The airplane of the seas
Fast, Reliable, Secure,
and low carbon freight
VELA designs and operates the next generation of sailing cargo vessels for international trade, providing a 100% wind-powered service that is fast, reliable, safe, and offers industry-leading decarbonization.
Vela: The Next-Generation Shipping Solution
faster than standard sea freight and the most sustainable.
We deliver a breakthrough solution at the crossway of ocean and air freight, combining premium transportation service, a transit speed 2–4x faster than standard shipping, and one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. VELA offers a concrete answer to the logistical, climate, and social challenges facing forward-thinking brands.
Tailored Services
for every sectors
Pharma & Medical
Fragrance & Beauty
Fashion
Industrial Goods
Lifestyle & Design
Wine & Spirits
Our Clients
transatlantic
in less than 15 days
Time-
competitive
with
international
freight.
01
Direct US France express line
02
Optimized weather routing
03
Faster transit by avoiding congested hubs
04
No unnecessary stops, no blank sailing
designed
for predictability
“Less uncertainty. More control.”
Direct routes through
uncongested secondary ports
Stable transit times
powered by advanced weather routing from off shore racing
Fixed pricing
independent from fuel volatility
build
for sensitive cargo
“Security you can trust.
Visibility you can rely on.”
GDP-compliant temperature-controlled
storage areas and standard operating procedures (2–8°C / 15–25°C)
Controlled handling
throughout VELA operations
Real-time tracking
and 24/7 monitoring
up to – 99% emissions
saving certified
100% wind-powered propulsion
Certified lifecycle impact by Carbone 4
“Not a promise. A measured reality.”
reliable and sustaible
shipping solution
shipping
lead times commitment
Capacity
600 pallets/
week
Departures
fixed
rates
Impact Reduction
-99%
emissions
security
24/7
tracking
temperature control
35-46°F
59-77°F
The VELA
Advantage
Choosing a trimaran was an obvious decision for VELA. We designed this vessel in collaboration with the world’s leading specialists, VPLP and MerConcept, to meet the demands of modern logistics while minimizing environmental impact. The unique combination of speed, stability and safety makes this vessel an essential asset for shippers seeking to reduce their footprint without compromising on logistics performance.
“We combine air freight-level service quality with the sustainability of wind-powered ocean shipping, all under the French flag.”
Containers have been ruling goods transportation over the last 50 years.This choice was made for economic reasons but with a high environmental impact, just like air freight.
- #IMPACT: the weight of the containers (3 tons each) accounts for more than 20% of what is being transported on a conventional container ship vs. 2% for equivalent pallets (25kg each). Using pallets enables the transport of goods alone, without useless extra weight. Each pallet represents a reduction of 200kg in weight and the corresponding CO2 emissions.
- #STANDARD: we transport your goods in the same way they were initially prepared at your warehouse in French or US formats.
- #AGILE: You only pay for the goods we transport for you. There are no consolidation fees to compensate empty container management.
- #OPTIMISED: using pallets enables a vessel’s hold to be fully optimised and thus transport more goods than with containers.
We use very advanced weather routing techniques to define the optimal trajectory for each crossing. This allows us to avoid windless areas and areas where the wind is too strong.
These innovative cargo ships coupled with this routing allow us to be faster than conventional container ships (unloading included) on the Caen-New Haven route
It depends on the types of products and the palletizing plan.
We are up to 5 times cheaper than air travel.
For example, for a bottle of mid-range spirits, the additional cost represents a few tens of cents, compared to conventional sea freight.
At VELA, we practice “fair” prices for sustainable and socially responsible transport.