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.

09.11.2014

The home straight.

par Gitana

The final sprint to the Antilles arc is on! Since yesterday, Sébastien Josse has been ticking off the miles at a fair old lick 517 miles covered in 24 hours closing on Lionel Lemonchois to finally snatch 3rd place at the 1000 GMT position report. Yet another hierarchy then, but it shouldn’t be taken to seriously as the latest forecasts indicate that the skipper of Prince de Bretagne, positioned to the west and hence directly in line for the finish, will be better located for the home straight. However things pan out, this 10th Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe promises to be high voltage!

After just 7 days of racing, Guadeloupe is readying itself to greet Franck Cammas’ successor for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe crown. And barring material failure, Loïck Peyron is set to take the win aboard the maxi Banque Populaire VII, which is none other than the multihull with which the skipper of Groupama secured victory some four years ago to the day. To beat the event record – 7 days 17 hours 19 minutes and 6 seconds – held since 2006 by Gitana Team, the sailor will have to cross the finish line set off the harbour basin of Pointe-à-Pitre before Monday 10 November at 0719 hours.

Behind the leader, the battle for the third step of the podium is intense. A little over 700 miles from the goal, the strategies are logically diverging out on the race zone. Yesterday afternoon, the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild chose to go on the attack by gybing a few miles earlier than his rival, so as to open up the game in this final section of the race. At the 1000 GMT position report, the trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild had moved up into 3^rd place and boasted a five-mile lead over Prince de Bretagne. “Things have been slipping along very well since yesterday. I didn’t speak to Sébastien on the telephone last night, which is a pretty good sign! That means everything’s panning out as planned. His course over the past few hours has been entirely straight and I think that he and Sidney Gavignet have had a pretty steady breeze and a squall-free night and hence a more stable situation than their rivals to the west. Looking at Lionel Lemonchois’ trajectory, you can see that he’s managed to keep on a very favourable heading throughout the night, but he’s had to put in a lot of manœuvres, which is sure to be linked to a squally situation. That equates to added fatigue and hence greater risk taking. However, for now Lionel remains better lined up for the final sprint. Indeed, you have to base your analysis on the lateral separation to know the actual distance separating the two boats and not on the number of miles left to cover,” explained Antoine Koch.

The final 60 miles

The circumnavigation of Guadeloupe is the final hurdle on this 3,540-mile course between Saint Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre. Indeed, before crossing the finish line set just a stone’s throw from the Place de la Victoire, the solo sailors will have to leave the islet of Tête à l’Anglais and north of the island of Guadeloupe to port. These last sixty miles are now the focus of everyone’s attentions. The latest estimates by the routers for Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild give an ETA for the passage to the north of Guadeloupe as overnight on Monday (GMT), which equates to early Monday evening local time.

Position report on 9 November at 1000 hours (GMT)

Banque Populaire VII (Loïck Peyron) – 324.4 miles from the goal
Spindrift 2 (Yann Guichard) – 230.2 miles behind the leader
Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) – 391.4 miles back
Prince de Bretagne (Lionel Lemonchois) – 396.6miles back
Musandam Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) – 472.2 miles back
Idec Sport (Francis Joyon) – 638.7 miles back
Paprec recyclage (Yann Elies) – 821.5 miles back

Abd – Sodebo Ultim’

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