Austal teams with GL

Australian fast-vessel builder Austal Ships Pty Ltd. has prolonged its long-standing technical and commercial partnership with the classification society Germanischer Lloyd. The agreement was extended for the fourth time in the last eleven years. Germanischer Lloyd will continue to provide classificatory handling, technical advisory services and accompanying analyses of strength, dynamics and hydrodynamics for various projects of the Austal yard. The new agreement was signed by Austal design manager Derek Gill and the technical manager James Bennett and by Georgios Spiliotis, Area Manager of GL Australia/New-Zealand and Dr.Krueger from GL-Head Office. The agreement provides for a project-orientated plan approval service, onsite plan approval when necessary, and for the presence of experienced high speed craft surveyors on site. Mr. Spiliotis called the agreement "evidence for a mutual beneficial relationship based on innovation, customized research and technical excellency." Austal has lately been commissioned with the construction of two 88 meters long high speed catamarans by the Istanbul based shipping company Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO). Each catamaran has a capacity of 1,200 passengers and 225 cars. The main engines accelerate the catamarans to an average speed of 36 knots utilizing only 90% of their maximum power. Germanischer Lloyd will class the newbuildings as part of the once again extended cooperation agreement.