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LEFKA ORI (ΛΕΥΚΑ ΟΡΗ)

-ANEK Lines, operated by Superfast Ferries

ex-BLUE HORIZON (ΜΠΛΟΥ ΟΡΑΪΖΟΝ) for Blue Star Ferries (2000-2023)

Built in 1987 (age 37). Registered in Piraeus. Current line: Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona

One of the finest Greek ferries of the past two decades, the LEFKA ORI was built in 1987 in Japan as the VARUNA for the Japanese company Higashi Nihon Ferry. She spent the first years of her career in Japan, on the Sendai-Tomakomai line, until 1998, when she was bought by the Greek company Strintzis Lines. After a year-long conversion in Perama, she was renamed SUPERFERRY HELLAS and was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line on the Adriatic Sea. Strintzis Lines was purchased by Attica Group in 2000, thus becoming Blue Star Ferries, so the ship was renamed BLUE HORIZON. She was initially part of the Blue Ferries division, before before the latter was merged with Blue Star Ferries in 2004. She was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line in 2000, where she remained until being transferred to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line in 2003. She remained in this service until 2010, when her company deployed her on the Piraeus-Chania line. In 2012 she was laid-up in Syros, but she returned to service the following year initially on the Patras-Igouemnitsa-Bari line (to replace the ferries of Attica Group on the Adriatic Sea, which were undergoing their refits), and later on the Piraeus-Santorini-Kos-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese for the summer. In 2014 she was deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. In 2023 she was involved in a highly controversial and tragic incident, as members of her crew pushed away a passenger that was embarking while the ship was departing from Piraeus, resulting in the passenger's drowning. Later in that same year Attica Group acquired ANEK Lines, and the BLUE HORIZON was transferred to the latter after having been renamed LEFKA ORI, hence becoming the second ship in the history of the company to take that name (the first one being her former fleetmate under Blue Star Ferries, namely the BLUE GALAXY, which also went on to join ANEK Lines in 2024 as the KISSAMOS). Despite being painted in the livery of ANEK Lines, she did not operate for the company, instead being assigned to operate under the livery of Superfast Ferries in 2024. She returned to the Adriatic Sea after being deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line.

 

PHOTOS (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022):

 

 

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