INNOV'SAIL
The international INNOV’SAIL conference, held every three years, brings together leading global experts in high-performance sailing and wind-assisted ship propulsion. It serves as a key meeting point for researchers, engineers, naval architects, and industry professionals involved in sailing innovation.
An International Conference on Innovation
Over three days, the conference provides an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific and technological research, as well as its application in the complex and evolving field of sailing. Topics cover both competitive sailing and the development of wind propulsion solutions for commercial shipping.
INNOV’SAIL fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange between academia and industry, encouraging innovation and the transfer of technologies across sectors. It offers participants a unique opportunity to share expertise, explore new ideas, and build connections within a dynamic and multidisciplinary community dedicated to advancing sailing performance and sustainability.
EDITION 2026
The conference venue of this 7th edition will be the Chalmers University of Technology, Johanneberg campus, in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 3 to 5 June 2026, in the heart of the hub for wind-assisted propulsion and home to the new SailGP Swedish Team.
Over three days, the conference will provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific and technological research and its application in the complex field of sailing, covering yacht racing, wind-assisted ships and high-performance sailing.
INNOV'SAIL 2026 will offer a unique opportunity for scientists, naval architects, engineers, sailors, ship owners, sail makers, ship and yacht builders, rig specialists, wind propulsion system developers and all stakeholders in shipping to come together to share skills and know-how, deepen certain topics and do business. A dedicated meeting platform will allow participants to pre-build their appointment programme and connect with whomever they wish during the event.
Particular emphasis will be placed on technological and knowledge transfer between racing and wind-assisted ships, as well as between academia and industry. The event will also offer the chance to discover local or international partner companies through company visits or pitches. Side events — including sailing opportunities, a gala dinner, and the world-famous Swedish fika — will round out the programme.
EDITION 2023
The conference venue of this 6th edition, which was held in Lorient, France, 29–31 May 2023, was the Cite de la Voile Eric Tabarly, in the heart of the Bretagne Sailing Valley, home to many high-technology yachting and competitive sailing industries as well as racing teams.
Over three days, the conference provided an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific and technological research and its application in the complex field of sailing, on the topics of wind-assisted ship propulsion as well as competitive sailing.
INNOV’SAIL 2023 offered a unique opportunity for scientists, naval architects, engineers, sailors, ship owners, sail makers, ship and yacht builders, rig specialists and others involved in this fascinating and challenging field to come together to share skills and know-how.
Particular emphasis was placed on technological and knowledge transfer between both racing and wind-assisted ships, as well as between academia and industry. The event also facilitated meetings and the discovery of local or international partner companies.
EDITION 2020
The conference venue of this 5th edition, which was held online from 15 to 17 June 2020, was exceptionally virtual due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. While previous editions had taken place in Lorient, France, INNOV’SAIL 2020 was organized by Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Over three days, the conference provided an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific and technological research and its application in the complex field of sailing, focusing on wind-assisted ship propulsion as well as competitive and commercial sailing.
INNOV’SAIL 2020 offered a unique opportunity for scientists, naval architects, engineers, sailors, ship owners, sail makers, ship and yacht builders, rig specialists and other stakeholders to meet virtually, share skills and know-how, and exchange on cutting-edge developments in the field.
Particular emphasis was placed on technological and knowledge transfer between racing and wind-assisted ships, as well as between academia and industry. The event also facilitated virtual meetings, expert panel discussions, and company presentations, fostering collaboration despite the remote format.
The conference gathered more than 180 participants from 19 nationalities and featured nearly 30 scientific papers, as well as numerous networking sessions and industrial pitches, highlighting the strong international engagement of the sailing innovation community.
EDITION 2017
The4th edition of the conference INNOV'SAIL was held in Lorient 28-30 June 2017 at the Cite de la Voile Eric Tabarly. The conference was a great success with the participation of more than 90 delegates from all over the world, who enjoyed the high quality presentations of 34 contributions on various topics, about fluiddynamics, structural design, fluidstructure interaction and racing tactics.
Overall, INNOVSAIL 2017 was a unique opportunity to present the latest outcomes from scientific and technological research and engineering in all topics concerned in high performance sailing yachts. The conference has given rise to a fruitful exchange of knowledge and know-how and many opportunities to start new collaborations and technological transfer from academia to industry. Moreover, the numerous students, young scientists and engineers attending INNOVSAIL had a unique opportunity to get in touch with most of the key persons in the field of yacht research and engineering and to make contacts for possible PhD projects and job opportunities.
