Transforming Shipping With the Power of Wind, Sail and Sailors

In 2017, French singlehanded sailor François Gabart did the seemingly impossible by sailing around the world solo, aboard the 100-ft trimaran Macif, in an amazingly fast, record-setting time of 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. For comparison, the first solo, nonstop sail around the world by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston took 312 days! Gabart’s record is one of the many ways France continues to lead in pioneering sailing-technology breakthroughs.

François Gabart is now a co-founder of another pioneering effort: to create sustainable shipping — a wind-powered trimaran designed to transport cargo between Europe and the Americas. The company, VELA, will operate the world’s first sailing cargo trimaran, powered 100 percent by wind when at sea, as it sails between Europe and the US. The cargo service will kick off with a partnership with Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, which is set to become the first company to transport its products between Europe and the US using VELA’s first-of-its-kind sailing cargo trimaran. VELA is planning to operate a fleet of these new-generation sailing cargo vessels. The maiden voyage is planned for late 2026.

Despite the current headwinds facing the renewable energy sector in the US, the rest of the world and many blue tech enterprises in the US continue to forge ahead with sustainable, low-impact solutions to transportation, commerce and even recreation on the water. While wind energy is being banned in the US (hopefully that won’t include sailing), we see entrepreneurial pioneers continue to tinker and improve clean energy technology regardless of government headwinds. Just a few years ago the wind- and fuel cell-powered French catamaran Energy Observer cruised through the Bay Area on its fossil fuel-free circumnavigation.

China continues to make miraculous progress in diversifying away from fossil fuels. It added almost 400 gigawatts of solar and wind power to its energy grid the first half of 2025, and accounted for 67% of the world’s increased solar energy capacity this year. California was a leader in wind farms when it built what is still one of the world’s biggest wind farms on Altamont Pass, though Texas has since surpassed California as the top wind power-generating state in the country. California still has far more sailors and sailboats than Texas.

Much of the credit for improvements in sustainable, clean energy comes from the marine marketplace. Sailors are inveterate tinkerers, which, combined with their connection to the planet through the oceans, continually inspires them to technological improvement while minimizing impacts on the ecosystem. Like the early electric cars that were the pioneers ahead of Tesla, we expect to see continuous improvement and growth in wind-assisted ships as shipping companies try to reduce fuel costs and environmental impact.

The past weekend’s Sausalito Boat Show featured a few electric powerboats alongside Clipper Yacht Harbor’s high-speed charging station on the docks. Like EV car owners, early adopters are getting on board to help spur future improvement and deployment of the technology. Berkeley Marina now has an electric inflatable for the harbor, sold by Vita Electric of France. Locally, Vita is managed by another sustainability-committed French sailor, Tanguy de Lamotte, who did the Vendée Globe in 2013 and 2017 (dismasted).

It’s amazing how many sailors like François Gabart step back onto land with an inspired connection to preserve the ocean and planetary health. Dame Ellen MacArthur, SailGP, 11th Hour Racing, Sailors for the Sea and so many other sailors, sailing organizations and sailing events are embedding sustainability at the center of their mission. Surely there is a long way to go and many innovations ahead, but the inventive minds of sailors will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of improving sustainability for the planet. François Gabart’s shift from record-breaking circumnavigations to sustainable-shipping pioneer is more evidence of this trend.