Solid sail system

Solid Sail is a 1,200 m² rigid sail made of composite panels assembled together, which overcomes the usual size limitations of standard fabric sails. Moreover, the rigidity of the sail panels is said to induce less flapping, increasing the estimated life compared to a soft sail.

BV has been involved from the early stage, delivering the AiP in line with its Rule Note for Wind Propulsion Systems (WPS) – NR 206.

“The concept of Solid Sail is the first of its kind, and is the most advanced and innovative solution of sailing propulsion of the large ships market,” commented Frédéric Grizaud, senior vice president at Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

“The integration on board a passenger ship of such an innovative solution is only possible thanks to the tremendous collaborative work done with Bureau Veritas on its new rules on Wind Assisted Propulsion.”

Increasing the energy efficiency of cruise ships and lowering their impact on the environment are two of the main objectives of Ecorizon, Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s R&D programme dedicated to ship energy and environmental efficiencies. This final validation step paves the way for the commercialisation of Solid Sail and its installation on large cruise ships.