Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has beaten off stiff competition to purchase another post-panamax boxship.

The Swiss liner operator is paying more than $27m to acquire the 8,236-teu YM Uberty (built 2008), according to brokers.

The vessel is one of the first post-panamax boxships of this size to have come on the market for several months.

Brokers describe strong interest in acquiring the YM Uberty due to a shortage of larger containerships available for charter.