Editor’s Note: MainSail is CNN’s monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.
Story highlights
European merchant ships of the 19th Century were a lifeline to world's exotic goods
"Golden Age of Sai" makes a comeback with modern-day wind powered cargo ships
Sailing ship Tres Hombres leaves from Netherlands to Caribbean on eight-month voyage
Part of 21st Century bid for environmentally sustainable travel
With their billowing sails, towering masts and long wooden hulls, 19th century clipper ships were staggering feats of design – and Europe’s lifeline to the world’s most exotic goods.
Laden with spices, teas and chocolates from across the globe, the use of these wind-powered sailing vessels reached its peak during the late 1800’s, a period often referred to as the “Golden Age of Sail.”
Abandoned in the advent of steamboats, the centuries-old transport is now enjoying a revival among cargo traders, with a new breed of merchant ships returning to wind power in an effort to promote environmentally sustainable trade.