Following over a year of meticulous manufacturing and a transit spanning more than two months, Grain de Sail II arrived at its home port in Saint-Malo, France, in late November 2023.
On January 11, 2024, the christening ceremony unfolded, ushering in the new vessel into Grain de Sail’s distinguished fleet of cargo sailboats.
This wind-powered vessel, excluding port maneuvers, surpasses its predecessor, stretching an impressive 52 meters and boasting the capability to transport around ten times more pallets of goods—290 European pallets. With a cargo capacity of 350 tons, this cargo sailboat, currently the largest, is set to make transatlantic crossings with a significantly reduced carbon impact.
Grain de Sail's inaugural cargo sailboat, a 24-meter aluminum hull demonstrator, commenced operations in November 2020, having been constructed near Nantes, France. For Grain de Sail II, a larger 52-meter ship, also fashioned from aluminum, multiple French and European shipyards were invited to respond to the request for quotation.
Crafted entirely in aluminum, Grain de Sail II stands as a pure sailboat featuring an expansive 1,500 m² of sails, facilitating a fifteen-day journey from Saint-Malo to New York.
Benefiting from a highly favorable sail/weight ratio, the vessel can achieve commercial speeds of up to 12 knots while contributing to a reduction of carbon emissions by over 90% compared to conventional ships on equivalent journeys.
Designed to meet the rigorous standards of international shipping and address the urgent need for decarbonization in freight transport, Grain de Sail II incorporates solar panels, hydro generators, and notably, the first pellet boiler installed on a merchant ship—an innovative effort to adhere to planetary limits.
Founded in 2010 in Brittany (Morlaix) by twin brothers with expertise in renewable energy, Grain de Sail embarked on its visionary mission: to select, produce, and distribute exceptional gastronomic products to cross-Atlantic consumers using the world’s first modern cargo sailboat.
