The first ship of the Freedom Hispania class ever built in Spain was recently launched at the Seville yards of Astilleros De Cadiz, S.A. This vessel was built for Atlantska Plovidba of Yugoslavia.
Christened the Gundulic, the ship is the first in a series of vessels of this type which have been ordered from Astilleros by a consortium composed of Algoship International, Canadian Algonquin Maritime and Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries. A sistership is under construction for the same owner and three others of the class are on order for Chilean interests.
The 471-foot 5-inch, 15,500-dwt Gundulic is designed to transport general and bulk cargoes. It features the essential characteristics of a bulk carrier with those of a closed shelter-deck vessel. However, the design envisaged its use for general cargo, vehicles and containers, also.
The propulsion machinery is a Manises-Sulzer, 8,000-bhp, 6RD-68 diesel engine built at the Manises works of Astilleros. The majority of the other machinery components were also built at this plant.
The launching was sponsored by Mrs. Neva de Zidaric, wife of the advisor to the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce. Officiating at the ceremonies was O. Scharfhausen, naval commandant of Seville. Attending for the owners were S. Savin and D. J. Betner, general manager and general administrator, respectively. R. B. Mendez, vice-president and managing director of Astilleros, and J. M. Marco Fayren, manager of the Seville yard, represented the builder.