Left and top right: The Neoline Origin is 135 meters long and designed as a modern Ro-Ro ship. Bottom right: The Grain de Sail III will be 110 meters long.

New cargo sailing ships in service

Thanks to modern technology, a new generation of sailing ships is making its mark on the market.

Anyone who participates in wind-powered sports knows the sheer power that this form of energy provides. For centuries, harnessing the wind played a major role in transporting cargo around the globe.

The rest of the story is well known. Cargo sailing ships were scrapped. With propulsion systems using fossil fuels, shipping became faster and more reliable. In recent years, however, a reverse trend has emerged. Ships are running slower again. The goal is to cut costs.

A new generation of motor sailers is stepping into this very niche. For over a decade, the French company Grain de Sail has been working its way from ship to ship, gathering expertise and scaling up the size of the vessels.

Concept: The Grain de Sail II is 52 meters long. The Grain de Sail III, which is twice as long, will be able to carry about 8.5 times as much cargo.

The Grain de Sail II, currently in service, is 52 meters long and can carry 350 tons of cargo. The next project is the Grain de Sail III. The sailing vessel will be 110 meters long and, with a sail area of 4,000 m², is expected to carry 3,000 tons of cargo.

Another giant sailing ship is already in service. The Neoline Origin is 135 meters long and can carry 5,300 tons of cargo. Its sail area is 3,000 m². As a modern RoRo ship, the Origin can handle cargo flexibly and quickly.

To integrate into modern daily life, these modern sailing ships use hybrid propulsion systems. The Neoline Origin uses diesel and electricity. The Grain de Sail uses wood pellets. Nevertheless, according to the shipping companies, CO₂ emissions are reduced by 80 to 90 percent compared to ‘normal’ cargo ships.

The Arte documentary followed the construction of the cargo sailing ships Anemos and Artemis.

How fitting it would be, then, if one day windsurfing and wingfoil products were no longer transported by air or sea freight, but instead by sailboat—a more environmentally friendly option.

Links:
www.towt.eu/en/home/
www.neoline.eu/en/
graindesail.com/en/cargo-sailboat-grain-de-sail-iii/
timbercoast.com

April 16, 2026 © DAILY DOSE | Fotos/Grafiken: Grain de Sail / L2O Naval, Grain de Sail / Loys Leclerc, Neoline / Arthur Jacobs | translation: DE