by Graham Tutthill

British Olympic double gold medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes is to become godmother to the first of two huge record-beating cross-Channel ferries to sail on the Dover-Calais service.

She has agreed to name the ship Olympic Spirit when P&O Ferries takes delivery of the brand new vessel at the end of 2010. An identical sistership will be delivered in the autumn of 2011 and will take the name Olympic Pride.

At 49,000 gross tonnes, the new ships enter the record books as the largest ferries ever to operate across the Dover Strait and, at 213 metres in length, will be the longest ships capable of fitting into facilities in the Channel ports.

Full story in this week's Dover Mercury.