Wind Corridor #1 – Washington to Alaska

We are currently studying the role wind propulsion can play to reduce the emissions from the shipping activity on the trade route between the states of Washington and Alaska. 

Wind Support NYC develops and promotes maritime projects that advance wind propulsion solutions and increase the use of wind – the free renewable energy available at the point of use – in the energy mix.  

This study is supported by the Ocean Conservancy, a US foundation that advocates at the IMO and in Washington DC to decarbonize shipping completely by 2040. Through this study, Wind Support NYC and Ocean Conservancy will expose the key role wind propulsion can immediately play on the pathway to zero emission shipping. The results of the study will be released in April 2023: the report will be made publicly available and we also intend to present the results in a few conferences centered on wind propulsion & sustainable shipping.

The first part of the study introduces the route, i.e. the cargo transported, the ports of calls, the weather & sea conditions as well as the existing fleet sailing between Seattle Tacoma and the ports of Alaska. 

In a first call, wind propulsion technology developers are invited to contribute and assess feasibility, impact and cost of retrofitting one RoRo vessel (TOTE North Star) sailing between Tacoma and Anchorage.

The second call is addressed to shipping companies operating (or developing) new wind enabled commercial vessels. By introducing those vessels in the study, our aim is to demonstrate that wind harnessing technology is an energy saving device, but can also replace fossil fuels as the main source of propulsion. 

 

SEair: “one day, all boats will fly.”

This episode of Hoisting the Sail begins with the wish of a sail racer who yearned to pilot a flying sailboat above the water and win every race. 

In 1987, legendary sailor Éric Tabarly famously proclaimed that “one day, all boats will fly.” Today’s guest, Richard Forest, CEO and co-founder of SEair, diligently leads a team of engineers to prove Tabarly was right! 

Founded in 2016 and based in Lorient, France, SEair rose above the competition to become the global specialist for hydrofoil vessels.  If wind propulsion can drastically reduce CO2 emissions from cargo ships, foiling is a proven solution to reduce fuel consumption for smaller boats, from commuter ferries to pleasure craft. In addition, foils are transforming gray boats (military vessels) into green ones. To wit, SEair was awarded EU grants to develop fast intervention boats for several European navies.

Richard spoke passionately about his work as an innovator and entrepreneur. Changing the way we travel on water is a big issue, and adopting foils presents its own difficulties.
Thankfully, SEair’s expertise and dedication to designing and building better ships will lead us closer to a faster and cleaner future for maritime transport. 

If that’s not enough to celebrate, foiling above the water reduces seasickness!