SailLink

What SailLink does

SailLink (SAILLINK LTD) is a UK-incorporated private company founded in 2023 that operates the first commercial sailing passenger ferry across the English Channel, connecting Dover Marina in the United Kingdom with Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. The service runs on a single 17-metre Lagoon 57S catamaran named "Echoes" with a strict 12-passenger capacity, sailing approximately 32 km in 4–5 hours and prioritizing wind power (achieving nearly 70% pure sailing in its inaugural season). The company sells individual one-way and round-trip passenger fares (£85 adult, discounted youth tiers), bicycle transport (£10–£15 per bike), private corporate team-building charters, and limited-event sunset coastal cruises, with Sail & Stay packages bundled through partner hotels in both Dover and Boulogne.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, community-led, and seasonal (April to mid-September, weather-dependent). Revenue is generated entirely through transactional fees on the company's own booking website; there is no third-party reseller or aggregator distribution, and the only outbound channel is direct corporate enquiry handled by founder Andrew Simons. SailLink serves four primary segments: long-distance cyclists (NCN1, EuroVelo 4, Via Francigena users), slow travel and adventure tourists, corporate teams for charter experiences, and research/education users via the IFREMER Pocket FerryBox citizen-science platform. The company has built an ecosystem of 13+ formal partners spanning ports, tourism boards, hotels, restaurants, and scientific institutions, and funds operations through private investor backing supplemented by community-style micro-fundraising (e.g., the £9,435 Christmas Challenge 2025).

Name

SailLink

Legal name

SAILLINK LTD

Website

https://saillink.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SailLink operates the first commercial sailing passenger ferry across the English Channel aboard a 12-passenger Lagoon 57S catamaran, running scheduled crossings between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer for cyclists, slow-travel tourists, corporate teams, and citizen-science passengers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAEAGAL

International Cross-Border Ferry Services

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/Ferries & Leisure Passenger Shipping

SECONDARYTHAIAJAI

Cross-Border & International Passenger Ferries

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Passenger Ferries & Water Taxis

Keywords

• Sailing ferry service
• Channel passenger transport
• Cycling tourism ferry
• Eco-friendly sea travel
• Maritime transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Passenger Crossing Fares: One-way and return fares for individual passengers crossing the English Channel between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Pricing tiers by age group. Round trip discount available.
2. Bicycle Transport: Additional fee per bicycle for transporting bikes on board, sheltered from salt and spray in the catamaran's saloon
3. Corporate Team Building Charters: Private charter of the full boat for corporate team building events, one-way crossings, double crossings under sail, or half-day coastal sailing experiences
4. Evening Cruises: Special sunset cruise events departing from Boulogne-sur-Mer, offered as partnership with local tourism office

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SailLink operates a passenger sailing ferry service aboard the 12-passenger Lagoon 57S catamaran "Echoes" between Dover Marina (UK) and Boulogne-sur-Mer Marina (France), running April to mid-September. The service carries foot passengers and cyclists on a 4-5 hour wind-powered crossing, with bicycles transported inside the vessel sheltered from salt and spray. The company is the first commercial sailing passenger ferry on the English Channel in European maritime history.

Product overview

SailLink operates as a single unified sailing ferry service, with the core product being the passenger crossing between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer aboard the sailing catamaran 'Echoes'. The service functions as a door-to-door experience, departing from marina pontoons rather than industrial ports. Additional offerings include team building charters for corporate groups, bicycle transport as an add-on service, and specialist assistance dog travel. Accommodation partnerships and scientific research collaborations extend the core product's value proposition. The company is structured around a single vessel operating seasonal routes (April-October) with no multi-product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 70% of crossings completed under pure wind power last season
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFREMERcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Scientific partnership with France's national institute for sea research. The Laboratoire Environnement Ressources in Boulogne-sur-Mer uses Echoes' crossings to observe the Channel daily. Pocket FerryBox records salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, water clarity and phytoplankton every 500 metres. First mobile high-frequency monitoring system in this part of the Channel.
• SeaKeepersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEchoes is part of the DISCOVERY Fleet. Passengers and crew collect real data: cetacean sightings with ORCA, marine pollution mapping with Eyesea, water quality testing with EarthEcho.
• Cross-Channel GeoparkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Ambassador for UNESCO designation (expected spring 2027). The Geopark connects Kent and Pas-de-Calais through 450,000 years of shared geological heritage. SailLink sails across the geological scar of the megaflood that carved the Channel.
• Port of DovercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHome Port partnership in the UK. Primary operational partner for Dover marina operations and passenger boarding facilities.
• Port Boulogne CalaiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench Port of Call partnership. Harbour that welcomes Echoes home; France's leading fishing port and one of Europe's busiest cross-Channel gateways with berth reserved for SailLink.
• Pas-de-Calais TourismecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism agency behind some of Europe's most beautiful cycling routes. SailLink passengers arrive into the Boulonnais territory.
• Office du Tourisme de Boulogne-sur-MercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity's official welcome desk and first stop for SailLink passengers. Partnership for sunset cruise event in July 2026.
• Büro für MobilitätminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUrban mobility consultancy from Bern, Switzerland that has been pushing sustainable transport for decades. Understands why two wheels across a sea strait is the logical next step.
• F2 ECOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHull coating with zero biocides, zero PFAS, zero solvents that lasts 5+ years. Removes source of pollution: typical leisure boat releases up to 2kg of biocides into water every year.
• Ship CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee and chocolate shipped across Atlantic under sail, zero engine. Lists Echoes as part of their fleet. Wind-powered goods meet wind-powered passengers.
• Café ProquaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee roaster in Boulonnais since 1951. Coffee shop on rue de Folkestone is Accueil Vélo certified. Official waiting point in 2026, a few minutes walk from pontoon.
• Hôtel Restaurant Monsieur GeorgesminorGTM or Marketing Partner4-star boutique hotel with kitchen focused on local seafood, just in front of the pontoon. Where arriving by sailing catamaran makes complete sense.
• Cool K'cahuèteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNomadic gastronomic restaurant on Côte d'Opale. Local produce, no fixed address, panoramic views. Exactly the kind of place SailLink passengers should end up.
• La MatelotecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of finest restaurant-hotels on Côte d'Opale. Founding partner since 2024, backed SailLink before the season even launched. Included in Sail & Stay packages.
• The Salty Dog Harbour CaféminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaiting point at Dover marina, 2 minutes from pontoon gate. Freshly brewed coffee, tasty bites, window onto harbour. 10% discount for SailLink passengers.
• Dover Marina Hotel & SpaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hotel for Dover side in Sail & Stay packages. Rooms with harbour views, convenient for pre/post crossing stay.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• DFDS: Large European ferry and logistics operator with cross-Channel and Irish Sea routes. A broad incumbent passenger ferry player that could credibly enter wind-assisted cross-Channel services and compete for sustainability-minded travelers.
• Compagnie du Ponant: French-flag small-ship cruise operator offering sail-assisted voyages with a focus on sustainability and expedition-style experiences. Relevant as a French-headquartered premium small-vessel operator with strong decarbonisation positioning.
• Irish Ferries: Operates passenger ferry services between Ireland and the UK/France. Comparable passenger ferry business model and customer demographic of leisure and foot passengers traveling cross-sea.
• Hurtigruten Group: Norwegian coastal voyage and expedition cruise operator with a strong sustainability narrative and small-ship format. Comparable model of branded, experience-led maritime travel with environmental positioning.
• Windstar Cruises: Operates small sailing cruise yachts with high crew-to-guest ratios and an emphasis on experiential, low-impact sea travel. Comparable wind-powered leisure maritime business model targeting affluent, experience-driven customers.
• Star Clippers: Runs tall-ship sailing cruises globally, marketing authentic wind-powered voyages to a similar experiential travel segment. Comparable use of sailing vessels as the core product and pricing premium positioning.

Regional players

• Condor Ferries: Operates passenger and vehicle ferries between the UK, Channel Islands, and France. Comparable fast-passenger ferry service profile targeting leisure travelers, though focused on Channel Islands rather than Dover-Boulogne.
• Fred. Olsen Express: Operates fast passenger ferries and small-ship coastal services in Norway and Spain. Comparable small-vessel passenger ferry business with similar seasonality and route-based operations, although geographically distinct.

Direct peers

• P&O Ferries: Major Dover-based cross-Channel ferry operator running high-frequency passenger services. Closest competitor in terms of route geography (Dover) and customer base (cross-Channel passengers), although operating conventional vessels rather than sailing ferries.
• Brittany Ferries: Operates passenger and vehicle ferries between the UK and France, including routes that overlap SailLink's Dover-Boulogne corridor. Most directly comparable established cross-Channel passenger ferry operator and the primary incumbent SailLink competes against for UK-France travelers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SailLink-100064535785989
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saillink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SailLink