An incredible all-French project, signed by Orient Express and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Driven by the sails of three 100 meter high masts and by the power of LNG hybrid engines. She is the new queen of the seas
Only two historic French brands could have had the idea of creating the largest sailing yacht in the world. At the base of this masterpiece there are two world excellences such as Orient Express – travel artisans since 1883, specializing in luxury trains (the route connecting Istanbul and Calais inspired Agatha Christie to write one of her most famous crime books), hotels and sailing yachts – and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a global reference in naval engineering for over 160 years. Orient Express Corinthian it is an extraordinary sailing vessel 220 meters long, weighing 15 thousand tons and, from a technical point of view, with the integration of the SolidSail system, a proprietary solution developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique after ten years of research and development. The armament consists of three carbon masts exceeding 100 meters in height, each equipped with fully automated 1,500 square meter rigid sails. The versatility of the system is guaranteed by the ability of the masts to rotate 360 degrees to optimize the angle of incidence with respect to the wind, as well as the possibility of tilting up to 70 degrees, an engineering measure that is fundamental to allow the passage of the mega sailing yacht under the main bridges in the world. In a note, the French shipyard said that with a breeze of 20 knots, the ship reached a speed of 12 knots while sailing exclusively under sail, an unprecedented result for a vessel of this tonnage.
sustainability
—
The propulsion architecture does not rely exclusively on the wind, but adopts a hybrid approach: in ideal weather conditions, the sails can provide 100% of the power needed by the ship but they are more easily integrated with the engines and can run on both LNG (liquefied natural gas) and diesel, offering considerable operational flexibility and maximum sustainability. LNG, in fact, almost completely reduces sulfur oxides (SOx) as well as particulate matter, and significantly lowers nitrogen oxides (NOx). The solution contributes to achieving the best Eedi index (Energy Efficiency Design Index) of its category. Also on the safety front, the ship features technological innovations such as artificial intelligence-assisted monitoring systems for the detection of marine mammals and a dynamic positioning system that allows the station to be maintained without resorting to anchoring, protecting the integrity of the seabed. From May to October 2026, Orient Express Corinthian will sail the Mediterranean and Adriatic, then cross the Atlantic in autumn and spend the winter in the Caribbean. In 2027, itineraries are also planned in the eastern Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
ALLENO AND GUERLAIN
—
The interiors of Orient Express Corinthian are inspired by the golden age of travel, that of the legendary Orient Express train and the great ocean liners, reinterpreted in a contemporary key by the architect Maxime d’Angeaccreative director of Orient Express. Entirely built in France by approximately 2,000 people from various sectors, the vessel hosts 54 suites (from 45 to 230 square meters), distributed over four decks. Each suite has a 3.60 meter panoramic window and is attended by a butler. To define the environments, leather, fine wood finishes and marbles. The five restaurants and private kitchens are entrusted to the management of Yannick Allenothe French chef who boasts 18 Michelin Stars. For fun and relaxation there are eight bars, including a speakeasy-style Art Decoa 115-seat cabaret, the spa designed by Guerlain and the inevitable swimming pool. Certainly, the one that set sail from the Joubert pier in Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique in France, is the largest sailing ship in the world. Clearly, because now the second in the ranking is Sailing Yacht A, the 143 meter of the billionaire Russian oligarch Andrej Melnichenko who had the interiors designed by Philippe Starck and is still under administrative seizure in Trieste. Third is Koru, the 127 meter Jeff Bezos it was built in 2023 and which, according to rumors, seems to require 30 million dollars for simple management. But this, for the founder of Amazon, is certainly not a problem…
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
