BRITTANY ferries has unveiled plans to create a “sea motorway” between Hampshire and northern Spain with its fleet, including a new vessel Cap Finistere, pictured above, which arrives on the south coast for the first time tomorrow.

The French ferry giant believes it can take 40,000 lorries a year off French roads with services to the picturesque city of Santander.

It stands to benefit from the decision of P&O to quit its last remaining Hampshire based route from Ports-mouth to Santander when the charter on its Pride of Bilbao ends in September.

The decision, which was blamed on “unsustainable losses” put more than 250 jobs at risk and effectively ends P&O’s long-running association with Hamp-shire.

The 2001-built Cap Finistere, which has capacity for 1,500 passengers and 110 trucks, will work alongside the car ferry Pont Aven on the company’s UK-Spain routes, which sail from Plymouth as well as Portsmouth. It will make two return journeys a week to Santander as well as three returns a week to Cherbourg, starting on March 22, roughly one year after Brittany ferries first started sailing from Hampshire to Spain. A third ship Contentin will provide a freight only service.

David Longden, managing director, said: “Despite the recession, demand for the new Spanish route has exceeded our expectations and forward bookings for 2010 are strong. We believe this is because Portsmouth is very easy to get to by road, especially from the Home Counties. At the same time more and more people are discovering the unspoilt delights of northern Spain.”

You can get a first look at Cap Finistere when she arrives for berthing trials in Portsmouth tomorrow before heading off for a re-fit.

Spring fares start at £227 each way for two people, a car and cabin on board.