Aurora Expeditions co-founder Greg Mortimer meets his namesake at the official ceremony

15 March 2019, London/USA: On Tuesday 12 March 2019 in Shanghai, China, Aurora Expeditions co-founder and Australian explorer and mountaineer, Greg Mortimer OAM attended the official sea launch of Aurora Expedition's new state-of-the-art expedition ship, the Greg Mortimer.

The ceremony was attended by guests from SunStone Ships and Aurora Expeditions, including Managing Director Robert Halfpenny, who were present as the Greg Mortimer officially launched into its sea testing phase.

Construction of the new ship is progressing ahead of schedule and is now entering the final construction phase, with work commencing on the interior design. Once the interiors are complete, the ship will be loaded with all the equipment required to operate Aurora Expedition's famous adventure activities such as Zodiac cruising, kayaking, diving & snorkeling, snow skiing, snow shoeing, mountaineering and climbing.

Robert Halfpenny, Managing Director of Aurora Expeditions, said the sea launch signifies exciting progress for Aurora Expeditions as the company continues to push the boundaries in expedition travel to reach far flung destinations previously unexplored.

“This launch is the culmination of months of hard work from everyone involved and we're delighted the Greg Mortimer has reached its sea testing phase ahead of schedule. Due to set sail on its maiden voyage with guests on 31stOctober 2019, the final stage of work includes the interior fit out which is due for completion in the coming months,” he said.
 
Co-founder of Aurora Expeditions and inspiration for the ship's name, Greg Mortimer, was thrilled to finally meet his namesake and to see for himself the state-of-the-art ship so close to completion.
 
“Since founding Aurora Expeditions over 27 years ago, we've always worked hard to be at the forefront of adventure voyaging and this ship is certainly that. To have a ship named after me is surreal, wondrous and humbling! Was it better than climbing Everest or K2? I would say about the same but just different,” he said. 

Built to world class polar standards, the Greg Mortimer is a purpose-built ship featuring the latest innovations in naval technology and is the first passenger expedition ship to use the patented Ulstein X-BOW®, which allows for more gentle sea crossings, faster transit speeds as well as lower fuel consumption and air emissions.

Greg Mortimer's class 1A strengthened hull is purpose built to get through sea ice and pack ice. The ship also carries the latest 'return to port' technology, sonar equipment and satellite communications. Designed in partnership with Aurora Expedition's Expedition team, it features sea-level Zodiac and activity loading platforms streamlining journeys from mud room to activities, black-out blinds to reduce the risk of bird strikes, dedicated observation decks and plenty of outdoor viewing areas, the emphasis of getting up close to nature will be at the core of the ship's experience. 

Following Greg Mortimer's maiden sea voyage 'Spirit of Antarctica'in late October 2019, the ship will operate an additional 20 expeditions across the 2019/2020 season with itineraries spanning Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands), the Arctic (Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, East Greenland, Jan Mayen, Iceland and Norway), Costa Rica & Panama, and Patagonia & Chile.

For further press information please contact Cedar Tree Public Relations:
Frangelica Flook: Frangelica.flook@cedartreepr.com
Gabrielle Mundy: Gabrielle.Mundy@cedartreepr.com
T: +44 (0)20 7978 4534, M: +44 (0) 7747 606 898

Notes to Editors

Images
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About Aurora

Expeditions Aurora Expeditions is an Australian-owned adventure company founded by renowned mountaineer and explorer, Greg Mortimer, and his wife Margaret. Over the past 27 years it has become a leader in small-group, expedition-style travel to polar regions and other wild places. Aurora Expeditions offers its passengers intimate experiences in remote destinations through a range of flexible, innovative itineraries. Some voyages offer mountain climbing, sea kayaking, camping, photography, and polar snorkeling and scuba diving options. Aurora Expeditions' expert naturalists, geologists, historians, guides and crew help unlock the wonders of these special places. 

For more information visit www.auroraexpeditions.com.au

About ULSTEIN'S X-BOW 

Designed by Ulstein Group, the X-BOW, introduces a gentler displacement in rough seas. The tapered fore ship shape results in a wave piercing effect in all wave heights, in particular reducing pitching and bow impact loads in big seas compared to conventional bulbous bow shapes.
While a traditional bow vessel rises on the waves and then drops violently onto the surface of the water, an X-BOW vessel, less subject to the vertical motions induced by the waves, continues on course more smoothly, while maintaining its speed. Because it uses less fuel to get through the waves, it also helps to save energy versus a conventional bow designed vessel. 

Ship Specification Chart 

Capacity: Average capacity 120 passengers – maximum numbers for voyages vary depending on itinerary, please confirm capacity for each individual voyage

Class:  Ice Classed 1A
Length: 104.4m

Breath: 18.2m
Draught: 5.3m
Tonnage (MAX): 7,400
Speed (MAX): 15 knots