Red Funnel

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Red Funnel flag

Red Funnel or The Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Limited is a British company.

1 History
2 Livery
3 Notable events
4 External links

[edit] History

Formed in 1861, its official name remains the longest name for a registered company in the United Kingdom. The shortened name was quickly adopted after 1935 when all the vessels operated by the company adopted the famous black-topped red funnel in their livery.

The company originally operated a paddle steamer ferry service between Cowes, Isle of Wight and Southampton, England. In 1931 they introduced their first diesel ferry, the MV Medina III. The ferries used have steadily increased in size to the current Scottish built Raptor class of car ferries operated between East Cowes and the Town Quay in Southampton. The company also operates high speed, passenger only, catamarans between the Town Quay and West Cowes. Between 1969 and their phasing out during the nineteen-nineties, this route had been served by Italian built hydrofoils.

The Red Eagle 1 of the 3 car ferries that travel from Southampton to East Cowes

During its long history the company has operated other routes connecting the Isle of Wight and mainland England. Today, two alternative passenger and two alternative vehicle ferry routes are operated by rival companies such as Wightlink and Hovertravel

In 2001 The company was sold to JP Morgan Partners Inc. by Associated British Ports Holdings who had acquired the company in 1989 as a White knight to fend off a hostile take over by Sally Lines. In 2004 the company was sold again in a management buy-out backed by the Royal Bank of Scotland for £60 million.

[edit] Livery

The company's flag is divided diagonally into quarters of (clockwise from the top): white, green, red, blue. This derives from the company's four original steamers: The Pearl, The Emerald, The Ruby and The Sapphire. The strapline of the Red Funnel is The Original Isle of Wight Ferries.

[edit] Notable events

Red Funnel office at Southampton

On the 10th March 2006 Red Funnel hit the national headlines after one of their car ferries, the Red Falcon, collided with the linkspan at the Southampton Town Quay terminal. Five passengers and one crew member were injured and significant damaged was cause to the Southampton end of the Red Falcon and to the linkspan. The accident occurred 9 years and 1 day after the Red Falcon was involved in a collision with the dredger Volvox Hansa in Southampton Water with limited visibility due to heavy fog. The collision caused a 15 foot hole above the waterline and buckling the car deck doors but no passengers or crew were injured.

The Red Eagle collided with Humber Energy in the Thorne Channel, near Southampton Water, on the evening of Thursday 21st December 2006. Coastguards said nobody was injured and neither vessel was badly damaged. Richard Pellew, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "Having examined the minor damage sustained to the Red Eagle we are advising Red Funnel on the repair work the ferry needs before it can resume normal service.