On 24 June 2016 Red Funnel completed the sale of the 186-seat fast ferry Red Jet 5 to ferry operator Toremar Regionale Maritima S.p.A from Livorno, Italy for an undisclosed sum. The new owners are expected to transport her to Italy on a ship lift in the coming days.
Red Jet 5, a 35m Solent Class catamaran was built in the USA in 1999 and entered service with Red Funnel on 21st July 2009. She replaced the 1991 Cowes built Red Jets 1 & 2 which were sold in May 2009 to operators in the Caspian Sea.
Red Funnel is replacing Red Jet 5 with a much larger state-of-the-art new build vessel costing £6 million. The new 41m catamaran was built by Shemara Refit in East Cowes and is currently undergoing sea trials and training in the Solent before being named Red Jet 6 on 4 July 2016.
The naming will take place from 11:30 am on Cowes Parade and can be viewed by members of the public. The event includes a skydive by the Red Devils at 1pm and a fly-past by an iconic Spitfire just after 2pm. Red Jet 6 is due to enter service on Red Funnel’s route between Southampton and West Cowes in mid-July.
