Grain de Sail is a French company charting new waters. We first learned about them in 2018 during one of their exploratory visits to New York and have watched them grow from fantasy to reality to a company to watch.  

In our latest episode, we speak to their marketing director, Stefan Gallard, and ask him to explain how the singular dream of two twin brothers grew into a 72 foot cargo sailboat, coffee refiner, chocolate manufacturer and organic wine exporter within a few years. 

Highlights of our conversation include Stefan telling us how, despite four weeks crossing the choppy Atlantic, Grain de Sail’s December 2020 maiden voyage to New York successfully delivered 15,000 bottles of French wine without a scratch.  We also sail beyond the buzzwords and learn why running a sustainable business is one of their core principles from the first wine harvest to the last mile of delivery.

The big takeaway from this interview is that with vision, elbow grease, smart finances and the right partners, cargo sailboats definitely have a place in global maritime trade and may soon lead the pack to incorporate wind propulsion in many new builds.