Atlas Ocean Voyages Will Roll Out the ‘Largest Expedition Sailing Yacht in the World’ and Cruise From Japan to South Africa Over 128 Days

The expedition company Atlas Ocean Voyages announced today plans for a stunning new sailing yacht that will debut in 2028.

The new Atlas Adventurer will be the fourth ship in the growing Atlas Ocean Voyages’ fleet, with an eye-catching profile that includes three huge carbon-fiber sails that will enable the ship to operate without engines in favorable conditions.

“With this ship, you could travel, depending on the routes, up to 50 percent of the time under sail,” said Mario Ferreira, the chairman, founder, and owner of Mystic Invest Holding, which owns Atlas. 

In addition to the sails and hybrid-electric engines, the 200-suite ship will have seven restaurants, a spacious spa, and a floating marina platform with all sorts of “toys,” like stand-up paddleboards and a fleet of Zodiacs that enable explorations ashore, even in remote areas.

“We will be the largest expedition sailing yacht in the world, with a sophisticated collection of suites that will offer both elevated design and exceptional comfort and advanced expedition capabilities, including a fleet of Zodiacs that are easy to board from our two marina points,” Ferreira explained during a press briefing attended by Travel + Leisure.

The vessel will be one of several new ships hitting the world’s oceans that are fitted with huge sails, which can reduce fuel consumption and provide a more tranquil onboard experience. When Adventurer arrives in 2028, it will chart a course from Japan through Southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean en route to South Africa, for an inaugural season unlike any before undertaken by Atlas.

“We have a 128-day ‘grand expedition’ from Kobe, Japan, all the way to Cape Town. We’ll come out of Asia, go down to Southeast Asia, then over to East Africa, do some ‘cruise safaris,’ and end up heading up into the Mediterranean in May or June of 2029,” said James A. Rodriguez, president and CEO of Atlas Ocean Voyages, during the same briefing.

Though warmer-weather destinations are among the first that Adventurer will explore, the ship is nevertheless designed to sail to the far reaches of the planet, with an ice-hardened hull and stabilizers that can smooth the ride through choppy waters such as the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica.

“We are well prepared for it,” Ferreira said. “We have a garage with all the Zodiacs, which are made of Kevlar to travel on ice with special propellers. We have two marinas, one on the port side and one on the stern, and we have huge enclosed decks and huge open decks. And the sails are made of carbon, so they are prepared for operation in minus 10 Celsius.”

But, in the meantime, the forthcoming sailing ship will chart a new course for Atlas, going beyond the poles and into parts of the world that the company hasn’t been able to explore with its existing fleet. 

“Our [past] guests are calling and saying, ‘Where else do you go in the world?’” said Rodriguez, the CEO. “Right now we have the Mediterranean, we have Northern Europe, we have the Arctic, we have Antarctica. Now we’re opening up Asia and hopefully Australia and the South Pacific in the future. We have big plans.”

Rates for trips on Adventurer have not yet been announced.