EU funding into remote-controlled container ships that will traverse the world's oceans without any crew have been slammed as ‘mad' by the RYA.
The ships, almost a quarter of a mile long and wider than a motorway could be trading from Singapore to Southampton within a decade.
Rolls-Royce, the British engineering company developing the ships, claims the unmanned ships will be cheaper, greener and safer than those with a full complement of captain and crew.
Oskar Levander, Rolls-Royce's head of marine innovation and technology, said: ‘If you look at most accidents in marine they are happening because of human error - a lack of concentration and people becoming tired. We can provide a safer, more comfortable and better way of steering a ship.'
But Stuart Carruthers, cruising manager of the RYA, says this overlooks the fact that there are thousands of other users out at sea who may not be seen by the robot ships
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