REEL ONE
100 ft

1.
VARIOUS VIEWS ENGINE START-UP


2.
BOW OF CRAFT/CUSHION INFLATING


3.
CRAFT LAUNCH DOWN SLIPWAY


4.
CRAFT MANO???VRING IN HARBO??? 'OFF CUSHION'



REEL TWO
50 ft

1.
VARIOUS SHOTS OF CRAFT LEAVING COWES HARBOUR




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE FIFTH 190-TON SR. 14 PASSENGER/CAR HERRY HOVERCRAFT LAUNCHED DURING THE MORNING OF THURSDAY, 25TH MAY AT THE COLUMBINE WORKS OF THE BRITISH HOVERCRAFT CORPORATION, EAST COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT. A DEFINITE TIME FOR THIS LAUNCHING HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED BUT MEMBERS OF THE PRESS WISHING TO COVER THE EVENT SHOULD BE AT THE VENUE BETWEEN 10.00 - 10.30 HOURS AT THE VERY LATEST. LAUNCH TIME WAS 10.45 HRS.

THIS PARTICULAR CRAFT IS DESTINE FOR SERVICE WITH HOVERLLOYD LIMITED ON THE PEGWELL BAY/CALAIS ROUTE IN JULY AND WILL JOIN TWO OTHER CRAFT OF THIS TYPE, 'SWIFT' AND 'SURE', WHICH HAVE BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE APRIL, 1969.

TWO FURTHER SR.'148, 'THE PRINCESS ???CRAFT' AND 'THE PRINCESS ANNE', ARE ALSO EMPLOYED BY BRITISH BAIL HOVERCRAFT LTD. ON CROSS-CHANNEL ROUTES LINKING DOVER WITH BOULOGNE AND CALAIS.

SINCE THE SR.N4 ENTERED COMMERCIAL SERVICE JUST OVER THREE YEARS AGO, IT HAS CARRIED OVER 2.5 MILLION PASSENGERS AND OVER 350,000 VEHICLES ON CROSS-CHANNEL ROUTES. LAST YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOVERLLOYD AND BRITISH RAIL HOVERCRAFT CARRIED OVER 1 MILLION PASSENGER AND OVER 150,000 VEHICLES BETWEEN THEM, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 30% OF THE TOTAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC CARRIED ON CROSS-CHANNEL ROUTES AND OVER 25% OF THE PRIVATE VEHICLE TRAFFIC.