Norwegian designer for the cruise ship industry YSA Design has unveiled a concept for a new sail-powered catamaran cruise ship.
Codenamed Seabreeze, the design combines the sustainability of sail and a four-meter draft in a 104.5-meter-long ship with access to shallow waters.
Dual hulls counteract listing under sail to maintain stability and comfort for 200 passengers on board, YSA Design said.
Using a market-ready solution, four 50-meter high foldable sails would be mounted on six-meter high bases on deck to capture zero-emission wind. Engines running on green biomethanol would sustain hotel operations and – if the wind is insufficient – the main propulsion. However, the ship would also have a hybrid drive to silently run on battery power.
Two 18.2-meter wide hulls would be connected by an inverted U-shaped structure spanning 18.5 meters, with the cat’s two-deck central superstructure incorporating the bridge and some public spaces. Each hull would include four decks plus a ‘yacht top’, with room for 100 dual occupancy guest cabins and 155 crew.
“Sustainability is critical but cruise shipping also needs to continuously reinvent itself,” Trond Sigurdsen , Senior Architect and Partner, YSA Design, pointed out.
“A sustainable ship which brings environmentally conscious guests closer to the sea and reaches destinations others cannot is a clear opportunity at the premium end of the cruise market.”
“Seabreeze also aligns closely with contemporary thinking on destination-based cruising, where a ship gliding in under sail would not disturb wildlife and would be a welcome visitor anywhere. A 21st century wind-powered ship could even drive revival in communities which suffered with the demise of sail.”
Last year, YSA Design joined a consortium led by Northern Xplorer that aims to build the world’s first zero-emission cruise ship.
Portugal’s West Sea shipyard has been selected to build a 140-meter long, 250-guest capacity ship with 125 cabins for the 2026 cruise season, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.