Bureau Veritas (BV) delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Chantiers de l’Atlantique for its sailing propulsion system, Solid Sail, tailored for the large ships market.
Solid Sail is a 1,200 sq. m. rigid sail made of composite panels assembled together, which was developed specifically for large vessels. The system overcomes the usual size limitations of standard fabric sails. Moreover, the rigidity of the sail panels induces less flapping and therefore increases the estimated life compared to a soft sail.
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 14-year old R&D program dedicated to ship energy and environmental efficiencies.