The first new cargo ship to harness wind power in over a century was launched last week in Germany. The 132-meter Beluga SkySails is in part propelled by a huge kite designed to catch winds up to 1,000 feet above the ocean's surface.

The kites, made by SkySails, have a surface area of up to 320 square meters and are computer-controlled and attached to a mast near the ship's bow. (For reference, back in my windurfing days when I lived in a place with fairly consistent 15 to 20 knot winds, the largest sail I owned had six square meters of surface area.) Wind above the ocean is also considerably stronger.

SkySails computes that a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10 to 35 percent on annual average, depending on wind conditions.

"Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50 (percent)," the company claims. "Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually." Calculating a conservative 20 percent cut, that is a fuel savings of $1,600 per day.

That fuel savings will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a similar amount, according to the designers. One of the ship's developers says that the shipping industry emits 800 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and that number will rise to over 1 billion tons in five years. Carbon dioxide has been blamed for climate change.

The maiden voyage of the cargo ship Beluga SkySails is scheduled for early January, 2008 across the Atlantic to Venezuela. In addition to cargo vessels, SkySails also plans to make kite systems for superyachts and fish trawlers.

There has been a lot of hype in the sailing press saying that SkySails is ushering in a new "Age of Sail" in shipping and boating. So now, a question for all you sailors out there: Is Beluga SkySails a sailboat? Please leave your comments below.