ACL names G4 vessels

News 29 Oct 2014 by WCN Editorial

Construction is progressing on Atlantic Container Line’s five new G4 vessels, which will be the largest con-ros in the world

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The G4 vessels will replace ACL's existing fleet of G3's operating in the company's transatlantic service.

When the construction of the G‐4's started in 2013, ACL's parent company, the Grimaldi Group, decided that ACL’s employees would hold a contest to name the new vessels. Over 5000 name proposals were received. Each ACL country manager and department manager picked his/her favorite 25 sets of five names. The most frequently selected 25 name sets were submitted to Grimaldi Group management in Italy, who chose the winner.

The new G4 Fleet is being named ATLANTIC STAR, ATLANTIC SAIL, ATLANTIC SEA, ATLANTIC SKY and ATLANTIC SUN. The winning names were submitted by Andrea Cox, who started with ACL in September 1996 and is a Customer Service Representative at ACL's Halifax Customer Service Center. Andrea said she chose the names based on her daily experience with customers. She remarked: “My customers like simple names to make it quick and easy when making a vessel enquiry or a booking.” As the contest winner Andrea will attend one of the launching ceremonies in Shanghai next summer.

As previously reported, the G4s will have a container intake of 3800 TEU plus 28,900 m2 of ro-ro space, with a car capacity of 1307 vehicles. The new ships will continue to employ cell‐guides on deck, a feature that will allow ACL to extend its enviable record of never losing a container at sea in over 30 years.

The first ACL G4 will enter service next summer, followed every two months by a sister vessel until the entire ACL fleet is replaced.