A NEW £100million ferry set to serve Plymouth for the next 25 years has docked in the city for the first time.

Brittany Ferries has launched the Armorique, purpose-built for the popular Plymouth to Roscoff route, with bosses dubbing it "Europe's most modern ferry'.

They hope the ship will create more than 30 jobs in the city and encourage tourism in both directions.

David Longden, managing director of Brittany Ferries, said the launch reaffirmed the company's deep-rooted connection to Plymouth, coming less than two months after the firm moved one of its Santander crossings to Portsmouth.

Mr Longden said: "Plymouth has now got Europe's most modern ferry at its disposal, which demonstrates the commitment of Brittany Ferries to invest in the future. The people of Plymouth can rest assured we are committed to the city."

Offering passengers more space than ever before, Armorique includes a self-service restaurant, two-screen cinema, lounge and various gaming, bar and shopping areas. She can carry 1,500 passengers and 470 cars, while there is room for almost 800 guests in 248 cabins, and 120 crew members.

Mr Longden said: "This ship just takes it to a new level. Every new one moves on a bit and this one is like a floating village. It's also very green and that's very important today." He said the ship had extremely low emissions, using just one engine for all power, and seawater for the air conditioning and toilet systems. It also boasts a Rolls-Royce stabilisation system for a more comfortable crossing.

The ship's captain, Commandant Lionel Barbançon, travelled the route countless times on both the Pont Aven and Val de Loire. He said the five-hour journey – almost an hour quicker than the previous record – had been smoother than ever, despite a seven-metre wave swell on its first outing.

The ship was ordered three years ago and built in Helsinki, Finland. But despite the economic downturn, Mr Longden is confident of creating more than 30 jobs by the summer, as well as encouraging more spending in the city.

He said: "We're pretty confident we can achieve it and we're certainly not shedding jobs. This is a large investment. It comes in a testing economic period, but it's a long-term one because it will stay with us for 25 years.

"We have an emotional attachment to Plymouth and with this launch we're showing that commitment."