New P&O Ferry to be named by Dame Kelly Holmes

P&O Ferries has confirmed that Olympic star Dame Kelly Holmes will become godmother to the first of two new vessels operating the Dover to Calais route.

The cheap ferries operator will launch Olympic Spirit towards the end of this year and an identical sister ship will become a part of the fleet in autumn 2011.

Helen Deeble, P&O's chief executive, said the company is "thrilled" that the double gold medal winner had agreed to name the 49,000-tonne ship.

"It's the perfect combination in the exciting run-up to the 2012 London Olympics," she commented.

The ships will become the largest to cross the Dover Strait. At 213 metres they will also be the longest vessels to ever be accommodated in the Channel ports.

Up to 200 tourist vehicles can be accommodated on Olympic Spirit in addition to 160 articulated lorries, with passenger capacity standing at 1,750.

Today (April 7th), P&O Ferries is launching a new daily freight service to Zeebrugge from Dover.

Posted by Mark Robinson