Transport under sail

Multihull ocean racing is a particularly French specialty, which is undoubtedly why France is the first country in the world to see a return to passenger sailing. Four regular sailing routes have now been opened or are about to be. The pioneers of this revival are four young people from Brittany who decided to launch the Îliens shipping company in 2020. Their target? The crossing between Quiberon and Belle-Île, in Brittany, in the west of France, a journey taken every year by more than a million passengers. Proud of their profession as sailors, but keen to reduce their impact on the environment, Lou, Inès, Jonas and Léon bought a second-hand Ocean Voyager catamaran. This multihull was initially intended for day-chartering, but its stability and large platform were judged to be particularly well suited to carrying passengers. In fact, the catamaran can accommodate up to 79 people on board, partly sheltered under the rigid bimini, and in all cases by the forward windshield. There’s even an outside bar serving hot and cold drinks, as well as pastries and sandwiches. By their third season, the quartet were carrying more than 20,000 passengers and breaking even. Admittedly, capturing less than 2% of traffic is a drop in the ocean, but that’s not the point. By sailing between 60% and 80% of the time and only cancelling 2% of crossings due to bad weather, they have proved that the concept is both viable and attractive.

The aim: to sail in as little as 7 knots of wind

The Îliens are perfectly willing to share all their data, and their experience is providing inspiration to others - not least the ocean racing enthusiasts who founded Sailcoop in 2021. These sailors have set themselves the goal of “Offering carbon-free alternatives to sailing wherever possible.” Three markets have been identified: short, medium and long distance (over 300 nm). Sailcoop immediately launched into the second with a link between the French Côte d’Azur and Corsica (100 nm). They came up with a management-operations contract and convinced two owners to entrust them with their 50-foot yachts. With 120 passengers carried in the first year, 1,200 last year and the prospect of 1,800 for the 2024 season, which has just begun, a break-even point is in sight, giving them the confidence to launch a new boat and a new route. Confidence and a legal framework because, initially, sailboats approved for commercial use were not allowed to operate on regular routes. But the administrative court ruled in Sailcoop’s favor, and the Affaires Maritimes (France’s maritime administrative division) is working with them to change the regulations and open the way to medium-distance passenger transport under sail. So, from June 2024, they will be serving the magnificent Glénan archipelago, with 3 round trips a day, just like the traditional ferries, but under sail! To achieve this, the sailors from Sailcoop have designed a catamaran that is truly adapted to coastal passenger transport. The ...