Wind-powered UK to France ferry route begins trial runs

British startup SailLink will trial a wind-powered passenger ferry between Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex and Fécamp in Normandy from 8 to 13 September 2026, with the six-day service intended to assess demand for a possible second scheduled cross-Channel route.

The service will use the 18-metre Mer Agitée, a high-performance sailing catamaran carrying up to 12 passengers and eight bicycles. Crossings are expected to take around eight hours, although the actual journey time will depend on wind and weather conditions. The vessel will alternate between the two ports during the trial.

French sailor Michel Desjoyeaux – who has won the Vendée Globe twice and owns Mer Agitée – will skipper the crossings, with SailLink founder Andrew Simons also sailing as crew.

Fares are £220 for a single crossing or £440 return, with bicycles carried for an additional £10. Passport controls will take place at the pontoons in both ports.

Components recovered from ocean-racing boats

According to SailLink, the catamaran was built using components recovered from ocean-racing boats. It has a 23-metre mast, 165 square metres of sail and twin foils. SailLink says the mast and rudders came from Desjoyeaux’s former Imoca 60 Foncia, while the floats were recovered from the ORMA trimaran Gitana.

The vessel is designed to operate mainly under sail, with auxiliary engines used when wind conditions are unsuitable or when entering and leaving harbour. SailLink reported that almost 70 per cent of its crossings on an earlier route in 2025 were completed entirely under sail.

The new route follows SailLink’s launch of its Dover-Boulogne-sur-Mer service in 2025. The self-funded company carried 465 passengers and 135 bicycles on the five-hour passage during its first year.

Cyclists are expected to be a particular market for the new service. Shoreham provides access to National Cycle Route 2 and the Downs Link, while Fécamp connects with La Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) and the GR21 coastal route. Bicycles will be stored inside the catamaran.

SailLink founder Andrew Simons says: “We started SailLink to prove that a wind-powered ferry could be a real, scheduled crossing, not a stunt.

“Taking that idea to a new coast, with a boat and a skipper like this, tells us the demand is there, and the model travels. September is a test, and we will learn a lot from it.”