The luxury train brand’s first sailboat, the Orient Express Corinthian, is a feat of modern maritime engineering at 220 meters long.
There’s something romantic about the idea of crossing oceans on a sailing vessel until you factor in the realities of modern engineering. The new Orient Express Corinthian, however, appears determined to reconcile both.
At 220 metres long and weighing in at 16,000 tonnes, this is no nostalgic throwback but a reimagining of what sailing could look like in the age of high design and high expectation. Conceived by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the vessel pushes well beyond the conventions of traditional shipbuilding, not least in its sails – three vast structures, each spanning 1,500 square metres.
Designing sails of that scale proved so technically demanding that many sailmakers reportedly walked away. The issue was simple: the forces involved are immense, far beyond what conventional woven cloth could withstand. The solution, was not traditional. Engineers developed a patented system using rigid panels made from carbon fibre-reinforced glass that behave more like aircraft wings than fabric catching wind.
The result is a striking silhouette on the horizon: sharp, architectural, and unmistakably modern. Yet these sails are not simply for show. Paired with a powerful hull design, they promise both efficiency and performance.
On board, the Corinthian will carry just 110 guests across 54 suites, leaning into the luxurious slow travel ethos with a distinctly indulgent edge. The vessel is part engineering feat, part stunning design object, and part revival of maritime romance.
If the golden age of travel was once defined by steam and speed, this new chapter may yet belong to wind and seas in time. Coming with the boom in train travel around the world, particularly the more luxurious and nostalgic kind that the Oriental Express is known for, is also a recent boost to the luxury yachting and cruising sector. It’s clear that slow travel is starting to reign again.
