Condor FerriesFerriesInternational Catamarans (Incat)Past and PresentSeajets

HSC Champion Jet 2 (ex Condor Express, Incat 042) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 9135896

HSC Champion Jet 2

ex Condor Express, Incat 042

© Dimitris Mentakis
© Dimitris Mentakis (Piraeus, 30/04/2022)

Aluminium 86 Metre ‘Wave Piercing’ catamaran built in 1996 by International Catamarans (Incat) Australia Pty Ltd, Hobart, Australia (Yard No 042) as a car and passenger ferry for Shipping Company 9/12 1994 LP Pte, Singapore

Technical Data

  • Length: 86.62m (overall), 71.78m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 26.00m
  • Draught: 3.628m
  • Tonnage: 5,005 gross/2,002 net/340 deadweight
  • Engines: Four 20-cyl, Ruston 20RK270 diesels.
  • Power: 28,320 kW.
  • Speed: 40,5 knots
  • Capacity: 776 passengers, 200 cars (as built), 1,000 passengers, 200 cars (2015)
  • Call Sign: C6SK5, 5BGN4
  • IMO Number: 9135896
  • MMSI Number: 209074000
  • Registry: Singapore 🇸🇬, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾
  • Sister ships: Incat 043, Champion Jet 1 (044), Champion Jet 3 (045)


Current AIS Location


Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.


History

November 24th 1996: Launched.

December 1996: Delivered to Shipping Company 9/12 1994 LP Pte, Singapore.

December 17th 1996: Christened and departed the shipyard for Poole, United Kingdom.

January 15th 1997: Arrived in Poole.

January 31st 1997: Condor Ferries introduced the Condor Express between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey.

March 1st 1997: Services between Poole – Jersey – Guernsey.

2002: Registered Owner: Condor Express Ltd.

©  Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler

©  Andreas Wörteler

2005: Registered Owner; Condor Ltd. Registered Manager; Condor Marine Service Ltd.

September 12th 2005: Services for Condor Ferries between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey – Poole.

© Ray Goodfellow 

© Ray Goodfellow (Off service with engine problems, Poole, 11/05/2013)

© John Wilson  © John Wilson

© John Wilson
© Ray Goodfellow  © Ray Goodfellow
© Ray Goodfellow  © Ray Goodfellow
© Ray Goodfellow (St Helier, Jersey, October 2014)

January 14th 2015: Arrived in Falmouth and entered dry dock No 2.

© Barrie Clark  © Barrie Clark

© Barrie Clark

January 14th 2015: It was announced that the HSC CONDOR EXPRESS and her sister-ship, the HSC CONDOR VITESSE, had been sold to the rapidly expanding Greek ferry operator Seajets for an undisclosed sum. Both vessels would be delivered to their new owners following the successful introduction of the new Austal built trimaran HSC CONDOR LIBERATION. Seajets announced that they would rename the vessel CHAMPION JET 2.

January 30th 2015: Returned to Weymouth following refit in Falmouth. During her refit all Condor branding was removed in readiness for her sale to Seajets.

© Barrie Clark

© Barrie Clark

March 23rd 2015: Due to operate the final ever Condor Ferries crossing from Weymouth to the Channel Islands. In future all Condor Ferries high speed services from the UK would be based at Poole.

March (end) 2015: Expected departure for Piraeus. The CONDOR EXPRESS and the HSC CONDOR VITESSE would replace two existing vessels in the Seajet fleet, the HIGH SPEED JET (ex Hoverspeed Great Britain) and MASTER JET (ex Hoverspeed France) on the route from Piraeus to the various islands of the Aegean, with Santorini as the final port of call.

© Dan Hall  © Dan Hall

© Dan Hall  (Arriving in Weymouth on the 21/03/2015)

March 23rd 2015: Closed the historic route between Weymouth and the Channel Islands.

April 3rd 2015: Pressed back into service between Poole and the Channel Islands covering for the damaged Condor Liberation.

© Dan Hall

© Dan Hall (Departing Poole covering for the Condor Liberation, 04/04/2015)

2015: Arrived back in Weymouth.

May 16th 2015: Renamed CHAMPION JET 2.

May 18th 2015: Departed Weymouth for Chalkis, Greece.

May 24th 2015: Arrived in Chalkis, Greece and entered dry dock.

June 1st 2015: Departed drydock to be prepared for service with Seajets.

 

  

© Dimitris Mentakis

July 5th 2019:Whilst operating its scheduled service from Heraklion to Thira, Naxos, Mykonos, Paros, Ios, and Thira suffered damage to her starboard side external engine. Able to continue at reduced speed to Thira, where she safely disembarked the 606 passengers on board. The port authority detained the vessel in port until the engine was repaired and a class survey certificate was issued”.

September 26th 2019:  Operating a scheduled itinerary from the port of Thira to the port of Heraklion, suffered damage to the starboard side main engine. The ship with its three remaining engines continued to Heraklion, where it safely disembarked the 625 passengers, 14 vehicles and five bicycles. Damage was repaired and a certificate of seaworthiness was provided by the monitoring classification society.

September 27th 2019: Resumed service to Thira.

November 18th 2020: At Syros whilst operating between Piraeus – Syros – Mykonos – Naxos – Thira, suffered a malfunction to her port side stern ramp. Fault found to be caused by a broken ramp cable. After repairs, allowed to depart.

 

© Bernd Crause (04/09/2021)

September 2021: Still in service Piraeus – Cyclades Islands (Syros, Sifnos, Mykonos, Naxos, Thira)

© Stephen Brown  © Stephen Brown

🆕© Stephen Brown (Piraeus, July 2023)

August 2023: Still in service Piraeus – Cyclades Islands (Syros, Sifnos, Mykonos, Naxos, Thira).


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Stephen Brown, Barrie Clark, Bernd Crause, Fotoflite, Dimitris Mentakis, Dan Hall, John Wilson and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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