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.

24.11.2016

At the gateway to the Southern Ocean.

par Gitana

The top trio was still making headway yesterday thanks to a low pressure system they managed to hitch a ride with offshore of Brazil. However, the drop in pace observed since this morning’s rankings, which saw speeds drop below 20 knots, is the harbinger of a change of pace at the head of the pack. Indeed, the low has stumbled into a zone of high pressure and is now shifting southwards. As such, Sébastien Josse and his closest rivals are now sailing under the influence of the Saint Helena High, positioned much further South and East than usual. In front of them, the weather situation lacks clarity with a ridge of high pressure to negotiate. In this context, it’ll be important to be opportunist and responsive.

At the 14:00 GMT ranking, Sébastien Josse was in 3^rdplace, 232 miles behind leader Alex Thomson. The latter has seen the second placed skipper, Armel Le Cléac’h, close to within 89 miles of him. For the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild, who was a few miles ahead of Banque Populaire VIII prior to hitting a UFO with his starboard rudder, the situation is inevitably a little frustrating. Despite this, the solo sailor remains philosophical: “When you make a very silly mistake you know why you’ve lost miles but here… It’s annoying of course, but once again, all that is part and parcel of the vagaries of racing. You have to suck it up and move forward.”

Change of tack

Since Madeira and the negotiation of a ridge of high pressure that enveloped the Vendée Globe fleet in the very early days of the race, Sébastien Josse has been sailing on port tack, which equates to more than 14 days and over 5,500 miles covered on the same tack. A rare occurrence that underlines the quality of the weather conditions that the solo sailors have enjoyed since leaving Les Sables d’Olonne. Indeed, having made the most of the ‘Brazilian front’, the skipper of Gitana 16 gybed this morning: “I gybed about 1hr ago for strategic reasons,” Sébastien Josse explained by way of an introduction to his radio link-up with the Vendée Live, the 11:00 am daily get-together proposed by the organisers throughout the race. “It’s a big manœuvre, around a good 2 hours if you take into account the time spent restacking the first bag through to stowing away the last line.”

Indian Ocean straight ahead

For several days now, there has been rather a different atmosphere aboard the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild, but in the space of a few hours, the contrast appears to be more striking: “We’re arriving in the Southern Ocean! We’ve got out some fleeces, but not the thick ones yet! It’s been colder for a few days, but this morning the contrast was more stark. The birds are here; they’re following us and there’s a bit of fog due to the hot air meeting the cold water. The atmosphere is pretty austere! Right now, I have around twenty knots, but it’s shifty as there are squalls that weren’t forecast on the satellite photos. The wind has gone from 28 to 18 knots so it’s not very comfortable. You have to stay on the look-out. I have 1.5 metres of swell. In this part of the world, you usually start to have very choppy, cross seas, but that’s not the case here. The conditions for rounding the cape look mild, but we’re not yet in the Agulhas current.”

The solo sailors are at the gateway to the Deep South. Sébastien Josse is still making headway towards the Cape of Good Hope and in the early hours of tomorrow he’ll leave the Atlantic Ocean in his wake. With nearly 6,900 miles behind her foils, the most recent addition to the Gitana fleet is about to make her entry into the Indian Ocean. This passage occurs at the longitude of Cape Agulhas. Much less famous than its ‘cousin’ Good Hope, the latter is located 140km to its South-East and is the southernmost promontory of the African continent.

Ranking on 24 November at 14:00 GMT

Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) 17,538.1 miles from the finish
Armel Le Cleac’h (Banque Populaire VIII) 89.8 miles behind the leader
Sébastien Josse (Edmond de Rothschild) 232.1 miles behind the leader
Morgan Lagravière (Safran) 463.5 miles behind the leader
Paul Meilhat (SMA) 750.4 miles behind the leader
Jérémie Beyou (Maître CoQ) 825.0 miles behind the leader
Yann Eliès (Quéguiner Leucémie Espoir) 1,121.4 miles behind the leader

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