MAERSK SEALAND NAMES FIRST OF SIX 3,700-TEU VESSELS

MAERSK SEALAND NAMES FIRST OF SIX 3,700-TEU VESSELS    A.P. Moller, the parent company of Maersk Sealand and of the Odense Steel Shipyard, has named the first in a series of six container vessels, the “Laura Maersk.”
   The vessel was built by the Odense shipyard for Maersk Sealand. After sea trials in mid-April, the vessel will be delivered to A. P. Moller and enter Maersk Sealand service between Europe and Asia.
   The ships was christened by Christine K'hne, the wife of Klaus-Michael K'hne, executive chairman of K'hne & Nagel International AG. “The company is a very important business partner for the A.P. Moller group,” the Danish group said.
   The new post-Panamax ship has a stated capacity of 3,700 TEU, a width of 37 meters, a draught of 14 meters and a length of 266 meters.
   A spokesman for Maersk Sealand said that the new 3,700-TEU vessel and its five sisterships are likely to be employed in the carrier’s AE3 service, that calls at ports in northern Europe, the Mideast and the Indian Subcontinent.