Christening of Rickmers Shanghai Celebrated in Shanghai

Rickmers-Linie celebrated the fifth christening in its series of nine new Superflex Heavy Multi-Purpose Container (MPC) vessels on November 8 in Shanghai. Madame Zhang Xiang Lan, wife of Mr Luo Kai Fu, Chairman of the Sinotrans Group, was the godmother of Rickmers Shanghai. The name of the ship reflects the importance and tradition of China in the business of Rickmers-Linie. The Hamburg-based company has been providing regular liner services to China for over 130 years - dating back to the late 1860s when clippers built by the Rickmers Shipyard in Bremerhaven started sailing to the Far East and China. Since January 1987, an own office in Shanghai has been officially representing Rickmers-Linie in China. The ceremony offered guests guided tours onboard Rickmers Shanghai. Attendees were introduced to the advanced technology and special features offered by the ship, including the flexible tweendecks and the heavy cargo handling equipment. Rickmers Shanghai and her sisterships are currently the most modern MPC vessels in the market. Like her sisterships - to the present date seven have already been delivered to the company - Rickmers Shanghai is plying the Round-The-World Pearl String Service. The vessel, built by the Shanghai Shipyard, was delivered in March 2003 and has already demonstrated her abilities when she loaded a particularly complex heavy lift consignment for a refinery in Moji and delivered it to Philadelphia in June this year. The cargo loaded included a platforming reactor of 57 m length with a unit weight of 279 tons. Rickmers Hamburg joined her sistership on the occasion of the naming ceremony as she happened to be on her second scheduled call to the port of Shanghai on her China/Far East rotation. The vessels call twice at Shanghai on the Pearl String Service, the first call being dedicated to discharge and the second intended for loading purposes. Simultaneous with the christening ceremony, Rickmers Reederei, sister company of Rickmers-Linie, celebrated the naming of its container vessel, Saylemoon Rickmers. Lara Rickmers, daughter of Owner and Chairman of the Rickmers Group, Bertram Rickmers, christened the vessel. This meant three ships owned by the Rickmers Group were in port at the Jungonglu Terminal at the same time.