In the 1980s, French ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau commissioned the Alcyone, a vessel named after the daughter of the wind in Greek mythology, which used turbo-sails that provided thrust in the direction of travel along with the engines. Related Coverage Shipping executives said previous efforts didn’t catch on with operators because either the costs of such technologies were too high or tests didn’t yield the expected fuel savings. But modern, lightweight and relatively cheap rotating sails show more promise, they said. The cylinders on the Maersk tanker are made with composite materials by Finland-based Norsepower Oy Ltd., and cost €1 million to €2 million ($1.2 million to $2.3 million) to fit on a vessel, depending on the size of the ship. The technology is based on what is known as the Magnus effect, in which a spinning object drags air faster around one side, creating a difference in pressure […]