The Francisco: faster than Sandra Bullock in “Speed 2: Cruise Control”? (Image source: incat.com.au)
A passenger ship with a top speed of 100 km/h and higher? This is the catamaran ferry “Francisco”, named after Pope Francis.
Sure, speedboats such as the “Spirit of Australia” impress with a top speed of over 500 kilometers per hour. But can a “Spirit of Australia” accommodate over 100 people and 150 cars – and have a 1,100 square kilometer duty free shop? The super catamaran “Francisco”, which was named after the 266th Bishop of Rome, can and has all of this.
But what is really inside this perhaps most impressive giant catamaran in the world, which has been immortalized in the Guinness Book of Records as the “fastest ferry in the world” with a top speed of almost 110 kilometers per hour?
The waterway: a 225 kilometer route from Buenos Aires to Montevideo
The high-speed ship travels on a water route from “Buenos Aires” and to “Montevideo”. Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, while Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay. More precisely, the Francisco runs along the so-called “Río de la Plata”. The estuary runs between Argentina and Uruguay and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. For Argentina and Uruguay, the estuary, which translates to “Silver River” in German, serves as an important trading port.
The route covered on the Río de la Plata has a total length of 225 kilometers.
The technical data of the super ship
The dimensions of the catamaran are colossal. Francisco has a total length of 99 meters, a lifting capacity of 450 tons, and a top speed of 58.1 knots – which is approximately 108 km/h.
For comparison: a football field is approximately 100 meters long, while the largest living animal on earth, the blue whale, can reach a maximum weight of up to 200 tons. Put in perspective, the Francisco is as long as a football field and could – purely based on weight – hold more than two fully grown blue whales.
In reality, the Francisco accommodates a maximum of 1,024 people, which includes passengers and crew members alike. But what complains about tourist cruisers also accommodates the joys of consumption, as you can see in the snapshot below.
How does the Francisco work – and who built it?
The ship is built from aluminum that is both light and robust.
The ship is powered by two GE Energy LM 2500 gas turbines. These drive the Wartsila LJX 1720 water engines, which move the ship forward. The gas turbines each have an output of 22 megawatts, which corresponds to 22,000,000 watts. To make these dimensions understandable, a comparison from everyday life: An old light bulb has an output of around 60 watts. 22 megawatts would be enough energy to light over 360,000 light bulbs at the same time.
A company called “Incat Tasmania” is behind the catamaran with superlative dimensions. The company from Australia is dedicated to building so-called high-speed ferries. The ferry was built for the Uruguayan company “Buquebus”, whose business focus is on boat trips from Buenos Aires to Montevideo and Colonia.
With the Francisco, Incat launched its eighth ship to date – and its largest catamaran ever. Before that, “Juan Patricio” was the fastest ferry built by Incat. This reached a top speed of almost 54 knots, which corresponds to 100 km/h.
By the way: It’s not just ships that are fast, but also e-scooters – this hyperscooter, which is not registered in Germany, proves.
Let’s see which impressive vehicles Incat Tasmania and Buquebus will soon be sailing the world’s oceans.
Are you fascinated by the incredible speeds of this ferry from South America – or have you ever been a tourist on such a ship yourself? Could you imagine booking a trip on such a gigantic ferry? Please let us know your opinion in the comments.
The Best Online Bookmakers September 21 2023
 Bonus$1,000 |
Big plans with the new Apple Watch – and 100 percent clean energy by 2030?
World-famous Hollywood director presents: the largest cinema in the world
The best offer before Prime Day and Black Friday: Imagine getting €200 every year
Elon Musk wants you to pay for X every month in the future
That’s why programming beginners earn over 50,000 euros a year