Michelin, known for producing tires and rating restaurants around the world, has ventured into a new market – developing a wing sail that’s suitable for a wide variety of craft, from tankers to yachts.
The company has now partnered with Novem Nautical Design and JFA Yachts to produce a 60-foot yacht with the Wisamo wingsail as a key feature.
The company’s first Wisamo wingsail was officially presented in 2021, with the 100sqm prototype installed and tested on French navigator Michel Desjoyeaux’s sailing boat Wind of Change.
Tests have also been conducted on commercial ships, with data being logged to ensure the wingsail worked as it should.
Telescopic, self-supporting mast
In 2023, the wingsail was granted AIP (Approval In Principle) from classification society DNV, with Wisamo bought to market in 2024 and aimed at vessels from 20 to 60 metres in length.
The new Aqua yacht project is a daysailer with an epoxy carbon hull and long, deep appendages being built by JFA Yachts at its Concarneau-based shipyard.
The yacht has been designed with minimalism in mind with an open exterior area.
The Wisamo solution has been designed to retract using a telescopic, self-supporting mast, eliminating the ropes and shrouds of a traditional rigging system. The retractable system allows the yacht to travel under obstacles such as low bridges.
In addition, the wind propulsion system has been developed to automatically adjust according to the direction being taken and wind force, making the system suitable for beginners.
The heel of the yacht can also be stabilised to make sailing more comfortable.
The Aqua yacht will also be fitted with a secondary electric propulsion system to make it easier to approach port and for sailing on windless days.
It is very simple to use: you have nothing to do apart from start the system and keep course.
Michel Desjoyeaux
The yacht has also been designed to produce energy using a hydro generator.
“The Wisamo wingsail adapts to all types of boats and uses wind energy to propel them. It is very simple to use: you have nothing to do apart from start the system and keep course,” explained Michel Desjoyeaux, two-time winner of the Vendée Globe round the world sailing race and technical consultant for Wisamo.
Michelin says its Wisamo solution not only expands its offering but also contributes to the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
The sail can be used either as a primary propulsion system or in a hybrid configuration to provide supplementary energy.
