ROYAL VISIT
PRESS
RELEASE
Thursday, April 17, 1975
QUEEN TO TAKE 20-MINUTE RIDE ON HOVENFERRY
Success In Hong Kong For British Marine Product
The Queen will have a 20-minute water view of the Kowloon
shoreline on May 6 when she boards a hoverferry at Queen's pier for
Tsuen Wan to complete a number of engagements there.
The hoverferry will be a new vessel belonging to the Hong Kong
and Yaumati Ferry Company, ordered a few months ago from Britain, only
recently arrived, and not yet in service.
The Queen will see the hoverferry just as it is, and will take
the route between Central and Touen Wan in almost the same conditions as
700 commuters a day, the only difference being that on this special trip,
the Queen's party will be the sole passengers,
The Queen will make use of one of 65 comfortable airline-style
seats in an air-conditioned cabin. Large tinted side windows will provide
excellent visibility, and the Queen will be able to see interesting land-
marks both in Kowloon and along the harbour approach to Tsuen Wan as the
hovarferry nears its destination.
The hoverferry, HM2, náde its debut in Hong Kong in November
last year when the vessel the latest example of British hovercraft
engineering - was put on trial runs in the harbour by the Hong Kong and
Yaumati Ferry Company.
A month later ...............