Our Mission

At TOWT; respect for the environment and for the people is at the heart of our corporate vision. Learn more about our mission.

Founded in 2011 by Diana Mesa and Guillaume Le Grand, TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT) is the world leader in sail transport.

Decarbonisation of maritime transport

Following its Annual General Meeting on 19 October 2021, TOWT became a “mission-driven company” to highlight the specific nature of the company and the commitment of its various partners, whether financial, institutional, technical or commercial, to the decarbonisation of maritime transport.

For these various players, including shippers (Cémoi, Belco, Martell, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Orange, Picture Organic, EthicDrinks, etc.), choosing to transport by sea means going beyond the simple transport of goods and embarking on an ecological, economic and human adventure.

Fires, drought, disease, rising sea levels… the climate emergency is here to stay.

At TOWT, we are a committed company. On our own scale and in our own segment, we want to take action to preserve the Earth’s conditions.

« Our mission is indeed to act to decarbonise maritime transport by harnessing the power of the wind to provide a maritime transport that is more sober, less dependent on fuel and more transparent. We firmly believe that traditional maritime transport is not the only way.

Sailing, as the main form of propulsion, is a lever for the economic development of trade and enables us to envisage a real energy transition to meet the climate and energy challenge.

This is TOWT’s raison d’être, uniting the company, its employees, shippers and investors, and reconciling environmental, economic and human performance. »

Guillaume le Grand, TOWT CEO

So, do you want to join the adventure ?

“Fret Ecolo” – Escale d’Irene à Brest

Journal de France 3, 02/17/2012

Les voiliers de commerce” – Emission de solutions

France 2, 03/02/2012

Marine marchande : l’avenir dans les voiles

Journal 20h de France 2, 06/12/2013

Our Story

After meeting during their studies, Diana Mesa and Guillaume Le Grand decided to turn their passion into a career. Together they set up a business importing and exporting products by sea. They shared a common vision: the urgent need to tackle climate change meant that conventional shipping, which relies heavily on fossil fuels, was no longer an option.

So they turned to the oldest of renewable energies: wind. They have chosen to charter traditional working sailboats to transport their products, tackling the more traditional vision of maritime transport.

L’Avontuur, De Gallant, Tres Hombres, Biche, Corentin, ND de Rumengol, Grayhound… they have been chartering traditional working sailboats for around ten years and have become experts in transporting goods by sail. At the same time, they developed the ANEMOS label, which certifies low-carbon, environmentally friendly transport.

In total, they have transported more than 10,000,000 ANEMOS-certified products, chartered 18 sailboats and carried out more than 60 sea expeditions.

Our ambition

Diana and Guillaume did not stop there. With a wealth of experience and growing credibility, they wanted to go further. Traditional working sailboats were not enough. They were convinced that it was possible to create a modern fleet of sailing cargo ship incorporating the latest technology and harnessing the power of the wind.

So they embarked on a crazy idea: to build the world’s largest fleet of sailing cargo ship. In 2015, they received their first grant and invested heavily in research and development to create the first plans for the first modern cargo sailboat, the Phoenix Class.

In 2021, they launched the construction of their first two ships with the French shipyard PIRIOU. This is unique in the world.

With the entry in service of ANEMOS and ARTEMIS in 2024, TOWT is laying the foundations for a real revolution in the maritime sector. From now on, this industry will be a major player on the logistics scene.

In May 2024, following a new round of financing, TOWT announced an order for 6 additional vessels from the PIRIOU shipyard. With 8 sailing cargo ships, TOWT is now the world leader in sailing transport. A new fleet is born.

Encouraged by this success, Diana and Guillaume decided to continue the project. 8 ships were enough to start building the world’s largest fleet of cargo ships, but it was still modest compared to the capacities of other players in maritime logistics.

So why not build more ?