Towt Launches First Cargo Sailboat for Sustainable Goods Transport

On July 18, the hull of Towt’s (Trans Oceanic Wind Transport) company’s first cargo sailboat was launched in Giurgiu, on the Romanian site of Piriou. The rigging will soon be installed in Concarneau. The arrival in Le Havre and the first transport are scheduled for 2024. A second boat is under construction in Vietnam. A major event for the Le Havre company founded in 2011. At the origin of this long-term adventure, Guillaume Le Grand and Diana Mesa, convinced of the relevance of sailing for transporting goods, in quantity and over long distances . All of them sensed the major challenge of decarbonizing maritime transport.

Towt begins by transporting goods on its own using old rigs whose capacity does not exceed 60 tons. Coffee and rum are thus sold directly on the online store or from wine merchants. “Thus 70 trips have been made”, says Jean-Philippe Eliard, general secretary of Towt. That is one million products which have transited on 18 sailboats, for a turnover generated of one million euros.

Optimize transportation

But in 2016, Towt moved up a gear and launched the idea of ​​a cargo sailboat. One million euros will thus be invested in detailed R&D design studies before launching the construction of the first two vessels. Fundraising, for a total of 4.5 million euros, also contributed to the development of the project. “There are about fifty innovations in total”, emphasizes Jean-Philippe Eliard. Among them, the automation of the propeller system and the handling of the sails with three loading bridges, two deck cranes, two lifts, everything has been designed to optimize the loading and unloading of cargo.

These vessels with main sail propulsion, 81 meters long, have a capacity of 1,000 tonnes of goods, or 1,080 pallets in European format. “Their speed is 10.5 knots, which is less than that of freighters, which is 18 knots. But as our journeys are dedicated, there are no intermediate stops, which saves time” notes Jean-Philippe Eliard. The crossing “Le Havre / New York” is thus carried out in 13 to 15 days. On the cost side, although it is logically slightly higher, it has the advantage of being disconnected from the price per barrel and therefore of being stable. Towt, which is not lacking in ideas, has also provided six two-person cabins on each sailboat. “The offer is under construction and can soon be booked with us and travel agencies”.

Spirits, cosmetics, coffee…

When it comes to the environment, Towt wins hands down: “Our impact is estimated at less than one gram of carbon dioxide per ton of goods transported per kilometer traveled compared to 9.5 g for cargo ships”. Each sailboat will thus contribute to saving 2,400 tonnes of CO2 annually. And to certify this data, the company has set up the Anemo label which clearly informs the consumer about the transport conditions.

If the idea of ​​Guillaume Le Grand and Diana Mesa may have seemed crazy ten years ago, today it meets a real expectation. As proof, many customers have already contracted for various products and often for significant volumes. Departing from France, spirits and cosmetics will be on board. On the way back, rum and coffee will fill the holds. “Among our clients, we have Pernod Ricard and Belco,” rejoices the secretary general. All the indicators are therefore green. “We plan to order six to seven buildings at the end of the year. With a target of thirty cargo ships by 2030”. The wind is blowing in the sails of Towt, who is embarking on a long and beautiful crossing.