By: Stu Johnstone
(Los Angeles, CA)- The mission of Clippership is to transport palletized (LCL) marine freight quicker and more cost-effectively than existing methods. Clippership can do this by designing, building, and operating a fleet of autonomous sail-powered cargo vessels, that leverage advancements in robotics, aerodynamics, weather forecasting, and satellite connectivity. Palletized cargo will be handled at optimized terminals, avoiding containerized cargo logistics bottlenecks.
Clippership’s J/24 development platform has enabled them to demonstrate key technologies, such as an actively controlled wingsail and autonomous navigation. In short, the modified J/24 is fully capable of un-crewed autonomous navigation under sail, with optional onboard and remote crewing!
Founding team
The founders are a group of engineers and operations specialists with a singular mission: to improve ocean and waterway freight by deploying wind-powered cargo vessels.
The CEO Nico Cymbalist has experience bringing high-risk, high-reward engineering efforts to fruition across a range of industries. At TESLA, he led a joint SPACE-X & TESLA team to design and build aerospace-derived vehicle prototypes. As a member of the MERCEDES Formula 1 team, he developed experimental aerodynamic systems and won the 2019 and 2020 Formula 1 World Championships. He holds a PhD in Aeronautics from Caltech. A lifelong sailor, he has extensive offshore experience including an Atlantic crossing.
Learn more about Clippership.
