Six more vessels to be delivered by 2010 FESCO announced that the Polish shipyard, Stocznia Szczecinska Nowa, held a ceremony last week to launch its latest boxship of series B170-V/1 named the FESCO VITIM as part of its fleet renovation program. The FESCO VITIM specifications are as follows: 22,750 deadweight, 1730 teu container capacity, length 184.1 meters, breadth 25.3 meters, draught 9.85 meters, speed 19.7 knots, three cargo cranes of 45 tons capacity, ice class Е3 (according to the German Lloyd’s Register classification), and 200 sockets for refrigerated containers. On August 28, 2008, the FESCO VITIM will make her maiden voyage to Hamburg, Germany to be loaded with cargo bound for St.-Petersburg, Russia. The FESCO VITIM will be deployed on the North Europe ’ St.-Petersburg line, strengthening FESCO’s presence in the Baltic region. By 2010, the Stocznia Szczecinska Nowa shipyard will have built a total of seven boxships for FESCO. Shipbuilders of Szczecin will deliver to FESCO six container-carriers: two sisterships to the FESCO VITIM and four ships of B-178 series. Vladimir Korchanov, FESCO’s Managing Director, said that their experience with the Polish shipyard ensures that the new built vessels will have a long and happy maritime life: ‘On behalf of FESCO Transportation Group, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to our partners and friends in Poland for their long-term and fruitful cooperation. We believe our business relations will continue for our mutual benefits and will result in the new modern and high-speed vessels set to be launched over the next year.’ The FESCO VITIM successfully passed its sea trials, demonstrating perfect navigability and seaworthiness. The crew of 17 members is under command of the Master Valeriy Goryutskiy. Ms. Halina Wysocka, member of the Supervisory Board of Stocznia Szczecinska Nowa, performed as Lady Sponsor during the ceremony and wished the new ship good luck, strength to keep afloat in any storms, to safely deliver cargoes, and to always arrive at her port of destination. The FESCO VITIM is the third vessel in FESCO’s fleet with the VITIM name. The first ‘namesake’ was a cargo steamship, the Vitim, built in 1893 in England, which was operated by ‘Dobroflot Shipping Company,’ originator of contemporary FESCO from 1917-1919. In the period of 1967-1971, FESCO operated another vessel, the Vitim, built in 1966 in Germany.