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  • Gitana 18
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    • 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.

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    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s daggerboard

    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s coachroof

    09.05.2013

    A breezy ArMen Race.

    Setting out from the bay of Quiberon, no two races are the same for Gitana Team. Last Saturday, aboard Gitana 11, Sébastien Josse’s crew were at the start of the Tour de Belle-Ile. After four hours labouring around the course in very light airs, the trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild ranked in 2nd place after a considerable course…

    par Gitana

    Setting out from the bay of Quiberon, no two races are the same for Gitana Team. Last Saturday, aboard Gitana 11, Sébastien Josse’s crew were at the start of the Tour de Belle-Ile. After four hours labouring around the course in very light airs, the trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild ranked in 2nd place after a considerable course reduction. A few days on, the men of Gitana Team are back in the Breton port of La Trinité sur Mer to contest the 3rd edition of the ArMen Race with the Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild. This morning, a few hours before the start, discussions again involved a shortened course, but for very different reasons this time around. Indeed the very light airs have given way to a pretty strong westerly breeze, which bodes well for a fast, lively race.

    Whilst last Saturday’s Tour de Belle-Ile, saw Sébastien Josse and his crew having to deal with a very light wind, this Thursday there’s a rather generous breeze set to accompany the ArMen Race fleet throughout the competition. As such the course has been reduced down to 320 miles (instead of the initially planned 330), the route of which has been modified due to the weather conditions: “The course has been shortened by around ten miles, but most importantly the route has been modified so that we bypass the Occidentale de Sein and Baie d’Audierne sectors. The grib files are indicating a 3m swell around Audierne then 4 to 5m off the Occidentale de Sein. The decision taken by Race Management to send us towards the island of Yeu for two laps is a wise decision,” commented the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild.

    The new course has been geared up so that the fleet of large craft, of which Edmond de Rothschild is part, head for the island of Yeu after keeping to La Teignouse channel and leaving Belle-Ile to port. Once the fleet are around Yeu in France’s Vendée region, Sébastien Josse and his crew will begin the long beat towards the island of Groix, offshore of Lorient, Brittany. At that point they’ll sail downwind back towards Belle-Ile en Mer, where a mark will be awaiting them off Le Palais. It will then be time to launch into the final loop of the circuit towards the island of Yeu: “It promises to be bracing with the wind forecast to be between 20 and 25 knots. The weather is pretty shifty, so we’re sure to have gusts of around 30 knots, particularly late afternoon or tonight,” announced Sébastien Josse at the final crew briefing. “The course modification announced this morning alters the deal quite dramatically. The tacks will be a lot shorter at around two hours between each island. The coastal phases will call for a number of manoeuvres to be performed by the crew. The course is relatively open, but given the weather forecast, the tacks will be predominantly compulsory, alternating between upwind and downwind. The difference will be made as we round the different islands, with good control required on the approach and rounding of Belle-Ile, Yeu as well as Groix.”

    It is at 1455 hours local time, bringing up the rear of the general fleet, that the three competing MOD70s will set sail from La Trinité-sur-Mer. They’ll be accompanied by around fifteen other boats – a mixture of Ultimates, Multi50s and 30-foot Multis – in a westerly wind of 20-25 knots. It promises to be a superb spectacle and the reference time for the event, held by Gitana 11 since 2011 with a time of 14 hours and 5 minutes, will doubtless be in the sights of the largest craft, namely Banque Populaire VII and Prince de Bretagne!

    With one month to go till the Route des Princes, a tour of Europe aboard multihulls which Edmond de Rothschild will compete in, the ArMen Race is the first of the class’ confrontations for Sébastien Josse and his six crew. Indeed, they’ll be on a level pegging with Virbac-Paprec and Oman Air: “This race is a good rehearsal for the Route des Princes. The forecast conditions are perfect to come and size up the competition. The last routing indicated a time of around fifteen hours to complete the course. As such, it’ll be a real sprint, with everyone on deck and a solid relay system between the different helmsman so we can get the very most out of our machine.”

    According to the latest estimations in the MOD70 category, the first one-design should make it back to the channel in La Trinité-sur-Mer in the early hours of tomorrow, just a short time after the Ultimates. However, given the shifty nature of the weather conditions and the sea state, the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild isn’t ruling out a night finish. Whatever happens, the race is likely to be fast with no sleep on the programme for the men of Gitana Team.

    Track the Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild’s progress at: www.dolink.fr/carte/armen-race-2013

    THE CREW OF THE MULTI70 EDMOND DE ROTSHCHILD

    Sébastien Josse (skipper)

    Charles Caudrelier – Thomas Rouxel – Florent Chastel – Olivier Douillard – Jean-Christophe Mourniac

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