Retractable Y-shaped foils, adjustable in three dimensions

Inspired by the appendages of the America's Cup foiling monohulls, these Y-shaped foils have a wingspan of over 5 metres. They are designed to generate powerful lift, increase power and offer a wide range of adjustments to optimise flight at every point of sail and in all conditions. Beyond their impressive size, these foils feature many unique innovations.

Revolutionary U-shaped rudders

These are probably the most visually striking innovations on the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. To fly high above rough seas while maintaining control, the team wanted very long rudders that would remain in contact with the water. The challenge is that longer rudders tend to flex under load, severely affecting steering and the efficiency of their lifting surfaces. A new geometry was needed to give these appendages maximum stiffness, resist cavitation and ultimately improve control of the boat and make better use of its power. The result is a set of U-shaped rudders over 4 metres long, a metre longer than those on Gitana 17. Their shape, reminiscent of a tripod or an inverted π, is only the visible part of what makes them so distinctive.

A daggerboard optimised to stabilise the boat and limit cavitation

With its wide span, the daggerboard resembles an aircraft tail assembly, with two adjustable flaps: one on the vertical section and the other on the horizontal section, the distinctive “manta-ray wing”. On Gitana 18, the innovation is to position this wing behind the vertical part of the appendage, rather than directly beneath it, to minimise flow disturbance and cavitation.

Rig: adjustable spreaders to control mainsail power while sailing

Gitana 18’s mast is 1.50 metres taller than its predecessor’s. The boom is also shorter, creating a more slender sail plan. The major innovation is a set of spreaders that can be adjusted while sailing to bend the mast fore and aft. Actuated by hydraulic rams, these spreaders can pivot through 35 degrees to adjust the bend in the middle of the mast. This unprecedented system allows the sailor to control mainsail power: adding depth in light winds to take off sooner, or flattening the sail to reduce power at high speed or in strong winds. Adjusting the depth, and therefore the power, of the mainsail can also save a solo sailor time and energy by reducing the need for risky manoeuvres or headsail changes.

Central hull:
an integrated, structural coachroof

The naval architects and Gitana design team wanted an exceptionally stiff, structurally robust platform. This applies both to the floats, which must withstand heavy loads from the foils and rudders, and to the central hull, which is subject to torsion. The enclosed coachroof is integrated into the hull and contributes to its structural strength. Inside, the cockpit brings all sail-handling controls together, with ergonomics shaped by many hours of design and development. The coachroof also stands out for the number and size of its windows. This configuration meets the visibility requirements of the Ultim class rules and gives sailors the best possible view to keep a visual watch.

21.11.2019

Coastal navigation.

par Gitana

Yesterday, at 19:16 UTC, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was still leading the way and had left in her wake Robben Island, the second and final course mark in the Brest Atlantiques. Since then, Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas have been exploiting a corridor of breeze along the African coast in a bid to gain ground to the north. This climb up to the northern hemisphere is not shaping up to be the simplest of passages from a weather perspective. Astern of them, the situation has changed in terms of the ranking since Cape Town, as Macif’s second pit stop has enabled Actual Leader to move up a place. At the 19:00 UTC position report, the men on Gitana Team boasted a lead of 204.8 miles in relation to the second boat and 232.7 miles in relation to François Gabart and Gwénolé Gahinet now third.

An epic passage

It’s important to understand that for sailors racing offshore, one of the biggest stresses remains their proximity to land. The risks of collision there are numerous and the slightest glitch with a manœuvre can prove catastrophic. If we add changeable weather conditions to the mix as there were yesterday evening in Table Bay… you have all the ingredients to get the old ticker racing!

When the silhouette of Table Mountain looming ahead of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, night was beginning to fall over Cape Town. The SSE’ly breeze of around thirty knots was propelling the 32-metre giant along at high speed towards the bay and the sadly notorious Robben Island. Yann Riou really made the most of this period of high speed making over 40 knots and he managed to get his drone airborne once again for a truly epic flight that he will remember for a very long time to come… Approaching the South cardinal mark (Whale Rock), just a few hundred metres from the entrance to the port, the wind suddenly plummeted! “The wind went from 30 to 0 knots in less than a minute, before rotating and re-establishing itself at 30 knots. Given the proximity of the coast, it wasn’t at all pleasant”, explained Franck Cammas. “We didn’t lose too much ground during the passage, which was a good thing as it really is a windless hole! You can remain completely at a standstill and be unable to make your mark…”

And when it comes to talking about Cape Town, the two skippers know what they’re talking about. Indeed, the city is an iconic stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race and hence a stretch of water very familiar to the two skippers of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. Each of them likes this South African city and that’s why they’d initially hoped to pass it in daylight hours and make the most of the incredible panorama: “It was just too bad, unfortunately we passed by under the cover of darkness, but the city was right there! We could smell the aromas of land… It would have been nice to stop off there but that’s not the name of the game in this particular race”, joked the sailor from Aix-en-Provence. “Cape Town’s behind us! The next passage mark is Brest!” Only given the weather conditions reigning over the South Atlantic, it’s still a long way to north-west Brittany: “To get to Brest, we’re going to have to close on Brazil or the United States for now. The outlook isn’t very quick and it’s complicated up ahead”, concluded Charles Caudrelier.

=> VIDEO OF THE DAY

Experience the passage of the 2nd course mark as if you were there, through the lens of Yann Riou. Franck Cammas et Charles Caudrelier rounded Robben Island early evening on Wednesday 20 November at 19:16 UTC. It was pitch black at the foot of Table Mountain and the effects of land in the bay certainly spiced up this race highlight.

Watch the video

Ranking on 21 November 2019 at 19:00 UTC

1.MAXI EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD (Franck Cammas / Charles Caudrelier / Yann Riou) – distance to the goal: 5,307.2 miles – average speed over the past 30 mins: 32.6 knots

2. ACTUAL LEADER (Yves Le Blevec / Alex Pella / Ronan Gladu) – 204.8 miles behind the leader – average speed over the past 30 mins: 18.3 knots

3. MACIF (François Gabart / Gwenolé Gahinet / Jérémie Eloy) – 232.7 miles behind the leader – average speed over the past 30 mins: 21.3 knots

4. SODEBO ULTIM 3 (Thomas Coville / Jean-Luc Nelias / Martin Keruzoré) – 403.7 miles behind the leader – on a pit stop in Cape Town

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