News from Bretagne Sailing Valley firms

WINDCOOP organized a series of webinars on sail-powered transport. Find here the four meetings dedicated to sailing, logistics, the maritime industry, and the cooperative model. Additionally, construction has just begun on the first sail-powered container ship, which will be the subject of a web series.   

LORIENT AGGLOMÉRATION has announced the future doubling of the capacity of the Lorient La Base offshore racing hub. Furthermore, on December 6, the agglomeration inaugurated the Maison des Skippers (Skippers’ House), attended notably by Violette Dorange and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the godmother and godfather of this new space which “aims to support local skippers by offering dedicated services for their training and athletic monitoring.” 

CDK TECHNOLOGIES built 80% of the parts for Gitana 18 in an autoclave, announced its Managing Director Stéphane Digard during the official presentation of Charles Caudrelier’s new Ultim on December 3 in Lorient. The construction of the 32-meter trimaran required 200,000 hours of labor.   

GRAIN DE SAIL announced it has closed a new fundraising round of 12 million euros, which will allow the company founded in 2012 to realize two major projects: the construction of Grain de Sail III, the world’s largest sail-powered container ship (over 100 meters, 200 containers, -90% carbon emissions), and the creation of a new production unit in Dunkirk. Additionally, Stefan Gallard has just been appointed to the position of Deputy Managing Director of the company, which has also obtained B-Corp certification.  

COCONUTS SAIL TEAM SARL, a company led by Jay Thompson and Natasha Gonzalez, has acquired Lola of Skagen, a wooden sailing ship from 1919. Classified as a commercial vessel, it offers day trips for companies as well as a privileged setting at the heart of race villages for exclusive lunches, dinners, or evenings, or to serve as a race start spectator boat. All info can be found here.   

NORTH SAILS FRANCE is entering a new phase of development with the arrival of Marine Derrien as its director. Backed by a rich international career (The Ocean Race, America’s Cup, OC Sport…), she aims to strengthen the collective culture and expand the brand’s presence beyond offshore racing toward yachting and sail-powered maritime transport. Meanwhile, Julien Pilate takes the helm of the design office, which brings together 11 designers working closely with sailors and naval architects. Their mission revolves around four major pillars: sail design, aerodynamic studies, North Sails software development, and R&D, all serving increasingly precise and innovative performance.   

PLASTIMO has announced the appointments of Mélanie Kerguénou as France Sales Director and Antoine Perrin to the newly created position of Product Offering Director.   

THE MARINE MAMMAL ADVISORY GROUP (MMAG) aims to share best practices, protocols, and resources with the offshore racing community. The latest resource made available is the MMAG Communication Strategy, a comprehensive guide designed to assist in both proactive and crisis management related to risks and incidents of collisions with marine mammals.  

MULTIPLAST launched its new website in November, the Vannes-based shipyard has also been entrusted withthe construction of the future IMOCA 4CAD for Benjamin Dutreux, which is being built using the molds of Yoann Richomme’s Paprec (an Antoine Koch design).  

SMM, a specialist in large-scale composite molds, delivered three to the Scandinavian shipyard Candela for the production of the Candela P-12, the first electric hydrofoil ferry intended for public transport.   

SEA.AI, a world leader in AI-based vision systems for maritime safety, was selected to participate in Index Blue Tech 2025, a national program highlighting the most promising companies driving innovation in the French maritime and blue economy sectors. SEA.AI also received a special mention at the DAME Design Awards 2025 for its Watchkeeper product—a next-generation maritime safety solution for boats of all sizes designed to detect objects and reduce collision risks through AI.   

AEROFORCE drew inspiration from aeronautics to develop a wing capable of propelling both pleasure boats and larger transport vessels. The Lorient-based company notably built the automated wings for the MODX 70, the first of which has been sailing since summer 2025. This vessel, built by OCEAN DÉVELOPPEMENT, also received an Innovation Route Award in the sustainable and responsible technology category at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.   

BLUEFINS, the Brest-based startup, is preparing a second campaign of sea trials for its Wavedrive hydrofoil, inspired by the caudal fin of whales, which aims to allow offshore vessels to reduce their fuel consumption by 20%.   

HEOLE announces the opening of two sea trial programs intended for boats approximately 50 feet in length. The objective is to validate, under real conditions, sails capable of producing enough electricity to make a boat autonomous, while remaining recyclable, lightweight, high-performance, and adapted to the mechanics of a modern sail.