FRENCH-OWNED, but British-flagged sister ships CMA CGM Georg Foster and CMA CGM Kerguelen are not only the Marseilles' shipping giant's biggest, they are also the biggest ships to fly UK flag.

The 18,000-TEU CMA CGM Georg Foster docked in Southampton on July 6 after its sister ship, the 17,554-TEU CMA CGM Kerguelen was christened across the English Channel in Le Havre. 

At 1,305 feet (398 metres) long and 177 feet (54 metres) wide, the CMA CGM Georg Foster is to be christened in Hamburg on July 9. 

If all its containers were placed end on end, they would span the distance between London and Southampton (80 miles/129 kilometres). The length of the ship is the height of New York's Empire State Building, and its width is wider than an Olympic pool with a power thrust equivalent to 10 Airbus A380s put together. 

Calling 11 different countries, the CMA CGM Georg Foster is positioned on one of the most emblematic lines of the CMA CGM Group, the FAL service that joins Europe to Asia. 

The CMA CGM Georg Foster is equipped with the latest environmental technologies: an engine of the latest generation, a twisted leading edge rudder with bulb and an optimised hull design.

Those innovations decrease the CMA CGM Georg Foster's CO2 emissions by 10 per cent compared to the previous vessel generations.