1.
GV RAMSGATE HARBOUR (2 SHOTS)
0.06

2.
GV SRN6 AT SPEED
0.13

3.
AERIAL DITTO
0.18

4.
GV (L-R) MR. WHEELDON (WESTLAND), MR. ANDERSEN (SWEDISH LLOYD) AND MR. WIJK (SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE) SIGN CONTRACTS
0.28

5.
MV MODELS OF SRN4 AND SRN6
0.32

6.
GV SIGNING CONTINUES
0.49

7.
AERIAL VIEW SRN6 SPEEDS ALONG
0.57



Initials JRG/VISLIB AND PUB/JF/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: CHIEFS OF TWO SWEDISH SHIPPING COMPANIES TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SIGNED IN LONDON LONG-TERM CHARTER AGREEMENTS TO LEASE FOUR BRITISH HOVERCRAFT WORTH MORE THAN GBP3 MILLION FOR A CROSS-CHANNEL SERVICE STARTING NEXT YEAR BETWEEN RAMSGATE AND CALAIS.

THE AGREEMENTS ARE FOR TWO 160-TON SRN4 WESTLAND HOVERCRAFT EACH ESTIMATED TO COST ABOUT GBP1,450,000 AND TWO SMALL SRN6 WESTLAND HOVERCRAFT EACH COSTING GBP97,500. THE SRN6 HOVERCRAFT WILL BE DELIVERED AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE FIRST SRN 4 WILL BE DELIVERED IN THE SPRING OF 1968 AND THE SECOND THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

THE SRN4 CAN CARRY 500 SEATED PASSENGERS OR 126 PASSENGERS AND 34 CARS. IT IS CAPABLE OF 70 KNOTS OR 128 KILOMETRES AN HOUR AND CAN OPERATE UNDER HEAVY WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE SRN6 CARRIES 36 PASSENGERS.

THE HOVERCRAFT WILL BE UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG AND HAVE BRITISH CREWS. THE AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED BY MR. KJELL ANDERSEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE SWEDISH LLOYD STEAMSHIP COMPANY AND MR. ERIK WIJK, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SWEDISH-AMERICAN LINE AND MR. E. C. WHEELDON, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WESTLAND. MR. ANDERSEN SAID THAT TO OPERATE THE SERVICE THE TWO SWEDISH COMPANIES WOULD START A SEPARATE COMPANY ON A 50-50 BASIS.