Ferry operator DFDS today (17 November) unveiled the world’s largest Lego ship at London’s iconic Trafalgar Square.
The ship’s visit to London coincides with Guinness World Record Day. Built from 1,015,000 Lego bricks and measuring 12 metres in length, ‘Jubilee Seaways’ was built to mark the company’s 150th anniversary and has been touring the UK and Europe. It took 900 hours to construct and has officially been awarded the Guinness World Record as the largest ever Lego ship.
The ship’s full vital statistics are:
- Length: 12.035m
- Width: 1.67m
- Height: 2.72m
- Weight: 2,860kg
- Number of Lego bricks used: 1,015,000
- Time to build: 900 hours
‘Jubilee Seaways’ was designed by Jesper Aagesen, head of new building at DFDS, and is based on a futuristic concept. Every DFDS staff member was given 20 Lego pieces to build a ‘brick’ which Lego artist Warren Elsmore and his team then used to construct the design. The ship made its first appearance in the UK at the Blyth Tall Ships event, and will also appear in Dover on 18 and 19 November. The final leg of its journey will see it return to Denmark to be part of an exhibition at Lego World in Copenhagen.
Gemma Griffin, Vice President of HR & Crewing for DFDS, said: “We wanted to celebrate our 150th anniversary by bringing all of our teams together to create something special and unique. Our staff across the UK and Europe can all take pride in being a part of this project, while also breaking a new world record.
“We are delighted to unveil Jubilee Seaways against the backdrop of London’s iconic Trafalgar Square and hope the public enjoy the chance to see the ship up close as much as we enjoyed making it!”
The construction of the Lego ship was supported by Lauritzen Fonden, a commercial foundation that supports projects with a social, cultural, educational and maritime focus in Denmark.
The official 150th anniversary of DFDS was 11 December 2016 and the company is offering the following discounts on fares to celebrate:
Dover to Dunkirk and Dover to Calais
Get 15% off standard fares for passengers travelling by car. Travel until 28 December 2017*: www.dfds.co.uk/lego *exclusions apply – book by 10 December 2016.
North Sea
Get 42% off Newcastle-Amsterdam mini cruise, with two nights on board in an en suite cabin, a range of restaurants, bars and entertainment to choose from on board, and coach transfers to and from Amsterdam for up to five hours exploring the Dutch city. Travel through to 31 March 2017: www.dfds.co.uk/jubileeoffer – book by 22 December 2016.
-Ends-
Notes to editors
DFDS has made a time-lapse film of the construction of its record-breaking Lego ship, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-nF8qGKp6M.
Footage of its employees taking part in the big build is on the DFDS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DFDSGroup/videos/1123407144402173/.
Lego artist Warren Elsmore will be attending the ship’s big reveal in Trafalgar Square and will be available for interview on the day.
For further press information, please contact:
Stuart Fyfe/Katie Raby/Jo Kendall
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8930
E: [email protected]
About DFDS
DFDS is Northern Europe’s largest integrated shipping and logistics company, with a network of around 30 routes and 50 freight and passenger ships.
DFDS prides itself on offering world-class facilities and services and the widest choice of ferry routes into northern Europe.
In the UK, the company operates passenger ferry services on routes from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk, Newcastle to Amsterdam and Newhaven to Dieppe.
DFDS has been named the ‘World’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for the last five years (2011-15), as well as ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator’ at the prestigious 2014 and 2015 World Travel Awards.
DFDS currently operates up to 54 sailings a day between Dover and France on its Dover-Dunkirk and Dover-Calais routes. DFDS also offers two daily sailings between Newcastle and Amsterdam. In addition, the DFDS network includes a passenger and freight service between Newhaven to Dieppe, which has four daily sailings and is operated by Transmanche Ferries.
For further information about DFDS, or to find out about the latest sailing times, fares and offers across all routes from the UK, visit www.dfds.co.uk.
