Sailcoop: the alternative to flying to Corsica or crossing the Atlantic

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published yesterday

What if travelling differently meant taking to the sea? That’s the bold – yet very real – bet of Sailcoop, the first sailing cooperative for passenger transport. Its mission: to offer, wherever possible, low-carbon alternatives to ferries and planes.

In episode 57 of Je t’offre un rail (“I’ll give you a rail”), the podcast that makes you fall in love with train travel, Maxime de Rostolan, founder of Sailcoop, tells us more about this adventure.

The origins of Sailcoop: an idea that caught the wind

A personal turning point

Twelve years ago, Maxime de Rostolan – engineer and activist entrepreneur – decided to stop flying. Passionate about sailing, he began to wonder how he could continue to travel without polluting.

“I want to show my children the world, but I don’t want to do it by plane.”

An idea gone viral

On the eve of his 40th birthday, he shared a long-shelved project on LinkedIn: using boats sitting idle in ports to organise collective crossings.

“What if we took these boats lying in the port… and sailed La Rochelle – New York with 40 of them? That would be amazing!”

The post struck a chord: 2,000 responses in just 48 hours, including key profiles to launch the project.

Regulatory battles

From day one, industry professionals told them it was “impossible”. Sailcoop filed an administrative appeal with the minister in charge of maritime affairs, followed by an injunction before the court to defend their right to operate.

“If you’re not disturbing anyone, you’re not changing the world. And here, we clearly disturbed people.”

Three types of crossings, one single goal

Short-distance routes

For short links to nearby islands (Belle-Île, Porquerolles, Glénan…), Sailcoop worked with VPLP naval architects to design the Sailcoop 61 – a light, fast catamaran accessible to passengers with reduced mobility, carrying up to 80 passengers. “We’re one and a half times lighter and carry 25% more people,” explains Maxime.

In 2024, the Concarneau – Glénan line carried 9,000 passengers.

Medium-distance routes

On Saint-Raphaël – Calvi (Corsica), 50-foot sailboats accommodate 8 passengers and 2 skippers. The experience is winning people over: 1,500 passengers in 2024 and 1,800 expected in 2025. “70% of passengers have seen dolphins, 50% have seen whales.”

Long-distance routes

In 2025, Sailcoop took a major step forward by teaming up with sailing cargo operators such as Neoline to connect Saint-Nazaire to Baltimore (USA) in 13 days, with a stopover in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. “The expected decarbonisation is at least 70%.”

The crossing is on board the Neoliner Origin, a 136-metre cargo ship powered by 3,000 m² of sails, offering full comfort: 27 m² cabins for less than a business class ticket, full board, a private 5 m² balcony, onboard Wi-Fi…

A cooperative aiming to scale up

A model without big investors

No speculative funds here: Sailcoop raises money through its members, a handful of committed private investors, and bank loans.

“It’s always more profitable to do things dirty. Find me a counter-example. To overcome that, we decided to form a cooperative, which allows us to raise money from small shareholders, not big qualified investors.”

Larger and more accessible boats ahead

The founder now aims to build a 60-passenger vessel for the Corsica route, with two classes (berths and comfortable seats) to reduce costs and make the service more accessible.

“The idea is to take 60 people at a time… and truly be a modal alternative to the ferry and the plane.”

Intermodal connections

In Saint-Raphaël, the TGV station is only a 4-minute walk from the quay. In Calvi, passengers can continue their trip by train on the Corsican rail network. A perfect mix of experience, sustainability, and convenience.

For Maxime de Rostolan, travelling differently also means travelling less often, but for longer. Seeing dolphins, sleeping on a sailboat for the first time, arriving silently in a harbour… Sailcoop doesn’t just connect two shores: the cooperative charts a course towards a more sustainable, accessible, and inspiring form of maritime tourism. More info on Sailcoop's website !