Following suspension of sailings on Fastnet Line’s Cork-Swansea service, an interim examiner was appointed by the Irish High Court in Dublin on 1 November. Created in April 2009 by the West Cork Tourism Co-operative with more than 400 individual investors, Fastnet Line commenced operations in March 2010, filling a gap left by the earlier closure of Swansea Cork Ferries.The final sailings by route vessel Julia (1981/21,699gt) took place over the weekend of 29-30 October with a company statement saying all booked passengers would be contacted and full refunds issued.
Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton, appointed as interim examiner, was due to present a progress report later in November 2011, but Fastnet Line board members say they remain committed to the long-term future of the service and hope to resume on a seasonal basis on Friday 6 April 2012. Fastnet Line acquired Julia, then laid up in Finland after failure of a Helsinki-St Petersburg service in September 2009. Originally the first Olau Hollandia running between Sheerness and Vlissingen, the vessel later had a brief spell with Fred. Olsen as Bayard before spending 16 years on Color Line’s Skagerrak services as Christian IV. Earlier last autumn Fastnet Line announced a much-reduced winter service, having been adversely affected by the downturn in the Irish economy.
