and twist. According to VPLP, Oceanwings is efficient to the point
of halving the surface area required to propel a vessel under conven-
tional sail. The design studio initially developed the technology with
commercial shipping in mind, but Van Peteghem says the concept is
more likely to be picked up by eco-conscious superyacht clients. His
team has installed the Oceanwings system on a 23-foot (7-meter)
trimaran prototype to fine-tune performance models.
“Of course, it depends on how you want to use your yacht, but
it’s also a question of responsibility and image,” says Van Peteghem,
who is taking shipyard quotes for a 305-foot (93-meter) project
based on the Komorebi concept. “I believe it’s time to propose more
eco-sensitive solutions to the power market. A lot of today’s own-
ers don’t want, or simply can’t afford, to be seen as the bad guys,
and I think it’s our duty as designers to start moving in the right
direction.”
You could argue that sail-assist is just another name for motor-
sailing, and you wouldn’t be far wrong. Unfortunately, the term isassociated with vessels that are too under-canvassed and heavy
to move at anything like hull speed in average wind conditions
without engine assistance. Laurent Giles Naval Architects in the
U.K. took this criticism to heart when designing the 360-foot
(110-meter), four-masted Atlas concept in collaboration with H2
Yacht Design.
At first glance, Atlas looks like other sail-assist projects, but
Steve Wallis, co-director at Laurent Giles, prefers to call it a mega-
motorsailer that can sail as fast as it can motor. Using a hybrid
electric power plant that can store electrical energy, the vessel
could motor in excess of 18 knots. Under sail in a fresh breeze
and depending on the wind angle, she could cruise at comparable
speeds. Moreover, multiple sails mean their individual sizes would
be relatively small and, combined with automated sail handling,
could be operated with a conventional number of crew. Cruising
with sails alone would eliminate all but hotel loads from the power
plant, with the advantage of near-silent operation.
“Sail-assist or motorsailing is something the superyacht industry
has not really woken up to, and the potential to use the wind to
either reduce power requirements for a given speed or eliminate ityachts yachtsinternational.com
international
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above: A bird’s-eye view of the four-masted Atlas concept.