In September 2001, the international maritime community will come together for the sixth international conference and exhibition on Fast Sea Transportation. The FAST 2001 will bring together owners, builders, academics, designers, equipment suppliers, service providers and policy makers from around the world to Southampton, the premier port of the United Kingdom. Papers are invited covering one of the three themes of the conference. Abstracts should have a length of between 300 and 500 words and must clearly indicate the contents of the prospective paper. The abstract can be sent either in paper form or in electronic form.

The FAST series of conferences take place every two years, the first was held in Norway in 1993. The venue of last conference was Seattle in 1999. FAST2001 is being organized jointly by The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and the University of Southampton. The format of the conference will remain the same as in pervious years. The three days of the FAST conference will bring together an international mix of academics, designers, builders, operators, researchers, defense experts and economists who are at the forefront of development in high-speed maritime industry. It will provide an invaluable forum for the exchange of information between those involved in the industry. The associated exhibition will also provide a showcase for all aspects of high-speed vessel, from design to construction and services to this sector of the maritime industry.