Convinced of the propulsive efficiency of wingsails since the victory of USA 17 in the 2010 America’s Cup, VPLP Design has been exploringthe solution’s benefits in terms of decarbonization and ease of use.. In the run-up to an important announcement in this connection at the Monaco Yacht Show (23–26 September), partner architect Quentin Lucet walks us through the wing yacht concept developed by VPLP Design to align the firm with the reality of maritime practices, present and future.
Valencia, February 2010. It could be said that the conclusive victory of BMW Oracle’s trimaran USA 17 over Swiss catamaran Alinghi was a question of rigging rather than hull structure. At 68 metres tall – which is one and a half times the length of an Airbus A380 wing – USA 17’s wingsail demonstrated incontestably its superiority over a conventional sail, thanks in particular to nine flaps that can be trimmed independently. It resulted in VPLP Design’s name being added to the oldest sporting trophy in history and marked, in Quentin Lucet’s view, “a decisive moment in the transfer of expertise from aeronautics to sailing.”
This initial experience encouraged VPLP’s architects and engineers to reflect on how to extend the concept to other uses, especially to the shipping sector which consumes vast amounts of fossil fuels. This led to the creation in 2015 of Ocean Wings, a company tasked with developing an automated and reefable propulsion system that could be operated by a non-specialist crew.
A Revolution in Ten Years
Installing the first demonstrator on a small production trimaran established the basic concept of OceanWings, VPLP Design’s very own wingsail. “Our guiding principle was to retain a rigid structure of composite ribs to manage profile and distortions,” says Quentin Lucet. “The camber of the two sail flaps is achieved through the use of two independent masts. This offers an infinite number of trimming possibilities so you can play with its profile and aerodynamic lift, and thus the ship’s propulsion.”
In 2020, VPLP Design was commissioned to design Canopée, a 121-metre RORO vessel destined to transport parts of the Ariane 6 rocket from Europe to French Guiana. The project turned out to be a veritable proof of concept for the system. Launched in 2023 with four wingsails of 363 m² area, the ship amply demonstrated the effectiveness of the concept because it enabled fuel savings of 25–50% compared to a ship powered solely by conventional engines. With the same goal of proving that wind-assisted propulsion is a real solution to the problems involved in decarbonizing maritime transport,two OceanWings were installed on Energy Observer 1, a catamaran which sailed round the world without the aid of fossil fuels.
“Another example the MODX 70 (see our article) launched in 2025, the first cruising yacht to feature a wingsail on each hull. And last but not least, in addition to all these projects, over the last ten years we have produced numerous wing-yacht concepts,such as Komorebi 138, the Studio Boat, Evidence, EMC and Aperio“, adds Quentin Lucet.
Tipping Point
All these projects illustrate VPLP Design’s real and continual commitment to more responsible maritime practices. Architects consider that the market has reached, to quote Quentin Lucet, “a tipping point” which should lead to a general uptake of these wing yachts which combine performance, ease of use and energy sobriety. This has been amply demonstrated in the last ten years and more.
In the same vein, VPLP Design will be presenting at the next Monaco Yacht Show (23–26 September), in collaboration with the Italian design agency Micheletti+Partners, a new wing yacht project of a size never before seen. “With Luccio Micheletti and his team, our spheres of influence are different yet complementary,” says Quentin Lucet who, despite his enthusiasm, will be keeping the details of this particularly ambitious project under wraps until September. Here’s hoping he can convince all the players and customers in the sector to commit wholeheartedly to this virtuous approach.
