He Orient Express Corinthianthe largest sailing cruise ship in the world, has completed its propulsion tests and has achieved a speed record for a ship of its size. With a length of 220 meters and a gross tonnage of 25,200 tonshas been designed to offer an exclusive luxury experience to 110 passengers that you will have on each trip, distributed in 54 suites.
The first thing that catches your attention about the cruise is the sail system. Is called ‘Solid Sail’has been developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantiquebuilder of the ship, and consists of three enormous masts providing a total sail area of about 4,500 m². When the wind is not enough to move the ship, it can rest on an engine powered by liquefied natural gas.
During the last propulsion tests, the Orient Express Corinthian reached a speed of about 22.5km/h sailing only under sail, with winds of around 37km/ha record that, according to the shipyard, is unprecedented in a sailboat of this size. When it enters service, its maximum expected speed will be about 32km/h.
Three 69 meter masts
The Orient Express Corinthian is based on an advanced sail system designed to maximize maneuverability and wind capture. Its three masts, built with carbon fiber and 69 meters highare mounted on balestron rigs and the sails have a surface of 1,500 m² each one, which gives the ship a notable wind propulsion capacity.
The origin of this technology dates back more than a decade. Already in 2009, Chantiers de l’Atlantique presented the concept of a large modern sailing cruise ship under the name of Eoseas and since then it has been perfecting the design with a view to its application in large passenger ships.
The design allows the sails to rotate 360 degreeswhile the masts can be tilted up to 70 degrees to optimize the angle with respect to the wind. At full height, the ship has an air clearance of about 100 metersbut the tilt system allows lower masts when necessarywhich makes it possible for the ship to pass under bridges or other obstacles along its route, according to The Maritime Executive.
Years of rehearsals before the full-scale jump
Before incorporating this technology into a full-size cruise ship, the shipyard conducted several years of testing. Between 2016 and 2019, used a 1:5 scale demonstrator with a sail area of just over 50 m² to study the aerodynamics, sail control and structural behavior of the system.
Engineers then built a full-size demonstration structure at the facility. Saint-Nazairewhich allowed the system to be tested in operating conditions closer to the final ones and to fine-tune the technology before its integration into the ship. After four and a half months of assembly, the Orient Express Corinthian was launched in June 2025. The installation of the three masts was completed in September last year and it is expected to begin operating with passengers next June. Your first departure will be from Marseilles and will carry out journeys through the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
Work on the second ship in the series is already underway. The cutting of steel Orient Express Olympian It started in January 2025 and the first structural block was placed in dry dock in November. Delivery of the sister ship is planned for spring 2027.