Wind Surf (ship)

Wind Surf leaving Venice
History
Name
  • 1989–1990: La Fayette
  • 1990–1998: Club Med 1
  • 1998 onwards: Wind Surf
Owner Windstar Cruises
Operator
Port of registry
Ordered 1986
Builder Societe Nouvelle Des Ateliers et Chantier du Havre
Yard number 274
Laid down Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, France 1988 by Société nouvelle des ateliers et chantiers du Havre
Launched January 1989
Completed 27 December 1989
Maiden voyage 1990
Identification
Status In service
General characteristics
Type Cruise ship
Tonnage
Length 187 m (614 ft)
Beam 20 m (66 ft)
Height 80 m (262 ft)
Draught 5.09 m (17 ft)
Decks 8
Deck clearance 6.1 m (20 ft)
Installed power Four diesel-electric engines, and wind
Propulsion Computer-operated sails, and two electric motors
Sail plan Staysail schooner, ca. 2,400 m2 (26,000 sq ft) in seven triangular Dacron self-furled sails on five masts
Speed Engines: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); engines with wind assistance: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity 386 passengers
Crew 214

MSY Wind Surf is a five-mast staysail schooner that is one of the largest sailing cruise ships in the world, with two electric propulsion motors powered by four diesel electric generating sets also. She can carry up to 342 passengers, in a total of 150 ocean-view staterooms, 18 ocean-view suites and 2 deluxe bridge suites, with a crew of 210. Wind Surf had been owned and operated by Club Med under the name Club Med 1, and was later transferred to Windstar Cruises.

On a 10 day itinerary that began on December 18, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020, 48 crew members and 51 passengers of the 342-passenger ship tested positive for covid and were taken off the ship for quarantine in Barbados; later many other passengers tested positive and were unable to return home until they tested negative.

MSY Wind Surf cruise sailing along the coast of Venice
MSY Wind Surf cruise sailing along the coast of Venice, from the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore (13/05/2019)

History

La Fayette was launched in 1989 at the Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, France, renamed Club Med 1 on 14 January 1990. Her sister ship Club Med 2 was launched in 1992 in the same shipyard. Club Med 1 made her maiden voyage in 1990, and sailed for Club Med for eight years.

In 1998, Club Med 1 was sold to Windstar Cruises and renamed Wind Surf. The ship was based on Windstar Cruises' smaller 5,350-ton, 148-passenger Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song motor sailing yachts. All were also built by Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, France. In 2013, she was featured in the season 7, episode 3, of a Discovery TV series, called Mighty Ships.

See also