Red Funnel

Red Funnel (formally the Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet PLC) is a ferry company that carries passengers, vehicles and freight on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight. High-speed foot passenger catamarans, known as Red Jets, run between Southampton and Cowes, while vehicle ferries run between Southampton and East Cowes.

Red Funnel's main competitor is Wightlink whose services operate from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and Ryde, and from Lymington to Yarmouth. The other major Solent ferry company, Hovertravel, operates between Southsea and Ryde. Both provide a frequent service to the Isle of Wight, but neither normally serve Southampton, Cowes or East Cowes.

History

The origins of Red Funnel date back to 1820, when the Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was established by Cowes interests to operate the first steamer service from there to Southampton. In 1826, the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company was formed in Southampton, and by the following year the two companies had started co-ordinating their operations. In 1860, the Southampton, Isle of Wight & Portsmouth Improved Steamboat Company was created to compete with the two established operators, and the threat posed caused the two older companies to merge. They subsequently acquired the assets of the Improved Steamboat Company in 1865.

Red Jet 6

MV Red Jet 6 is a high-speed Catamaran ferry which is under construction for Red Funnel in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight as the sixth member of the company's expansive Red Jet line of catamarans.

Red Funnel announced in May 2015 that they had placed an order for the ₤6 million vessel with Shemara Refit LLP of East Cowes, making Red Jet 6 the first high-speed ferry built in the UK in fifteen years. She is due to enter service in the summer of 2016.

Red Jet 6 is 41.12 metres (134.9 ft) long, with a passenger capacity of 275, and space for 22 bicycles. She will be powered by four MTU 2000 diesel engines, each powering a waterjet for propulsion and steering.

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Red Jet 3

MV Red Jet 3 is a passenger catamaran ferry operated by Red Funnel on their route from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight along with sister ships Red Jet 4, Red Jet 5 and the currently-under construction Red Jet 6. She was built by FB Marine Ltd on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom and entered service in 1999. Red Jet 3 is currently the only vessel in the fleet built by Red Funnel in England, although she will lose this distinction when Isle of Wight-built Red Jet 6 enters service.

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