LYKES TO UPGRADE TRANSATLANTIC SPRINT SERVICES

LYKES TO UPGRADE TRANSATLANTIC SPRINT SERVICES    Lykes Lines said it will upgrade its Sprint transatlantic services, effective Oct. 21.
   Lykes will operate the services as part of Americana Ships' agreement with the Grand Alliance. Americana Ships is the management company under which Lykes operates.
   Tampa-based Lykes said it is increasing the number of its fixed-day weekly transatlantic sailings by 16 to a total of 38, operating mid-week and weekend sailings in five separate loops.
   The North Atlantic Sprint, in two loops, will operate between Europe and the North American East Coast, calling at ports from New York to Savannah. The three-loop Gulf Atlantic Sprint will operate between Europe and ports in Mexico and the U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
   The service adds new port calls at Savannah, Southampton, Hamburg and Rotterdam.
   “The reorganization gives us improvements of up to 30 percent in transit times between some ports,” said Tony Bruno, commercial vice president. For instance, transit from Charleston to Bremerhaven is cut to eight days from 12, and Thamesport to New York is cut to seven days from 11.
   The service changes will add four extra sailings a week to the Benelux region, more than doubling the number of calls, and will add two extra calls in both the United Kingdom and Germany.
   The five weekly services and their rotations are:
   * North Atlantic Sprint Loop 1: Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Southampton, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, New York, Southampton, Le Havre, Rotterdam and Hamburg.
   * North Atlantic Sprint Loop 2: Antwerp, Thamesport, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Le Havre, New York, Norfolk, West Coast ports, Savannah, Norfolk, New York and Antwerp.
   * Gulf Atlantic Sprint Loop 1: Antwerp, Thamesport, Bremerhaven, Charleston, Houston, New Orleans, Charleston, Norfolk and Antwerp.
   * Gulf Atlantic Sprint Loop 2: Antwerp, Thamesport, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Houston, Veracruz, Altamira, Charleston and Antwerp.
   * Gulf Atlantic Sprint Loop 3: Southampton, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Charleston, Miami, Houston, Charleston, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Southampton.