catamaran

From an outdoor terrace in a lakeside Alpine village, we watched catamarans and windsurfers lean into the wind and fly across the water below.

Services from Troon, about 15 miles further south on the Ayrshire coast, will be provided by the new ferry MV Glen Sannox and the chartered catamaran Alfred.

The charter of the privately-owned catamaran Alfred - said to cost £1m a month - has now been extended to the end of May to maintain services.

"I went to the Isle of Man on a catamaran and I was seasick twice."

The chartered catamaran Alfred, which can carry 98 cars and cost only £14.5m to build, has been operating successfully on the Arran route for the past 20 months.