A WEST Fife man is embarking on his 34th voyage on Superfast, as the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry celebrates its fifth birthday today

Brian Clark (62), of Carnock, stepped aboard for the ferry’s inaugural crossing in May 2002 and, living just a short drive away from the terminal, has made frequent trips ever since.

Having served in the merchant navy and worked at Rosyth dockyard, Mr Clark said he would be all at sea if he didn’t sail regularly.

“I’ve always been at sea and now I’m retired I can still go to sea as a passenger,” he said.

“Superfast has given a tremendous boost to tourist traffic as well as being environmentally friendly.

“I’ve met a lot of people of all nationalities on the boat who have said they would never consider driving all the way from England.”

Such is Mr Clark’s loyalty to Superfast, he has been made an honorary member of staff.

Today, he plans to say thank you by presenting them with a birthday cake in the shape of Blue Star 1, which replaced Superfast X in January of this year.

For the first time, he will be joined on his travels by his wife Jean who recently retired from her post as a teacher at McLean Primary School in Dunfermline.

Mr Clark said, “The ferry takes people right into the heart of Scotland. If you speak to anyone who has been on that ship, they’ll say they will come back again.”

The only direct link to Europe in Scotland, the ferry has carried more than 80,000 passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of freight since its launch.

Superfast also boasts a haul of prestigious awards.

It has a four-star Visit-Scotland grading and has been named the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association “Best Ferry Operator” for three consecutive years.

Chief executive of Visit- Scotland Philip Riddle said, “Superfast’s service from Zeebrugge to Rosyth has become a key part of the Scottish tourism landscape over the last five years.

“With a focus on comfort and customer service, Superfast offers great access to Scotland for European visitors, particularly those interested in touring Scotland by car—one of our largest European tourism markets.”

Fife Council also wished Superfast well as it celebrated its milestone.

Dr Bob McLellan, head of the council’s transportation service, said, “We’re delighted at the success of the first five years of the service and hope that it will continue to flourish.

“In addition to the successful movement of freight, it has also allowed direct access to Europe from Scotland and brought tourists directly into Scotland through Fife.”

Alexander Panagopulos, CEO of Attica Group, the parent company of Superfast and Blue Star Ferries, added, “We are delighted by the massive response of the market to our service and on behalf of Attica Group, I wish to thank all our colleagues, ashore and at sea, our port agents, the management and staff at the ports, the Scottish and European travel agents and tour operators and last but not least the freight companies for their support and efforts to make this service so successful.”