Red Jet 6
Isle of Wight passenger catamaran ferry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MV Red Jet 6 is a high-speed catamaran ferry constructed for Red Funnel in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight as the sixth member of the company's Red Jet line of catamarans.
Red Jet 6 crossing The Solent | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Red Jet 6 |
| Operator |  Red Funnel |
| Ordered | 2015 |
| Builder | Wight Shipyard |
| Launched | May 2016 |
| In service | July 2016 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Catamaran ferry |
| Tonnage | 363 GT |
| Length | 41.12 m (134 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 10.87 m (35 ft 8 in) |
| Draught | 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion | 4 × MTU 10V 2000 M72, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each, driving MJP500 waterjets |
| Speed | 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph) max |
| Capacity | 275 |
| Crew | max 4 |
Red Funnel announced in May 2015 that they had placed an order for the £6 million vessel with Wight Shipyard of East Cowes, making Red Jet 6 the first high-speed ferry built in the United Kingdom in 15 years. Red Jet 6 was constructed in East Cowes's former aircraft hangar, originally built for the Saunders-Roe aircraft company. She entered service in mid 2016.[1]
Red Jet 6 is 41.12 metres (134 ft 11 in) long, with a passenger capacity of 275. She is powered by four MTU series 2000 diesel engines, each powering a waterjet for propulsion and steering giving a service speed of 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph), allowing a crossing time of 23 minutes. She can operate with one engine out with only a minor reduction in speed.[1][2]
Red Jet 6 was named by Anne, Princess Royal at a ceremony at East Cowes on 4 July 2016.[3] On 29 June 2017, Red Jet 6 set a new record for the circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight by multihulls, starting and finishing at the Royal Yacht Squadron starting line at Cowes, taking 1 hr, 17 mins, 17 secs at an average speed of 39.42 knots (73.01 km/h; 45.36 mph).[4]
