TWO rival ferry companies operating services between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and employing hundreds of people between them have enjoyed a record 2004.
Red Funnel, which operates out of Town Quay in Southampton, carried 2.5 per cent more passengers across the Solent on the vehicle ferry and Red Jet passenger services, compared to the year before.
The Southampton-based company says that figure compares to the overall market growth for the sector of nearly 0.6 per cent.
It did not provide a breakdown of actual passenger or vehicle numbers for 2004.
Competition carrier Wightlink, which runs services between Portsmouth and Fishbourne and Lymington to Yarmouth, carried 1.43 million vehicles across the Solent in 2004, representing a growth of more than 1.3 per cent in car, coach and freight traffic.
Extra sales were also generated by the Isle of Wight Festival, starring rock stars David Bowie and the Who, the Motocross British Final and the Bestival gig, featuring top DJ acts from across the UK.
The company also ran a catamaran service between Lymington and Cowes for the world-famous Cowes Week in August.
Overnight breaks to the Island were also cited as a success - up 20 per cent.
Wightlink, based at Portsmouth, said car carryings were up nearly 0.7 per cent overall to 1.23 million, with freight up more than 6.7 per cent on a 2003 rise of 3.6 per cent.
In all, 5.7 million passengers last year used Wightlink, including the Portsmouth Habour-Ryde catamaran.
Meanwhile, Red Funnel provided further figures for a year that saw the company involved in a £60m management buyout of the share owned by venture capitalists JP Morgan Partners.
Red Funnel carried 3.6 per cent more passengers on the vehicle ferry services from Southampton to East Cowes than in 2003, compared to overall market growth for this sector of 0.8 per cent.
Colin Hetherington, Red Funnel commercial director, said: "We are very encouraged by this set of figures in a year where we saw increased competition and higher operating costs, particularly in relation to fuel.''
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