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.

01.10.2011

Place your bets.

par Gitana

The race committee was right to make a switch from the normal race format and wake the eleven crews competing in the Nice Grand Prix at the crack of dawn. Indeed, a fine breeze was blowing this morning, enabling four consistent races; whilst this afternoon the wind had totally died away in the Bay of Angels, only allowing a single race to be run. Always in the top three, with the exception of one race, Edmond de Rothschild Group pulled off a blinder today, moving up to the head of the provisional standing. With a day to go till the end of the French stage, Pierre Pennec and his men have given themselves every chance to glean a second victory in the 2011 circuit.

The fourth day of competition in the Nice Grand Prix began at first light today. It was a rare occurrence in the Extreme Sailing Series, which is used to racing in the afternoon. However, the race committee’s fears of the wind dropping away to nothing later in the day were fully justified, so the organisers were quite right to switch the programme around. For the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group, this morning’s four races were prolific: “This morning, we focused on scoring important points, without necessarily winning races. I had a very good feeling at the helm. Christophe is playing more of a strategic role than normal and that takes some pressure off me, enabling me to concentrate more on our boat speed. Today there were a lot of contact situations, as the level of the fleet is very similar, and we always had what it took to get clear without incurring penalties, which is essential for rounding off the racing in a good position” explained Pierre Pennec.

Second in the provisional ranking for three days, Pierre Pennec and his men have today moved up a step to take control of this competition in Nice. This is real grounds for satisfaction, and they made the most of it on their return to shore, whilst being well aware that their outright win in Nice certainly isn’t a done deal yet: “We can’t complain about the position we’re in this evening, but there’s still a day of racing to go and the points will be totted up tomorrow evening. Indeed experience tells us that in the Extreme Sailing Series, one day of racing can completely reshuffle the cards, particularly the last legendary race of the competition which scores double points,” recalled Thierry Fouchier, the crew’s headsail trimmer.The skipper of Edmond de Rothschild Group shared this mindset: “We’ve put up a consistent performance since the start of this Grand Prix. We haven’t had exceptional days but we’re often in the top half of the fleet. This has enabled us to be in pole position prior to the final races tomorrow. Despite all that, there are very few points separating us from our pursuers and we’re going to have to put up a solid performance, especially as our rivals will be hounding us. However, the crew’s prepared for that. As such, tomorrow, rather than going all out to win each race, we’re going to try to apply ourselves, which is something we’ve succeeding in doing so far. What that means is that we will need to be consistent with the right amount of opportunism, without taking any reckless risks.”

For tomorrow, the organisers have just announced that the day will be identical to today’s race format, to ensure a maximum number of races, thus rounding off the event in style. In this way, the first two hour sailing session will begin at 0830 hours. Then the Extreme 40s will be back racing in the nautical stadium at 1400 hours, in the hope that the wind Gods will finally be feeling more generous. At that point, the die will be cast and the winner of the seventh act of the Extreme Sailing Series will be revealed at around 1700 hours local time.

Ranking for the Nice Grand Prix after the 4^th day

Edmond de Rothschild Group (FRA) – 173 points
Alinghi (SUI) – 170 points
Artemis Racing (SWE) – 169 points
Luna Rossa (ITA) – 152 points
Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) – 144 points
Emirates TeamNew Zealand(NZ) – 139 points
OmanAir (OMA) – 132 points
Team GAC Pindar (GBR) – 129 points
The Wave, Muscat (OMA) – 109 points
Niceforyou (ITA) – 100 points
Team Extreme (EUR) – 87 points

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