| Completed in 1996 as Holyman Diamant, and deployed for the 1997 Summer on Holyman's new joint-venture Holyman-Sally Ramsgate-Oostende service with sister Holyman Rapide. For 1998 the British end of the operation was moved to Dover under a new partnership with Hoverspeed/Sea Containers. At this stage the pair lost the 'Holyman' prefix to their names. Rapide and Diamant later became fully-Hoverspeed owned after Holyman pulled out of the operation. For 2001, Diamant was transferred to the Newhaven-Dieppe route, before returning to Dover in 2002. With the cessation of Hoverspeed services in November 2005, the Diamant was laid up in Tilbury awaiting a new role. |
| Diamant ex- Holyman Diamant, Holyman Express Sea Containers/Hoverspeed (formerly Holyman-Sally) |
| ABOVE: Diamant at lay-by on the Eastern side of Dover's Prince of Wales Pier in early 2000. |
| ABOVE: A series of pictures showing Diamant making a wide approach to Dover's Western Entrance in February 2001, prior to the vessel's transfer to Newhaven for the seasonal fast ferry service to Dieppe. BELOW: Safely arrived, Diamant turns and backs onto the single Hoverport linkspan. These pictures show the ship after the large grey 'Oostende-Dover' titles just about visible in the top picture had been painted out. |
| BELOW: Diamant after another livery modification at Calais after her return to Dover-based operations in 2002. The 'seacat' titles have been brought to the forefront with the 'hoverspeed' brand relegated to secondary status. |
| e-mail: matt@hhvferryl.com |
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| BELOW: Perhaps the most eye-catching livery on the Channel - Diamant at Calais in July 2004 in Union Jack colours. |
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