Two European companies and one American company are working on rival designs to FastShip's, including multi-hulled vessels.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

FastShip's president, Roland Bullard, travels the world trying to whip up equity investment, with the help of J.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

FastShip Atlantic is the furthest advanced of a number of companies that think they have the solution to this problem.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

Rolls-Royce will provide marine versions of its huge Trent aero engines to drive the water jets that will propel FastShip's vessels.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

FastShip's speedy vessels (see picture) would carry about 1, 400 containers, compared with up to 7, 000 for today's sluggish giants of the seas.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

But despite the obvious advantages of moving cargo around the world quickly by sea, FastShip's journey from business plan to launch is proving slow.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships

FastShip has another idea to speed up its service.

ECONOMIST: Fast container ships