Orient Express: the legendary train becomes the world's largest sailing ship

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A legend on rails that will now sail the seas.

It sounds like an attempt to

, but the French group Accord, the

behind this project and owner of the Orient Express brand, the mythical trains with patent-leather wagons that have traveled throughout Europe since the 19th century, have been inspired by a true fact.

As the story goes, in 1867,

, the Belgian engineer who founded the Orient Express trains, set out on a voyage of discovery aboard a transatlantic ship between Europe and the United States.

Fascinated by the grandeur of these huge ships, he was interested in exploring the luxurious cabins, their rich and sumptuous decoration, adorned with exceptional marquetry.

He also wanted to experience the

, libraries, and entertainment venues.

A world of travel that would later, in 1883, inspire

of the famous Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, operator of the Orient Express.

Today, 140 years later, inspiration returns to the sea in the form of an ultra-luxury futuristic sailboat.

Accord has teamed up with shipping company Chantiers de l'Atlantique to create the

the "world's largest sailing ship".

yacht

that will have 54 suites averaging 70 square meters, as well as a

1,415-square-meter presidential

The ship will have

, two restaurants and a

, or clandestine bar.

"With the

we are beginning a new chapter in our history, taking the experience and excellence of luxury travel and translating it to the most beautiful seas in the world", says Sébastien Bazin, president and CEO of Accor, who has announced that

The design is inspired by ocean racing sailboats. MARTIN DARZACQ

revolutionary design

You only have to look at the pictures to see that the Orient Express

does not look like other cruise ships.

Her design has been inspired by ocean regattas.

Its three rigid sails add up to an area of ​​1,500 square meters and the masts reach

.

In optimal wind conditions, they will be enough to move across the sea, although it also has a state-of-the-art engine that runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and, according to the company, also on green hydrogen, although this will be once the technology has been approved for ocean-going passenger ships.

In addition to luxury, entertainment will also take center stage on board, in the style of other cruise ships.

The

will feature an amphitheater-cabaret and a private recording studio, as well as wellness spaces, including rooms for spa treatments and meditation sessions.

Like other shipping companies, she will offer personalized excursions in her ports of call.

This is not the only major project with which the Accord group is relaunching the Orient Express brand that it bought in 2017. It is also planned that this year the Dolce Vita train will be inaugurated, which will travel through Italy from the Alps to Sicily through of 10 itineraries.

And the following year, the original Orient Express train will cross Europe again, made up of wagons owned by SNCF, France's national train service, which are being

to be able to repeat the legendary journeys that made those convoys of the Belle Époque.

THE STORY OF A MYTH

The original Orient Express trains were created by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, founded in 1872 by Belgian engineer

who was inspired by American Pullman night trains.

The company reached its peak popularity in the 1930s, but in the 1970s, with the rise of the airplane and high speed, they lost their appeal.

However, in the 1980s, the American

, recovered several of the trains with the same spirit of luxury and opulence: thus the Venice-Simplon Orient Express was reborn, one of the trains still more popular today. emblematic of the world.

Currently, along with other luxury trains and hotels, it is part of the

portfolio , which is also part of the LVMH group.

Other carriages of the original trains belong to

, which holds the license for the Orient Express.

These are the ones that the

is restoring to revive the itineraries of the king of trains next year.

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