A Modern Sailing Cargo Vessel Opens a New Sustainable Line Between Portugal,France and the UK.

sailtradesw
Oct 13
2 min read

PRESS RELEASE - Monday 13th October 2025

Saint-Nazaire, October 2025 — A new European maritime route is setting sail, powered

entirely by the wind. From Portugal to France and across the Channel to the United

Kingdom, the Grain de Sail I (24 m, 50 tons of freight, 4 crew) demonstrates that low-carbon and efficient logistics are no longer a dream — they are happening today.

Operated by Héol Sailing & Shipping (Capt. Marc Pouly) under charter by Comptoir d’Éole (Sylvain Le Bihanic), with logistical support from Grain de Sail Logistics, this October voyage carries fine organic products including Douro and Port wines, olive oil,

almonds, rice, and specialty coffee from Colombia — all shipped under sail.

This voyage also carries goods from several European producers and traders — including Xisto Wines, Yallah Coffee, Koru Coffee, Sail Trade South West and other fine food partners — demonstrating how shared sail cargo space can serve multiple small and medium shippers across Europe.

The route — Granville → Leixões → Saint-Nazaire → Plymouth (UK) → Saint-Malo —

is part of a pilot operation demonstrating how wind-powered logistics can serve Europe’s

short-sea trade. Departure from Saint-Nazaire is scheduled for Saturday 11 October, with

an estimated arrival in Plymouth on Monday 13 October.

Lynher CIC, a not-for-profit based in Plymouth and trading as Sail Trade South West, proudly welcomes GRAIN DE SAIL 1 with the 1929 Cornish lugger IBIS as part of a pioneering effort to revive low-carbon, wind-powered cargo transport across the English Channel.

Sail Trade South West partners with Héol Sailing & Shipping and Comptoir d’Éole in France, to offer a practical solution for businesses in the South West UK seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.

“We’re bringing back a centuries-old tradition with a modern purpose,” said Barbara Bridgman for Lynher CIC. “By combining heritage sailing with today’s sustainability goals, we’re proving that clean, practical alternatives to fossil-fuel shipping do exist—and they’re already working across the Channel.”

“Tasting a product that has been carefully grown, processed and shipped under sail inspires respect for every hand along the way. It connects us back to journeys full of scents and stories - like being an albatross following the vessel.”

— Sylvain Le Bihanic, Founder of Comptoir d’Éole

“Sailing means combining maritime tradition with logistical innovation. This campaign proves that trade and sustainability can truly go hand in hand.”

— Marc Pouly, Captain and Founder of Héol Sailing & Shipping

This pilot voyage is part of a wider plan to establish regular, scalable sail cargo connections between Western Europe’s ports, serving importers and exporters seeking both efficiency and environmental responsibility both in the UK and abroad.

📸 Press kit & voyage updates:

👉 https://comptoirdeole.com/pages/voiliers-cargos

Press Contacts

Comptoir d’Éole

Sylvain Le Bihanic – Founder & CEO

📧

contact@comptoirdeole.com 🌍 www.comptoirdeole.com

Héol Sailing & Shipping

Marc Pouly – Captain & Founder

📧

contact@heolshipping.com 🌍 www.heolsailing.com

For more information or to book sail cargo space aboard IBIS, visit: