French shipyard floats out world's largest luxury sail yacht cruise

The Orient Express Corinthian, the world’s largest luxury sail yacht cruise ship, recently floated out at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, marking its official debut on the water. Weighing 26,200 gross tons and measuring 727 feet (220 meters) in length, the vessel is a joint project between the famed Orient Express train service and French hospitality group Accor. Designed to accommodate 110 passengers in 54 suites, the yacht will sail through the French and Italian Rivieras, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, before crossing the Atlantic to spend winters in the Caribbean. Its maiden voyage is scheduled for mid-2026, following construction that began in March 2024. The ship features innovative and sustainable technologies, including three balestron rigs with pivoting and tilting masts that carry over 16,000 square feet of sail each, enabling it to operate primarily on renewable wind power. A hybrid propulsion system using liqu