Le Ponant

Le Ponant yacht is a 3-masted, commercially operated luxury cruise yacht, also available for private charters. Her passengers tend to be European (mostly French), though charter cruises through North American operators appeal to English-speaking crowd (the USA and Canada).

Le Ponant cruise ship offers intimate onboard spaces with a convivial atmosphere. Reflecting the vessel's luxury rates, service on board is superior and highly personalized. The yacht boasts a vast Sun Deck area from which guests can observe its 1500 sq.meters of sails. There is a platform above sea level for water sports.

Le Ponant yacht refurbishment 2020 review

In the period November 2019 - April 2020, the cruise ship entered drydock for an extensive refurbishment. The 6-month long drydocking project (USD 25 million) was conducted by San Giorgio del Porto SpA (shipyard in Port Genoa Italy). The vessel was previously drydock refurbished in 2011. For the 2019-2020 project were employed ~200 people.

Details on the project (deckplan changes) are yet to be announced.

Cuba cruise itineraries 2017-2018

Compagnie du Ponant in 2017 and 2018 will offer cruises to Cuba in the period of January through April (2017 and 2018). Operated by the Le Ponant yacht, the Cuban itineraries are themed "People-to-People Cultural Exchange". Le Ponant yacht cruises to Cuba leaving from Miami Florida, with ports of call Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

NEW Solidsail ship technology by Silenseas

In early-March 2018, STX France revealed a carbon-free cruise vessel design (named Silenseas) using wind as the main power source. The new wind-power technology was trialed on the yacht Le Ponant, on which one of the existing sails was replaced and the new technology tested.

STX France's project was something never done before. The carbon-free sailship design is an alternative to the popular hybrid powered vessels. Hydrogen and fuel cells are still expensive, plus hydrogen is not available in most ports.

The technology uses the company's patented "Solidsail" concept. The sails (total size up to 1200 m2 / 12900 ft2) are mounted on masts but without any ropes or cables. The STX France design has 3 masts and 3 rigs, with masts rotating in order to adapt the sails to the wind. The new design also includes the latest hybrid propulsion technologies, combining wind with LNG, and potentially batteries, solar panels, and fuel cells.

The sailing ship can reach speeds of 12 knots (14 mph / 22 kph) under sail in 15 knots (17 mph / 28 kph) winds. In winds over 15 knots, vessel's propellers will be used, acting as a turbine that draws power from the sails. On Caribbean Sea routes, the new technology could reduce propulsion energy by 60%.

STX France's Solidsail-ship design was developed for 3 vessel sizes, the biggest being 15,000 GT tons vessel with LOA length 190 m (620 ft) and 150 passenger staterooms. The French shipbuilding company started research in sail propulsion in 2009, Silenseas has technology patents (2009 and 2017) for the new sail. The unit is made from fiberglass, carbon and epoxy-resin panels.

Solidsail system debuted on October 31, 2018, on the yacht Le Ponant. The new Solid Sail (sized over 300 m2) was constructed at Chantiers de l’Atlantique (Saint-Nazaire) and installed in Marseille. As the three-masted Le Ponant departed from France to Cape Verde Islands, then embarked on Transatlantic crossing to Cuba, testing the new sail for 1 year.

Similar is the concept of Peace Boat's new vessel Ecoship (built by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland).