Operation Phoenix - Sail cargo

Wind power for the future
By using wind power to draw the beginnings of a maritime strategy for low-carbon emissions, TOWT sail cargo provides a solution for economic development and innovation.

Why use sailboats?

- To save fossil fuels
- To preserve the climate
- To make the cargo transport sector more transparent
- To revitalize working sailboats

TOWT - Sailing for a carbon-free future
TOWT is an innovative SME based in Douarnenez whose objective is to provide alternative solutions to ocean freight, in order to respond to the challenges posed by climate change and energy consumption. TOWT has already developed 3 key actions: 1) maritime transport using old rigs, 2) the development of the "ANEMOS" label, which guarantees the validity and traceability of the product for consumers, and 3) the Research and Development to create a new generation of sailboats equipped for maritime transport of the future.

Operation Phoenix, rebuilding TOWT operations after the fire that engulfed our warehouse
On Wednesday, November 15, late in the morning, the "Norwegian" houses in the southern corner of Douarnenez’s “Place de l'Enfer”(“Hell Square”) became engulfed in a devastating fire, as powerful as it was spectacular. Our storage space and family home, where Diana and myself live with our little girl, were destroyed in this fire.

The immense outpouring of support from the whole town of Douarnenez and beyond, has given us the comfort and moral strength necessary to go back “down the mine” to recover traces of our "life before". It has especially given us the opportunity to look further in terms of the company, the boats, the routes, the Port-Rhu ... and our initiative to shape sail cargo shipping and build a decarbonated future!

Operation Phoenix is a result of our commitment to start again, to rebuild after the fire. The name refers of course to the legendary bird endowed with great longevity, and characterized by its power to be reborn after being consumed in flames!

We need your support! We’re calling on you to participate in Operation Phoenix and give us a boost under these exceptional circumstances, so that we can overcome the ordeal of this fire and propel towards our future development.

The next steps
In order to rebuild the trading pillar of our business, we have to buy new equipment, rebuild our stock, and plan a sailing expedition to Bordeaux to bring back new goods. Your participation in the crowdfunding campaign will be of immense help for this project, and will be complemented by our renewed efforts and insurance assistance. We lost a lot in the fire, both in terms of stock and material as well as in time. Any and all forms of support and assistance are welcome.

We will also continue our other non-trading activities - such as chartering, R & D, etc. as always.

We are also pleased and reinvigorated by our piloting of the forthcoming launch of the European project “ChannelSailRoute”. This project will develop a trans-national nautical tourism route that goes across the Channel between French Cornwall and English Cornwall, and is funded under the call "Nautical Routes for Europe" from EASME - The Executive Agency of the European Union for SMEs. This project will be set up in collaboration with our partners: Douarnenez Port Museum, Grayhound Lugger, and Square Sail Ventures.

Finally, our recently-completed Sailboat-Cargo project, supported by ADEME (The French environment and energy management agency) and the Investments for the Future Program, has brought some extremely positive results. We are currently preparing for the next stage of this project, which works for the development-test-transfer of a Sailboat-Cargo - able to carry 1,000 tons of cargo under optimized conditions - by 2020. This project will enable us towards the full development of the sail cargo industry.

While TOWT aims to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and energy pollution, we do not, on the other hand, skimp on human energy. The crew consists of 5 members including Guillaume and Diana - the captains.

Guillaume, a former City analyst in London, is a fast-paced sea enthusiast, but is not nostalgic for old rigging. Convinced of the "finitude of the world" and that "there will be no more oil," he firmly believes in the future of this mode of transport - clean and fair.

Diana is authentically curious! She has followed several university courses and has had many professional experiences from teaching in Colombia before moving into the world of communications. And the draw: she was "transformed by the sea" through an experience living aboard and navigating a sail cargo ship. Her challenge: "create added environmental and logistical value to the market in order to raise awareness for end consumers. "

TOWT's environmental, cultural and economic approach as well as the innovative nature of its work is widely recognized by our partners and institutions.

They create visibility for us and our project initiative, through discussing sail shipping and promoting our vision of tomorrow, and for this we thank them:

and others...