Naming ceremony in Japan
On Thursday September 16th 1999, a Naming Ceremony was held at Tsuneishi's Tadotsu Shipyard on the occasion of the delivery to LDA of the second state of the art 170.000 dwt bulk carrier unit ordered from NKK, the leading Japanese Shipbuilders. Ms Marie Louis-Dreyfus, Philippe's youngest daughter, acted as Sponsor Lady for this vessel and very gracefully named her "Pierre LD". This unit is the sixth one to bear the name of her grand-father since 1936 .
Two months earlier, on June 22 nd, a similarly pleasant Ceremony was held when the sister-vessel was named "Charles LD" by Sabine , the charming wife of Jacques Veyrat, LDA's Chief Executive Officer.
Both
flying the French flag and manned by French officers, "Charles LD" and "Pierre
LD", together with two other similar size units delivered earlier this year
from South Korea , have been ordered at the very time when LDA's new management
was put in place under Philippe Louis-Dreyfus' chairmanship. Profitable employment
had been secured some time ago for each vessel. All such vessels are operated
within Cetragpa, LDA's controlled operating company for Capesize and Panamax
vessels.
French officials, various top executives from French banks, a selected number
of Cetragpa's Japanese Charterers friends and representatives from Itochu Corporation,
Barry Rogliano Salles and other leading Tokyo and London Shipbrokers were in
attendance.
The next capesize vessel which will join the Louis Dreyfus capesize fleet, end october 1999, will be the La Selva, also 170.000 Dwt built by NKK
Also during the course of this summer, a significant number of long term chartering deals were also concluded with some reputable Japanese Owners through leading Japanese Trading Houses and Leasing Companies; these gearless Panamax (75.000 dwt) and geared and grabbed Handymax (53.000 dwt) vessels, all built in Japan, will be delivered in 2001, thus contributing efficiently and in a competitive manner to the renewal and upgrading of LDA's bulkcarriers fleet.
