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.

01.08.2010

A Sunday on a razor-edge.

par Gitana

There was some high-voltage racing during this second day of the Grand Prix of Cowes. Aside from this Sunday morning’s coastal course, which was contested in around ten knots of breeze, this afternoon’s races were marked by in excess of 20 knots of wind, added to which were some big, cross seas. The full-on, spectacular conditions delighted the sailing enthusiasts flocking along the Cowes’ Esplanade, but once again put pressure on the sailors and led to breakage aboard the one designs. Third in the provisional ranking yesterday evening, the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group has dropped a place to the benefit of The Wave Muscat. Indeed Paul Campbell-James’ men put up a remarkable performance, not only making it into the top 3 but taking the overall lead.

As far as the weather is concerned, it’s been a lively day in the Isle of Wight and the intensity has cranked up a notch as Yann Guichard confirmed on his return to Venture Quays: “the wind was a tad stronger than yesterday and the seas were just as big as we’re still in a wind over tide situation. The courses are short, which means there are more chances to cross tacks with our rivals and hence more likelihood of contact between boats.”

Contact is the right word as the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group found out during the 5^th race of the day. As they were racing in the leading pack after rounding the windward mark, the catamaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild collided with Groupama 40. The incident caused both rudders on Franck Cammas’ one design to be pulled out. What happened next was worthy of a blockbuster film as the French skipper and his men were forced to abandon ship as Groupama no longer had any steering and was heading straight for the sea wall. Fortunately it was more frightening than harmful as the four crew came off unharmed after their unintended dip in the Solent. “We were on the starboard layline and were tacking under Groupama, which infers that we were committed. At the windward mark, Groupama bore away in front of us, which gave us no way of escaping: we couldn’t avoid hitting them! Our starboard bow then hit and broke the top of their port rudder, which ripped out their entire system and led to the present situation. There was only slight contact but it had serious consequences which we’re deeply sorry for” explained Yann Guichard.

For Roland Jourdain’s men, who have only joined the Extreme Sailing Series for this English event, the introduction has been a complicated one. Yesterday they’d already suffered a bit of bad luck when they hit a mark during the first start of the afternoon. Breaking their starboard rudder during the impact, the crew of Véolia Environnement had to say goodbye to the five races contested. Today technical issues prevented them from taking the start of two of the six races run.

As each of the Grand Prix events go by, the skipper of Gitana is constantly repeating the fact that on short courses such as those proposed by the Extreme Sailing Series format, getting off to a good start is a prerequisite for snatching the top spots in the ranking. Poor timing or bad positioning often proves damning for the next stage of the race. This was very much the case today: “I wasn’t good at all during the starts!” admitted Yann Guichard before continuing: “it’s a difficult race zone as at this time of day the current is pushing us towards the line and you have to give yourself some room so you don’t cross it too soon. Added to that there’s an exclusion zone imposed by the organisers (a zone which limits all the competitors to a narrow start corridor). The upshot of that was that I found it difficult to position Edmond de Rothschild Group correctly. We’ll have to do better tomorrow!”

Provisional ranking of the Grand Prix of Cowes on 1^st August (after 12 races)

The Wave, Muscat (Paul Campbell-James) – 85 points
Ecover Sailing Team (Mike Golding) – 80 points
Oman Sail Masirah (Loïck Peyron) – 74 points
Edmond de Rothschild Group (Yann Guichard) – 67 points
The Ocean Racing Club (Mitch Booth) – 61 points
Red Bull Extrême Sailing (Roman Hagara) – 56 points
Groupama 40 (Franck Cammas) – 50 points*
Team GAC Pindar (Nick Moloney) – 47 points
Veolia Environnement (Roland Jourdain) – 9 points

*Awaiting the redress agreed by the jury following their collision

The crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group

Yann Guichard – Skipper, helm / Pierre Pennec – Mainsail trimmer / Thierry Fouchier – Headsail trimmer / Nicolas Heintz – Bowman

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