Stena Lynx III at Dublin in October 2008.
History
Name	1996–1998: Stena Lynx III 1998–1998: Elite 1998–1998: P&O Stena Elite 1998–2003: Stena Lynx III 2003–2004: Elite 2004–2011: Stena Lynx III 2011–2012: Sunflower 2 2012–2020: Orange 1 2020–2023: Rapidlink Jet 2023–Present: Elite Jet
Owner	Seajets (2020–Present)
Port of registry	Limassol,  Cyprus (2020–Present)
Builder	Incat, Tasmania, Australia
Yard number	040
Laid down	2 July 1995
Launched	8 May 1996
Completed	18 May 1996
Maiden voyage	1996
In service	1996
Identification	IMO number: 9129328
Status	Operational.
General characteristics
Class and type	Incat 81m WPC
Tonnage	4,113 GT
Length	80.6 m (264 ft 5 in)
Beam	26.0 m (85 ft 4 in)
Draught	3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Installed power	4x Ruston 16RK270 MkII Diesel Engines
Capacity	660 passengers 153 cars

The HSC Elite Jet is a high-speed ferry operated by Seajets and operated on Stena Line's Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire route and seasonally on the Fishguard - Rosslare service. She was marketed by Stena Line as the Stena Express. In 2019 was sold by Seajets and now is under repairs at Salamis. The ship is set to be launched on the Santorini - Rethymno route in 2023.

Design and construction

Elite Jet was built in 1996 by Incat in Australia,^[1] and is one of a series of wave-piercing catamarans to be constructed by the company. Construction began in May 1995 and was completed in May 1996.

Career

She briefly served on the English Channel for P&O Stena Line as HSC Elite.

In 1998 she was transferred to Stena Line's Fishguard - Rosslare service and renamed Stena Lynx III. She has since operated this route on a seasonal basis, spending the winter laid-up, usually in Birkenhead.^[2] Stena Line purchased the vessel in 2004. The same year, she developed some serious technical problems, and spent a large part of the summer season out of service.

She returned to her seasonal role on the southern Irish Sea on 14 May 2009,^[3] for another summer operating alongside the Stena Europe.

She operated the Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire route running twice daily from 15 March 2010 until the end of May 2010, when the HSC Stena Explorer operated the route with one round trip per day.

She was then laid up in Dún Laoghaire until 29 June 2010 when the vessel moved to Rosslare. She operated her seasonal summer route from 10 July 2010 until September 2010.

On 15 September 2010, she once again returned to operate the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire service, after the HSS Stena Explorer was withdrawn from the route for the winter season of 2010. She operated the route until Sunday, 9 January 2011, in which she then had her 2011 refit. She then returned to Holyhead, before moving to Dún Laoghaire for lay up until June 2011.

At the end of June 2011, she left Dún Laoghaire to begin her summer seasonal service on the Rosslare - Fishguard route. She began her summer service on the Rosslare - Fishguard route on Friday 1 July, and ended on Sunday 4 September 2011, she then returned to Dún Laoghaire for lay up.

In October 2011 the Stena Lynx III was renamed Sunflower 2. While en route to Asia she suffered a major engine failure in the Bay of Biscay, after this incident she was repaired in La Coruna.

In 2016 she operated in Korea with the new name Orange 1.^[4] In 2017 it was chartered by the Government of Trinidad & Tobago for service on the inter-island service between Scarborough and Port of Spain.^[5]

In 2019 renamed Rapidlink Jet and was sold by Seajets and moored at Salamis, Greece.

In October 2022, it was announced that she will be launched on Santorini - Rethymnon line for the 2023 season, connecting Crete with Cyclades. She is set to sail for her maiden voyage on May 26.^[6] In May 2023 the ship renamed Elite Jet.

References