Flying the flag: New craft and a £10 million investment in the business – Tom Stroud finds out where Hovertravel goes next
More than 50 years since Hovertravel began serving the Island the company continues to grow. Even the most casual customer will have noticed the two new craft, the first new passenger hovercraft to be built and used in the UK for a decade. The Solent Flyer and Island Flyer are state of the art and distinctive, with Union Jack style red white and blue colours. They might be sleek and futuristic but they’re workhorses too, as managing director Neil Chapman explains.
“It’s always been important that we listened to what the customers needed. One of the most valuable pieces of advice we were given from our user group was not to lose sight of the fact that we are essentially a high speed bus on water. Customers told us not to over complicate it, to keep it simple, keep it fast and keep it premium.”
The new craft were officially named by Sir Ben Ainslie CBE. The cutting of the ribbon marked the end of a five year project to commission the craft, itself part of an 8 to 10 year business plan to invest in the longevity of the business.
“We have had to very carefully consider what the business needed,” Neil says. “The business plan is an investment of £10m. As you can probably appreciate an investment of £5m per craft for a company that has a turnover in excess of just over £5m is a considerable amount of money. Longevity is in our DNA though and we often say that we are marathon runners not sprinters. We took time to make sure we made the right choice and the right investment into the business, ensuring that Hovertravel has a long future ahead of it. We’re building on the foundations that we’ve had for the last 50 years and we’re going to be showing off now!”
The new craft make a vivid statement with their red and white blue branding. They are styled in Hovertravel’s brand colours but the design also suggests the Union Flag and national pride. That’s intentional, as Neil explains.
“We’re a British company, owned by one chairman, and we’re proud to be British. Hovercraft were invented here so we’re flying the British of innovation. We started off with the liveries in red white and blue but we ended up looking like a well-known brand of toothpaste! After a number of designs we thought ‘hey, how about the flag on the front’. Look closely and you’ll see it’s actually a flying flag and that’s the reason the craft are named ‘flyers’.”
From a day to day operational perspective customers are seeing a more comfortable crossing. Their flight to Southsea, at 1.5 metres above the water, is designed to be a better experience, with easier access when embarking and leaving the craft. Hovertravel bill themselves as the ‘fastest Isle of Wight foot passenger service’ and that hasn’t changed, although as Neil points out, it would be impossible to make the journey itself any faster.
“We can’t go any faster than 45 knots. We’re limited to that so the journey time is still eight minutes, although if we go any faster than that you wouldn’t have time to sit down! The biggest experience is actually being on board, with better visibility, better seating, air conditioning and heating. There’s less spray and less noise and the experience of looking out and enjoying the journey across the Solent is exceptionally enhanced. The standard of a 5 minute turnaround remains. Our commitment through the design is that the reliability of the craft through the weather conditions won’t be any less.”
The business will say goodbye to the two older craft which are being sold off. At more than 25 years old they’re Isle of Wight veterans but they will go on to have a second working life somewhere in the world.
Neil Chapman has been at Hovertravel for six years now, commuting from Brighton. Although not an Island resident he sees the Isle of Wight from a wider perspective, with much to offer mainlanders like himself. He’s still a commuter though and he hasn’t lost sight of what customers want.
“One of the things that I’ve learnt is the importance that the transport infrastructure has on people’s lives and I don’t think that is just an island thing. At Hovertravel, we really do understand the importance of this 8 minute journey to people’s lives to enable them to get to get to work and also enjoy the beauty of the Isle of Wight and everything that it offers. Where else on the south coast in the area of density such as Portsmouth can you have a beautiful cottage and go kayaking on the golden beaches of the Isle of Wight in ten minutes?”
Neil is genuinely excited by the new craft and the spotlight that they are bringing to Hovertravel and their Ryde base. He’s also a businessman and says the new Flyers will increase his passenger numbers, in-line with aspirations for the Island as a destination.
“This isn’t a project just about replacing a piece of kit,” he says “This is about growing our business. We built a business plan on our existing numbers, but I am absolutely driving additional passengers, and also I think that suits what the Isle of Wight economy needs. We need more passengers, we need more tourism, we need more people to live here and commute efficiently to their jobs. The Isle of Wight should be a destination of choice to live, work and play all year round. We’ve also got to stretch the seasonality of this business and move away from the traditional ‘May to Bestival’ season. That’s important for everyone, from accommodation providers to restaurateurs, the local infrastructure and the local transport providers. I can definitely think of worse ways to commute. Coming from Brighton takes me considerable time and if someone offered me the choice of commuting on a Hovercraft every day, I’d bite their hand off!”
