Following its first sea trials in December 2025, the "Orient Express Corinthian" has completed another test phase at sea. This time, the focus was on trials with sailing operations. According to the shipyard, the 220-metre-long ship reached a speed of 12 knots in 20 knots of wind under sail alone. However, a freely accessible technical report is not yet available.
Sea Trials in several stages
The first sea trials of the "Orient Express Corinthian" were completed in December 2025. This is according to the project details published by the client Orient Express and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard.
At the beginning of March 2026, further results from the trials became known. The Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard reports on Instagram about successfully completed tests of the sail propulsion system.
12 knots under sail only
The published speed figure is 12 knots in 20 knots of wind, under sail only. The shipyard sees this as remarkable evidence for a ship of this size. However, there are no published detailed measurement reports on courses, wind angles, sea state, test duration or measurement methodology.
The sail drive is the real touchstone
The "Orient Express Corinthian" is designed as a large cruise ship with three rigs and a total sail area of 4,500 square metres.
The project aims to show that wind propulsion can also make a measurable contribution to propulsion in a ship of this size and thus also to fuel savings and lower emissions. The latest tests therefore relate to the core of the entire concept.
Three rigs, rotating and combined with machine drive
The three masts, including their sails, can be steered automatically and rotated 360 degrees. You can read about how the rig, which can also be laid, works in this article. The wind drive can supplement the machine drive or, under favourable conditions, take over on its own. A system based on liquefied natural gas is planned as an additional drive.
This combination is crucial for subsequent operation. It should combine range, timetable stability and energy efficiency. Based on the information available to date, it is not yet possible to reliably quantify how large the actual share of wind propulsion will be in everyday operation.
Between prestige project and technical proof
The "Orient Express Corinthian" will be marketed as a luxury cruise ship with 54 suites. According to the plans published to date, the first voyages are scheduled from May 2026. More about the ship and booking options read here.
For sailors and maritime observers, however, the hotel product is less interesting than the question of how resilient the technical concept is in real operation. The latest test data provides an initial indication of this.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
