Yachting Art Magazine

On 7 and 8 June, Beyond the Sea conducted a series of sea trials on the deep-sea tugboat Le Jason, in partnership with the French Navy and Les Abeilles International. These trials mark a technical milestone in the exploration of sail-powered solutions for decarbonising maritime transport.

Over the weekend of 7 and 8 June, Beyond the Sea deployed a 50 m² SeaKite wing aboard the Jason, a deep-sea tug operated by Les Abeilles International. The operation took place off the coast of Nice, as part of a partnership with the French Navy.

The tests validated the technical feasibility of the kite traction system on this type of vessel through several successful flights. This is the first application of SeaKite® technology on a vessel of this size. The data collected during this operation will provide input for future experiments in the field of kite-assisted maritime transport.

The Beyond the Sea team is in Nice until 13 June for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) to present this technology as a way of reducing emissions from shipping. This real-world test is part of a wider programme to integrate sail propulsion into civil and military vessels.