Safamarine Bayete naming party

The Safmarine Bayete naming party

Safmarine named its first container ship of 2009 this week with the christening of the Safmarine Bayete in Korea, the first of two such 3,075 TEU ships to be delivered to the group in 2009.

The vessel, which boasts a crew complement of 18, is set to be deployed on the group's South America-Middle East (SAMBA) service.

Guests at the event, which took place at the Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Shipyard in Busan, saw Ms Teri Bento – wife of CEVA Americas and Global Freight Management president Joe Bento – name the ship.

'Today's naming is more than an opportunity to celebrate the further expansion of our modern vessel fleet; it is also a celebration of the mutually beneficial partnerships between Safmarine and CEVA,' said Safmarine CEO Ivan Heesom-Green.