Blowing in the Wind (sailing ship redux)

[jpak]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13325827/site/newsweek/

File this under "what's old is new again." A German company is introducing sails it says may help propel ships across the sea cheaper and faster than modern engines.

SkySails' system consists of an enormous towing kite and navigation software that can map the best route between two points for maximum wind efficiency. In development for more than four years, the system costs from roughly $380,000 to $3.2 million, depending on the size of the ship it's pulling. SkySails claims it will save one third of fuel costs. It recently signed its first contract with Beluga Shipping of Bremen, Germany, for one kite, but says it expects to sell 300 more within five years. Beluga says that the giant kite will help the company meet environmental regulations as well as cut fuel costs.

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[Wilms]

1. How elegant. n/t

[benburch]

2. And as this retro-fits to existing ships...

...there is no danger of becoming becalmed as the engines are still there.

[blue sky at night]

3. I have always loved anything to do with......

the wind! I love to fly Kites, go sailing......and I used to love to fly my flag.

[cprise]

4. The company website claims

... that it could reduce planet-wide total CO2 emissions by 2%. That's an amazing figure.