Submission + - World's Largest Cargo Sailboat Completes Historic First Atlantic Crossing (marineinsight.com)
AmiMoJo writes: The world’s largest cargo sailboat, Neoliner Origin, completed its first transatlantic voyage on 30 October despite damage to one of its sails during the journey.
The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor and its remaining sail after the aft sail was damaged in a storm shortly after departure.
The French-built roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo ship, which has two semi-rigid sails, first stopped at Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas territory near Canada, before continuing its journey to Baltimore in the United States.
Neoline, the company behind the project, said the damage reduced the vessel’s ability to perform fully on wind power. The company’s CEO, Jean Zanuttini, said the crossing was a valuable experience in handling large sail surfaces across the North Atlantic, especially during late-season storms. He added that despite the difficulties, the ship showed strong resilience by reaching its destination with only a short delay in Saint Pierre.
The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global shipping produces about 3 per cent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor and its remaining sail after the aft sail was damaged in a storm shortly after departure.
The French-built roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo ship, which has two semi-rigid sails, first stopped at Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas territory near Canada, before continuing its journey to Baltimore in the United States.
Neoline, the company behind the project, said the damage reduced the vessel’s ability to perform fully on wind power. The company’s CEO, Jean Zanuttini, said the crossing was a valuable experience in handling large sail surfaces across the North Atlantic, especially during late-season storms. He added that despite the difficulties, the ship showed strong resilience by reaching its destination with only a short delay in Saint Pierre.
The Neoliner Origin is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered cargo ships. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global shipping produces about 3 per cent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
