{"id":621,"date":"2026-02-05T15:12:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2026-02-05T15:12:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:12:50","slug":"the-commercial-ship-which-uses-80-less-fuel-and-proves-the-aerorigs-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=621","title":{"rendered":"The commercial ship which uses 80% less fuel and proves the AeroRig\u2019s worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

From an unloved 90s yacht to a 136m cargo ship, Matt Sheahan explores how the AeroRig\u2019s rebirth is finally making wind-powered trade a reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

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There was little doubt that the Ian Howlett-designed 70-footer Fly, built by the Elephant Boatyard on the River Hamble, was an innovative and impressive bluewater cruiser<\/a> when launched in 1991. And while she sailed brilliantly and was ridiculously easy to handle, there was something myself and photographer Malcom White couldn\u2019t bring ourselves to say in front of our hosts.<\/p>\n

Elegant as the hull lines were, when you looked at the overall package she wasn\u2019t pretty. In fact, Fly\u2019s AeroRig was so unusual that it was difficult to imagine that this configuration would ever be accepted by the mainstream \u2013 and sadly it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the rotating mainsail and foresail combination had some significant benefits, the best being her reaching performance and the ease with which this huge rig could be handled.<\/p>\n

Now, over 30 years later, a very similar rig configuration has appeared on a large commercial ship. The Neoliner Origin claims to be the world\u2019s first-ever commercial sailing roll-on\/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel. At 136m in length and displacing 11,000 tonnes fully loaded, Neoliner Origin is only slightly smaller than, say, the Brittany Ferries cross-channel ferry Barfleur.<\/p>\n

Owned by the French shipping company Neoline, the ship made its maiden voyage in October 2025 from St Nazaire on the west coast of France, across the Atlantic to St Pierre et Miquelon, the small French island enclave off the coast of Newfoundland, and then on to Baltimore, Maryland, on the east coast of the USA.<\/p>\n

Its first cargo included Renault hybrid cars, forklift trucks, an industrial quantity of brioche, and an impressive half million bottles of Hennessy cognac.<\/p>\n

Article continues below\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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Bezos vs. Musk: Is Amazon\u2019s Kuiper the real Starlink killer? \u2013 Matt Sheahan<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Space is back in fashion, and with media interest at a level not seen since the days of the Apollo\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n