Wind Surf

Wind Surf is a five-mast staysail schooner and sailing cruise ship operated by Windstar Cruises. The vessel was built in France as La Fayette and launched in 1989 at Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre. It was renamed Club Med 1 in January 1990 and entered service for Club Med later that year. After approximately eight years of Club Med operation, the ship was sold to Windstar Cruises in 1998 and renamed Wind Surf. The vessel is among the largest sailing cruise ships in the world. Although its appearance and principal identity are associated with traditional sailing, it also uses two electric propulsion motors supplied by four diesel-electric generating sets. Its accommodation consists of 150 ocean-view staterooms, 18 ocean-view suites and two deluxe bridge suites. The ship can accommodate up to 342 passengers and has a crew of approximately 210. Wind Surf belongs to Windstar Cruises' fleet of motor-sailing yachts, a group that historically also included Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song. Those vessels shared an association with the same French shipyard and were marketed as smaller, more intimate alternatives to large conventional cruise ships. Wind Surf's scale gives it a distinctive position within that fleet: it combines the visual character of a classic sailing vessel with cruise-ship accommodation and mechanically assisted propulsion. The ship's history reflects two different phases of the cruise industry. Its original Club Med period placed it within a resort-oriented sailing concept, while its later Windstar career connected it to a premium small-ship cruise brand. Its sailing-rig design, limited passenger capacity and ocean-view accommodation remain central to its identity. In 2013, Wind Surf received additional public exposure when it appeared in the third episode of the seventh season of Discovery's television series Mighty Ships.

Wind Surf began its life under the name La Fayette. The five-mast staysail schooner was launched in 1989 at Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre in France. The ship was subsequently renamed Club Med 1 on 14 January 1990 and made its maiden voyage that year. It was developed for Club Med's sailing-cruise operation and spent approximately eight years sailing under that ownership and identity. In 1998, Club Med 1 was sold to Windstar Cruises. Following the transfer, the vessel was renamed Wind Surf and became part of Windstar's fleet of motor-sailing yachts. The fleet also included the smaller Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song, which were associated with the same French shipyard. The acquisition gave Windstar a much larger sailing vessel while preserving the company's focus on small-ship and sailing-oriented cruising. Wind Surf combines a large sailing rig with mechanical propulsion. The vessel has five masts and is designed as a staysail schooner, but its propulsion system includes two electric motors powered by four diesel-electric generating sets. This hybrid of sailing-ship presentation and modern marine machinery allows the ship to function as a cruise vessel with the operational flexibility expected of a contemporary commercial ship. The ship can carry as many as 342 passengers. Its accommodation inventory comprises 150 ocean-view staterooms, 18 ocean-view suites and two deluxe bridge suites, supported by a crew of approximately 210. These characteristics place Wind Surf among the largest sailing cruise ships while retaining a more limited capacity than mass-market cruise liners. Under Windstar Cruises, Wind Surf became associated with premium sailing cruises and destinations served by the company's yacht-style fleet. Its identity is based less on scale or mass transportation than on the combination of an imposing sailing profile, ocean-view accommodation and a comparatively intimate onboard environment. The ship's earlier Club Med history remains an important part of its provenance, while the Wind Surf name identifies its continuing role in Windstar's sailing-cruise portfolio. In 2013, the vessel appeared in the third episode of the seventh season of the Discovery television series Mighty Ships. The appearance provided a documentary portrayal of the ship and its operation. Wind Surf is also identified by the maritime registration number IMO 8700785 in related reference material.

1. 2013Television appearance on Mighty Ships

   Wind Surf appeared in season seven, episode three of Discovery's Mighty Ships.

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2. 1998Transferred to Windstar Cruises

   Club Med 1 was sold to Windstar Cruises and renamed Wind Surf.

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3. 1990Renamed Club Med 1

   The ship was renamed Club Med 1 on 14 January and made its maiden voyage during the same year.

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4. 1989La Fayette launched

   The five-mast sailing vessel La Fayette was launched at Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre in France.

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A premium, intimate sailing-cruise experience combining the visual character of a large traditional schooner with modern cruise accommodation and diesel-electric propulsion.

• Wind Surf sailing cruisesCruise service1998

  Cruise voyages operated aboard Wind Surf, a five-mast staysail schooner. The service combines a sailing-ship setting with modern accommodation, diesel-electric propulsion and the smaller-scale atmosphere associated with Windstar Cruises' yacht-oriented fleet.

• Wind Surf accommodationCruise accommodation1998

  The ship offers 150 ocean-view staterooms, 18 ocean-view suites and two deluxe bridge suites. Its accommodation product emphasizes ocean views and an intimate sailing-cruise environment rather than the very large capacity typical of mainstream cruise liners.

• 1998Sale and renaming from Club Med 1 to Wind SurfM&A

  After operating for Club Med for approximately eight years, the vessel changed ownership and entered a new phase in a different cruise fleet.

  What changed. Club Med sold the ship to Windstar Cruises, which renamed it Wind Surf.

  Aftermath. The vessel became part of Windstar Cruises' group of sailing and motor-sailing yachts and continued in the cruise market under the Wind Surf identity.

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• 2013Wind Surf featured on Mighty Ships

  Wind Surf appeared in the third episode of the seventh season of Discovery's Mighty Ships, bringing the vessel to a television audience and highlighting its operation as a large sailing cruise ship.

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1. Wind Surf