DHL Global Forwarding has reserved dedicated pallet space on Vela’s wind-powered cargo trimaran for a transatlantic lane service starting in 2027. The move targets high-value cargo that currently moves by air, offering a near-zero-emission option priced between air and ocean freight.
The service: Vela’s vessel is a 220-foot aluminum trimaran, a three-hulled sailboat, powered entirely by wind. Diesel is used only for port maneuvering. It can carry about 410 metric tons or roughly 600 pallets at a target speed of about 14 knots. Refrigerated holds are designed to pharmaceutical standards.
The route runs from Caen-Ouistreham in France to New Haven, Connecticut, and takes about 15 days. The vessel follows wind patterns rather than a fixed direct path. Vela says that approach delivers deep emission cuts. The company estimates up to 99% lower greenhouse gas emissions than air freight, and up to 96% lower than conventional ocean shipping, depending on the route, according to a lifecycle assessment from consultancy Carbone 4.
The catch: Wind-only routing depends on the weather, so schedule reliability remains the open question. Rival Neoline’s wind-primary vessel, the Neoliner Origin, damaged a sail mast panel on its first Atlantic crossing and completed the trip in hybrid mode.
For pharmaceutical shippers, missed delivery windows can spoil products, so punctuality is essential. This is why Vela is targeting high-value but less time-sensitive cargo such as drugs, cosmetics, wine and luxury goods that often move by air for speed and security.
Early movers: DHL is one of three operators that have booked wind-primary capacity. The others are CEVA Logistics, which added Neoline’s wind-powered Neoliner Origin and its monthly Saint-Nazaire-to-Baltimore service to its low-carbon portfolio, and Takeda, which signed directly with Vela as a shipper customer.
The bulk of wind-related shipping still comes from retrofits. These are sails bolted onto conventional vessels, such as Cargill's Pyxis Ocean, which saved roughly three tonnes of fuel a day in trials. Purpose-built wind-primary ships remain a tiny part of the global fleet. Wind-equipped vessels of all kinds only recently passed the 100-vessel mark.
S&P Global’s Mayank Agarwal said pure sail-only ships “may find niche roles in short sea, low volume and time flexible trades,” but “won’t replace mainstream deep-sea container traffic.”
Vela’s boats are still under construction. The company aims to operate five trimarans with a weekly transatlantic service by the end of 2028.
