A new mode of transporting goods, or rather a return to sailing

The very ancients sailed in this way and it seems that the Egyptians were the first to understand that they could use the wind. <This was between - 5800 and - 2100 years BC, during the second period of the Neolithic.

Origin of sailing and current constraints

For many centuries, sailing ships continued to sail, both for the transport of trade, for materials or cereals, and during naval wars, until the appearance of the engine at the end of the 19th century. But faced with the need to find solutions to significantly reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas emissions, and also the taxation of these emissions, the idea of ​​returning to sailing gained ground, because wind remains a free energy. Tests on existing boats have reduced fuel consumption by 10 to 20%, but it remains insufficient.

Sailing requires new boats with adapted hulls that can reach a certain speed, as well as transverse stability, since the wind can heel the boat, and significant technology for route calculations as well as very precise weather to allow boats to take, depending on their speed, the best routes to find a favorable wind.

Sail propulsion has its limits, and it seems that the best performance is between 11 and 12 knots, or 20 km/h (one knot equals 1.852 km). And cetacean protection associations require a speed of 10 knots.

Another problem arises: the sails. In another era, maneuvers to change direction were carried out manually and required a large number of personnel… impossible today.

This new navigation will require large sails, in the order of 1000 to 5000 m². Can we imagine the power of the wind in these sails... will they resist? Will the shrouds be strong enough? Professional sailors will be needed.

"New sailing ships" are under construction, others are in operation such as the ANEMOS on a Le Havre/New York line with a length of 80 meters and a sail area of ​​2200 m², for a transport capacity of 1100 tons. It carries 12 passengers and 7 experienced sailors at a speed of 10 knots and 90% of decarbonization hoped for.

A ferry, the NEOLINER ORIGIN will be operational in 2025 on the Saint-Nazaire, St-Pierre and Miquelon, Canada and Baltimore lines. Its length is 136 meters with a sail area of ​​3000 m². Capacity 5000 tons and 12 passengers and 14 sailors at a cruising speed of 11 knots. The fuel saving target is 90%.

Under construction, a luxury cruise ship operational in 2026. 220 meters long with a sail area of ​​4500 m². It will carry 300 passengers at a top speed of 17 knots. Navigation will be shared between sailing and natural gas. It will be called the ORIENT EXPRESS SILENSEAS.

Another sailboat made its first navigation in 2023. This is the LE CANOPÉE which remains the first large cargo ship. It transports elements of the Ariane 6 rocket to Guyana at a cruising speed of 16 knots. 121 meters long with a sail area of ​​1452 m² at the four corners of the boat. The propulsion share varies from 15 to 40% under sail for an average saving of 30%.

We realize that sailing ships seem to be making a comeback and that several shipyards are still hard at work on ambitious projects such as container ships, among others.