Just as the Posidonia party of its sponsor Capital Maritime & Trading (CMT) was underway late on Tuesday, US-listed Capital Product Partners (CPLP) announced it exercised options to buy four CMT newbuildings worth a total $597.5m.

The latest-generation vessels consist of one 174,000-cbm LNG ship and three 13,287-teu vessels under construction at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in South Korea.

The LNG ship, which will trade as Asterix I, is due for delivery in January 2023 and comes attached with a minimum five-year time charter to Hartree Partners Power & Gas.