With the further requirements of the International Maritime Organization on the energy efficiency design index of ships, green ships have become the mainstream of future development. Among them, wind energy, as a recognized clean and renewable energy source, has played an irreplaceable role in the history of human navigation. In order to further promote the application of sail-assisted ships, establish and maintain China's international frontier and leading technological capability in the field of sail-assisted ships, the development of sail-assisted ships at home and abroad is analyzed by combining the four first-level indexes of technological performance, energy saving and emission reduction, operation economy and safety management. Summarize the differences between the development of domestic and foreign sail-assisted ship industry. On this basis, it focuses on the SWOT analysis of the development of sail-assisted ships in China, and summarizes the development outlook from the aspects of standardization, technological innovation, cooperation and exchange.