Hessle firm transforms ship to carry Extreme E supercars of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button

REFURBISHED: The Extreme E's St Helena

An East Yorkshire firm has carried out the complete refurbishment of a unique passenger-cargo ship ready for its new role as a logistics hub for the Extreme E racing series.

The owners of the new electric rally car racing series have hailed the Hessle firm’s “incredible’” multi-million-pound renovation of the original RMS St Helena to transport the series around the world.

WYM Group, which has a broad depth of knowledge and expertise specialising in all aspects of commercial shipping and superyacht management, was selected by Extreme E to transform the former Island of St Helena Royal Mail ship into its new ‘floating logistics hub’.

It has meant close to two years’ work for the team at WYM Group, headed by Technical Project Manager Austen Brunton, as they have overseen a complete renovation and refurbishment to make the ship ready to carry 170 passengers - and the supercars of teams led by Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jensen Button - at sea.

The ship is now on its way to Saudi Arabia where the first ever race weekend of the newly established series will start on April 3 and 4, before heading to more remote locations in Senegal, Greenland, Brazil and Argentina over the coming months.

Despite having waved St Helena off on her global adventures from the UK, the work has not stopped for the WYM Group team, as it has also been chosen to manage the vessel and is now responsible for organising everything to ensure plain sailing for all involved in Extreme E as the season unfolds.

Allan Wilson, Managing Director of WYM Group, said: “This has been a huge project for our team but one we are all immensely proud of, given the status of the history of the St Helena, the size of the job we were entrusted to lead on and of course the profile of the Extreme E series and the personalities involved.

“It has been a challenging project and refit for all of our team but finally waving her off to mark the start of the series was quite special.

“The ship is a fantastic example of our work and expertise. As she is 30-years-old, she needed quite a lot of work to get her ready for her now role, with many adaptations required to be suitable for both passenger and cargo use.

“Now our job is to ensure we manage all the logistics to safely carry the Extreme E series, its people and the many millions of pounds worth of cars safely around the world.  We couldn’t ask for a better showcase of our work.”

‘HUGE PROJECT’: Allan Wilson, Managing Director of WYM Group

The refurbishment and refit included the entire interior of the ship, renewing of steelworks, hydro blasting and a full repaint of the hull and superstructure.

All mechanical systems were overhauled with the engines completely stripped and all components renewed or replaced. Propellers were refurbished to reduce friction and improve efficiency, and the ship now also runs on low sulphur marine diesel.

The underwater hull was also painted in the most up-to-date self-polishing anti-fouling paint, meaning it is kept clean and makes the ship more streamlined, helping further reduce CO2 emissions.

Finally, the exterior was emblazoned with the Extreme E logo and its striking black and green colours.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “I feel extremely proud. The departure of the St Helena marks the start of her new voyage. Extreme E’s first season is now officially underway.

“This has been a massive project and she really is unrecognisable from the vessel we purchased back in 2018. She is unmistakably part of Extreme E with the exterior branding, and the internal refit looking incredible”.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the crew who have worked so hard on the St Helena to prepare her for her new journey”.

In her previous life the Island of St Helena Royal Mail ship provided the only transportation for both people and cargo to and from the island before the airport was built in 2016.

The Extreme E championship chose to buy the ship in 2018 as moving its freight via the sea will reduce emission in comparison to air freight.

Remote locations which have been damaged or affected by climate issues have been chosen to host the Extreme E series, aiming to raise awareness of climate change and the need to help protect the planet.