An industrial sailing cargo ship has set sail for the first time with a Groupe Beneteau boat on board, bound for the US.
The Merry Fisher 895 set sail from Montoir-de-Bretagne, bound for Baltimore on board the Neoliner Origin.
“It’s a world first: a boat in a boat, carried by the wind—that’s the spirit of the Groupe Beneteau,” said Erwan Faoucher, director of purchasing and innovation, Groupe Beneteau.
“This collaboration with Neoline is the culmination of ten years of joint work to decarbonise maritime transport.”
Groupe Beneteau is the first customer to use the Neoliner Origin for transatlantic transport in a move to reduce carbon emissions from its supply chain.
It’s a world first: a boat in a boat, carried by the wind—that’s the spirit of the Groupe Beneteau.
Erwan Faoucher
The ship was launched from the RMK Marine shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, and is designed for low-carbon transport.
The ship uses wind propulsion for 60–70% of its energy through two 90-metre high masts and 3,000 square metres (32,300 square feet) of sails supported by a hybrid diesel-electric engine.
It uses slow steaming at a speed of around 11 knots and advanced weather routing to conserve fuel and reduce emissions and even generates energy from its own wake to maximise sustainability.
5,300 tonnes of cargo
The Neoliner Origin measures 136 metres (446 feet) in length and is primarily a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo ship, with the capacity to carry 5,300 tonnes of cargo or up to 265 containers.
The Groupe Beneteau transportation follows on from a framework agreement signed in 2020 between the Groupe and French shipowner Neoline.
“As a boatbuilder and world leader in sailing, the prospect of transporting our boats on board an innovative, ecological cargo ship, which is moreover mainly propelled by sail, reflects the Group’s overall commitment to place sustainable development at the heart of the company’s project” explained Jérôme de Metz, chairman and CEO of Groupe Beneteau at the time.
