11/06/2026
That kite flying off her bow is not decoration. It will be doing real work....
Deo Juvante is a 25.9m aluminium expedition yacht built in 2022, and she carries a propulsion-assisted kite system developed by Yves Parlier of Beyond the Sea. The kite flies at altitude, where the wind is stronger and more consistent, and generates enough forward thrust to drive her at 4.5 knots on its own in 15 knots of apparent wind. On longer ocean passages, the owner estimates a fuel saving of up to 30%. On a vessel carrying 14,000 litres of diesel, that is a meaningful number.
This is not a piece of kit bolted on for the photos. Thierry Verstraete was the first commercial customer for the system, and he has been ocean-sailing with it since she launched in 2022 in Whangarei. 3 kites are included with the sale, along with a €20,000 training voucher with Beyond the Sea. She is now offered at €4,000,000 and currently lies in Victoria, British Columbia. My write up covers her full story, the kite system in detail, and what it would cost to bring her to Europe or Australia.
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Have you ever seen a kite propulsion system on a privately owned vessel before?
