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.

13.11.2019

A tough windless day for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

par Gitana

Yesterday, Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas put their race to one side briefly as they made a technical pit stop in Salvador de Bahia. As such, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was dockside for a dozen hours or so in order that the shore team dispatched to the site could replace the lower section of the daggerboard that had been damaged a few days earlier. Setting sail again at 21:00 UTC, the two men were keen to quickly get back into race mode, albeit in the knowledge that the upcoming weather situation was not the simplest of forecasts. This Thursday, stopped in their tracks by a windless transition zone at the latitude of Porto Seguro, a phenomenon which is extending beyond the conditions forecast, the sailors aboard Gitana Team have no other choice than to grin and bear it, whilst their competitors make good their escape to the South.

Sailing, a sport synonymous with patience

Yesterday evening, the duo on Edmond de Rothschild made no secret of its desire to head back out to sea and get back in the match. It has to be said that this technical pit stop, though necessary for sailing the boat at her full potential, brought to an end their 5-day reign at the top of the leader board. Indeed, it effectively wiped out a week’s work at sea, in which Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier had managed to steal a march on their pursuers. On Sunday, Macif was then in 2^nd place with a deficit of nearly 180 miles in relation to the maxi-trimaran with five arrows! For our duo, they’ve got to start that work all over again and the past day spent hunting down the breeze along the Brazilian coast has added salt to the wounds a little. Inevitably irritated by this situation, Charles and Franck still remain philosophical however: “There is still a very long way to go! We’re working with the hand that’s been dealt us, one day at a time”, wrote the sailors to their shore crew.

It’s worth noting too that Macif is due to stop off for a quick pit stop herself in Rio de Janeiro to replace the rudder on the central hull, which broke after impact with a UFO (Unidentified Floating Object).

Message from Yann Riou, aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, received at daybreak this Wednesday: A funny old day. The race is on hold. Pit stop. A lot of work undertaken by the shore crew. And a start just a few hours after making landfall in Salvador. Before we could even familiarise ourselves with the comfort of life on terra firma again. And here I am sitting in the same place as yesterday, my tablet on my knees. Just above me, Franck and Charles are back on watch. In race mode! Nothing seems to have changed since yesterday, and yet. Our boat has regained her potential, our skippers are super motivated, our team can be proud of a job well done and our dishes are clean. We spent a day in Brazil. Funny old day, Yann

PS: I think it’s the first time I’ve come to Brazil without drinking a single Caipirinha!

TODAY’S VIDEO, BY YANN RIOU

Watch the video

A successful commando operation

Arriving in the early hours of the morning in the Bay of All Saints, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild left it in her wake at dusk. In the meantime, the members of Gitana Team didn’t have a minutes’ respite. Indeed, it should be pointed out that the operation carried out yesterday in the port of Salvador de Bahia can take several days in normal time. Here, in the space of 12hrs, the préparateurs led by Pierre Tissier accomplished a colossal amount of work to enable their skippers to get back out on the racetrack as quickly as possible. We review the images of these few Brazilian hours in the Brest Atlantiques.

Ranking on 13 November 2019 at 15:00 UTC

1. MACIF (François Gabart / Gwenolé Gahinet / Jérémie Eloi) – 9,048.7 miles – average speed over the past 30 mins: 26.1 knots

2. SODEBO ULTIM 3 (Thomas Coville / Jean-Luc Nelias / Martin Keruzoré) – 99 miles behind the leader – average speed over the past 30 mins: 25 knots

3. MAXI EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD (Franck Cammas / Charles Caudrelier / Yann Riou) – 431.4 miles behind the leader – average speed over the past 30 mins: 3.1 knots

4. ACTUAL LEADER (Yves Le Blevec / Alex Pella / Ronan Gladu) – 439.2 miles behind the leader – average speed over the past 30 mins: 14.2 knots

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