtually no one else with local experience to take over except BF..If they have shareholder approval it must be that they have firmly put the States over the barrel and emptied their pockets. The States only alternative would have been to buy them out and run it like they do Aurigny, so maybe the BF offer is, marginally, the least worst option. Time as they say will tell..watch this space eh Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 38 minutes ago, Paully said: Cant think of any of BF`s fleet that could get alongside in the CI`s... Except NEX as David said above. I just hope that it doesn't push the prices up too much for both the islanders and us wanting to visit. Ed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted June 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Cabin-boy said: That sounds good to me. I love travelling on her and she'd be a real asset. But we'd have to pronounce it : Libération Ed I would love Libby to stay, she is great. However, just wondering what she would do. I personally would like to see her either do a Poole - Cherbourg fast service and possibly put NEX in Poole to do the northern route to CI. Or put Rapide on a CI Cherbourg route and NEX does a high speed Portsmouth to CI, keeping Libby where she is. One thing is certain, if NEX is moved to Poole, there will be a few feathers ruffled among her Pompey regulars. Keep our Libby! Would BF just own the company and keep the brand name though or repaint all the vessels in BF livery and rename? Quite a few options out there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted June 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Paully said: From a business perspective, they must be mad......Condor provide no competition to BF at all. Their fleet is ageing and in need of replacements both fast craft and conventional. Their reliability record, compared to BF, is appalling. Cant think of any of BF`s fleet that could get alongside in the CI`s... Yet......its well known that Condors owners wants out as fast as they can. There is virtually no one else with local experience to take over except BF..If they have shareholder approval it must be that they have firmly put the States over the barrel and emptied their pockets. The States only alternative would have been to buy them out and run it like they do Aurigny, so maybe the BF offer is, marginally, the least worst option. Time as they say will tell..watch this space eh I reckon they will keep the current Condor fleet and as Ed said, possibly use NEX. Islanders will love her, have often seen comments elsewhere to they wish they could get NEX. Some have had their eye on Barfy, but apart from a case of mitts off her as far as I’m concerned, she is too big as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 This might have been the spark which ignited BF's interest. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-7098759/amp/Australian-investment-house-Macquarie-launches-Condor-Ferries-sale.html&ved=2ahUKEwj1va_S4friAhXUlFwKHUAbAJUQFjACegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw3nqh5tweIkNOXvlGxiSNVb&cf=1 Ed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hf_uk Posted June 21, 2019 I think it would be extremely beneficial for BF to link the freight parts of their businesses - and optimise the existing ship's garages a little with the addition of the Clipper from Pompey! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 There is further information here. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/_amp/499/12318499.php&ved=2ahUKEwjn0_6EgvviAhXIiFwKHeoRAAAQFjABegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2tdvC3InhgssYYfekeUqCX&cf=1 The news comes from an internal memo from the management to their staff. The aim is to increase their offer in terms of passengers and freight. Plus their want to avoid a competitor buying the service and thereby offering a more extensive range of crossings which would possibly challenge their current position in the UK at Portsmouth and Poole and at St Malo. Ed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Walker Posted June 21, 2019 Brittany Ferries are experts in the Ferry business. Have a suitable ferry running out of Portsmouth. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMWeaver Posted June 21, 2019 'Normandie Express' is a very popular fast craft out of Portsmouth, I really can't see Brittany Ferries changing her route if this goes ahead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hyde Posted June 21, 2019 Let's hope Brittany would build a high quality conventional for the CI route. As for Libby would she really have a future with BF? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fine Whine Posted June 21, 2019 Posted 22 minutes ago Quote: 'Normandie Express' is a very popular fast craft out of Portsmouth, I really can't see Brittany Ferries changing her route if this goes ahead. I quite agree Tony and contrary to the advice of some on these forums, BF do look after her. Fastcraft are notoriously fickle and it may not appear logical to mothball her for over 7 months of the year, but if it means she's relatively trouble free during the very profitable season she operates, then problems such as those that have afflicted the Pont-Aven recently can be avoided. Trying to thrash her all year round would in my view be totally counter productive. I still can't believe BF are even contemplating acquiring Condor, but if they did then surely a combined Poole/Portsmouth/Cherbourg/Channel Islands configuration, including both fastcraft and a conventional option could make some sort of sense. Chris 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted June 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, Fine Whine said: a conventional option That begs the question of how small the E-flexer design can become. If they can get it down to 130 metres then it might be a solution but I'm not sure about the width. Ed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonno Posted June 21, 2019 The larger more modern Incats similar to the one launched for Armas earlier are far more stable lowering the stresses and strains which lead to higher maintenance costs. There stability is what makes them a popular option on the Med' which is Europe's roughest sea. When you compare what they can carry and their cost new (64m) to what Condor forked out for a 5 year old Liberation 4 years ago (£50m) I could easily envisage a company such BF replacing her and Rapide with a couple of them. I agree with Chris, there's a lot of scope for BF if they decide to go ahead. High speed from Poole anti clockwise, high speed from Portsmouth clockwise. The two conventional ferries could stop at Cherbourg en route. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) 48 minutes ago, Nick Hyde said: Let's hope Brittany would build a high quality conventional for the CI route. As for Libby would she really have a future with BF? Libby is extra tonnage, pretty sure she’ll be fine and if BF look after her the same way as they do NEX, then possibly she will vastly improve. She has gotten a lot better over the past few years anyway, she has her moments, but then so does NEX. Libby could handle a Cherbourg crossing, pretty certain. Hope they keep her. I think the CI will like to have NEX calling. Edited June 21, 2019 by Khaines 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hyde Posted June 22, 2019 If Brittany Ferries bought Condor we may also indeed see a return to the overnight ferry model that BCIF previously had. After all Brittany had a 28 per cent shareholding in Channel Island Ferries Ltd., the holding company for BCIF. Both Clipper and Goodwill also need replacing sooner rather than later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonno Posted June 22, 2019 20 minutes ago, Nick Hyde said: If Brittany Ferries bought Condor we may also indeed see a return to the overnight ferry model that BCIF previously had. After all Brittany had a 28 per cent shareholding in Channel Island Ferries Ltd., the holding company for BCIF. Both Clipper and Goodwill also need replacing sooner rather than later. Having never travelled on them, just judged from a distance and on the berth at PIP, what's the issue with the two conventional ferry's. They're not particularly old and seem to be the consistent performers? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hyde Posted June 22, 2019 They are old and need replacing soon. The Isle of Man Governnent think the Ben my Chree built in 1998 needs replacing in the next 3 years and it looks like she will be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted June 22, 2019 39 minutes ago, Nick Hyde said: They are old and need replacing soon. The Isle of Man Governnent think the Ben my Chree built in 1998 needs replacing in the next 3 years and it looks like she will be. Well, considering BF have Bretagne which is a late 80s build, then Normandie and Barfleur who are both early 90s, they are doinv well for their respective ages. Age is just a number, so long as Clipper and Goodwill are up to their jobs and do them well, they should be fine. I’d like to see BF take over, it will open up a lot of opportunities and possibilities. I know we have our differences on Libby, but at the end of the day she is a lot better than she was in her early days. Saw her this morning pootling offout on my way on the bus into Poole, put me in mind to spend the afternoon looking at a trip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hyde Posted June 22, 2019 Big difference is there are a very very finite number of vessels of the Clipper size and over time will she become increasingly more expensive to maintain and less reliable. So we need to plan for a time when they become prohibitively expensive to maintain. We need replacements sooner rather than later. Also we need a replacement of Goodwill with a ro pax so that we can overnight passenger sailings in BOTH directions. This has already been hinted at by Condor in the past - replacing Goodwill with a ro pax. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
