The Ionian Group consortium has officially announced that it will be renamed Levante Ferries Group. This comes after the change in its composition. The Group's fleet will include FIOR Dl LEVANTE, MARE Dl LEVANTE, ANDREAS KALVOS and NISSOS KEFALONIA. They will continue offering ferry crossings to Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca. Strategic Marine's shipyard at Vung Tao, Vietnam has launched ALFRED, the new catamaran ferry for Pentland Ferries, on 22nd February. Designed by BMT SSD, the 85m catamaran is due to enter service later this year, transporting up to 430 passengers, 98 cars and 12 lorries between the Orkney Islands and mainland Scotland. Eighty people were injured when a Japanese jetfoil ferry hit what seemed to be a whale in the Sea of Japan. The incident occurred on 9th March, when GINGA, operated by Sado Steam Ship Company, was en route from Niigata Port to Sado Island, Japan. The ferry was carrying 121 people at the time of the incident. Six out of the eighty hospitalized sustained severe injuries, the company said in a statement. GINGA managed to arrive at Ryotsu Port on Sado Island under its own power. Sado Steam Ship Company informed that all further voyages of GINGA have been temporarily suspended until further notice. As a result of the collision with the "marine creature", the ship's hull was damaged and needs to be repaired. An investigation into the cause of the incident has been launched.
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