Anyone who has taken a cross-Channel ferry between southern England and northern France knows the journey can – depending on the route and conditions – be slow and sometimes uncomfortable. But with thousands of passengers making the crossing each day, the sea link is a vital part of the intra-European transport network.
Last year, one of the current operators revealed plans to explore a new high-speed and more efficient form of ‘ferry’ that boasts many of the benefits of air travel but without the costly infrastructure. Put simply, it looks like a seaglider, akin to a hovercraft, but with wings.
The operator, Brittany Ferries, announced that it was exploring this new, all-electric craft designed by US, Boston-based start-up REGENT (Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport), with a plan said to combine the convenience of passenger ferries with the comfort of hydrofoils, the aerodynamic efficiency of hovercraft and the speed of aircraft.
The first cross-Channel seagliders could be in service by 2028, with the voyage from Cherbourg to Portsmouth taking as little as 40 minutes (an overnight journey that takes eight hours currently), though REGENT expects the first commercial passengers to…
