Rodriquez Quarterly n. 4.pdf - RODRIQUEZ - Cantieri navali

R O D R I Q U E Z Fast Ferries
FAST, RELIABLE AND ECONOMICAL
Ettore M., the latest
Foilmaster class of
hydrofoil to be built,
became part of the Ustica
Lines fleet in May 2003
and over the past year
has carried over 50,000
passengers.
delivered in May 2003 to the Sicilian
shipping company Ustica Lines, Ettore
M. is a Foilmaster class hydrofoil
and of the latest generation produced
by Rodriquez Cantieri Navali. The end
result of almost fifty years of experience in
the building of these vessels, the Foilmaster
class is regarded as being the foremost
example of this form of fast transport. The
Foilmaster is, in fact, one of the most efficient
forms of passenger transport thanks
to its excellent sea-keeping capacity that
allows high speeds with the engines delivering
relatively low power. It is also the
only hydrofoil in the world that complies
with all of the demanding international
safety regulations, since it is built in accordance
with the HSC 2000 rules.
“For a shipping company such as Ustica
Lines, whose core business is fast passenger
transportation,” says Ustica Lines’ General
Manager Marco DallaVecchia, “the
hydrofoil is the ideal vessel, capable of
reaching high speeds with comparatively
low power. Thus, when in 2000 we decided
to expand our fleet, this choice of vessel
and builder was a foregone conclusion:
we wanted a Rodriquez Foilmaster. What
other shipyard in the world is able to build
a vessel that can carry 250 passengers at
almost 40 knots and consume only 500
litres of fuel per hour?”
In view of these considerations, in February
2002 Ustica Lines placed the order with
Rodriquez Cantieri Navali for Ettore M.,
whose name derives from a long-standing
tradition of naming vessels after members
of the shipping company’s family. The
construction of yard number 276, which
began in May 2002 at the Messina
shipyard, was completed in twelve months,
with delivery in May 2003.
Built entirely out of aluminium, Ettore M.
is 32 meters long with a maximum width
including the foils of 14 meters, while
the hull beam is 6.7 meters. Like all the
Rodriquez vessels, the Foilmaster can be
adapted to meet the customer’s specific
requirements for payload and seating
arrangement. In the case of Ettore M.,
the payload is no less than 29 tonnes.
The 240 passengers are accommodated
on two decks, lower and upper, with 120
seats on each level and having a space
8
between the rows similar to that found on
the airlines, i.e. 850 mm.
The propulsion is provided by a pair of
MTU 16V 396 TE74L engines producing
2,000 kW each and directly coupled to
conventional fixed pitch propellers. With a
total installed power of 4,000 kW, Ettore
M. can reach a top speed, when fully
loaded, of 40 knots. Her fuel consumption,
as has already been stated, is very low due
to the fact that the ship only uses the full
power of her engines when accelerating
and when the hull is lifted out of the water.
Due to the lift generated by the foils, the
power used for the cruising speed is only