Two very interesting projects involving commercial sail from the Traditional Sail Professionals Linked-in Group.  In Brittany, Avel Marine‘s Project Grand Largue is designing and testing auxiliary sailing rigs for existing fishing vessels.  The design features a bipod mast and easily handled sails. The rig has been installed on two boats so far – the 16m 65 tonner wooden trawler Grand Largue and a former navy tug, Mango, with promising results. In a 15 – 20 knot wind the Grand Largue has achieved fuel savings of  43% fuel, at a speed of 7.4 knots and up to 35% at a speed of 8 knots.

On the other side of the channel, the Sea-Change Sailing Trust‘s mission is to make “a real impact on the lives of disabled, disadvantaged and socially excluded young people.”  They hope to do so through their programs sailing a cargo carrying Thames River barge. They currently charter a barge but are raising money to build a faithful replica of the steel Blue Mermaid, built in 1930.

The Cargo Carrying Thames Barge Under Sail – Our Vision, Our Philosophy

We now come to the specifics of the creation of a Thames Sailing Barge to carry cargo under sail in the 21st century. This barge will provide a vocational opportunity, which will test young people’s endurance, courage, and sense of responsibility and initiative. The programme, which they will undertake is based on a series of challenges which in their acceptance demand concentration of mind, body and spirit. The activities are designed so that each young person can respond in accordance with his or her capacity and, by sustained effort under guidance and encouragement, meet the challenge of bettering their own performance.