It’s official: Orient Express Corinthian, the world’s largest sailing yacht, is now cruising the seas, marking the beginning of a new era of ocean travel.
The 722-footer was christened at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, on Thursday, after which it set sail for the French Riviera. From May to October, the ship will journey around the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, before crossing the Atlantic to spend the fall and winter in the Caribbean.
A decade in the making, Corinthian is not only one of the biggest yachts on the water, but one of the most advanced, too. She is the first cruise ship to be equipped with a SolidSail propulsion system developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Her three towering masts, which stand at approximately 328 feet and support over 16,000 square feet of rigid sails, can be rotated a full 360 degrees to maximize the wind, thereby reducing fuel consumption, lowering operating costs, and increasing efficiency. Sea trials conducted in February showed that in 20 knots of wind, Corinthian can hit 12 knots under sail alone—a first for a ship of this size, according to Orient Express. The masts can also tilt 70 degrees, making it easy for the vessel to clear low bridges.
