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.

31.12.2008

Gitana Eighty and Loïck Peyron safely in port.

Symbolically it has taken until the last day of the year for Loïck Peyron to reach terra firma… Three weeks after Gitana Eighty's dismasting in the Indian Ocean, the solo sailor has made it to Perth on the SW coast of Australia, on the morning of Wednesday 31st December (local time). The arrival is reminiscent of a deliverance as it brings to an en…

par Gitana

Symbolically it has taken until the last day of the year for Loïck Peyron to reach terra firma… Three weeks after Gitana Eighty’s dismasting in the Indian Ocean, the solo sailor has made it to Perth on the SW coast of Australia, on the morning of Wednesday 31st December (local time). The arrival is reminiscent of a deliverance as it brings to an end a long delivery of over 2,800 miles, made possible by the installation of a jury rig.

A closely watched arrival
Accompanied by Dominique Wavre and some members of Mike Golding’s shore crew, Olivier Wroczynski left the port at around 0700 hrs this morning, local time (2300 hrs GMT), to link up with Loïck Peyron who was just a stone’s throw from the coast at that stage. Half an hour later, Gitana Eighty was in sight. Soon after that ‘Zolive’ (Olivier) hauled himself onto the monohull to help the solo sailor with the manœuvres required to enter port. At 0845 hrs (0045 GMT), in an overpowering heat – the thermometer already bordering on 30°C that early in the morning – the monohull in the colours of the LCF Rothschild Group came alongside in the commercial port of Fremantle. From the minute they tied up and for three hours after that, Loïck Peyron and Olivier Wroczynski were subject to various searches by the Australian administration. The first of these, which was also the longest, is referred to as the ‘quarantine’ and aims to track down any suspect ‘contaminated’ food so as it doesn’t come into the country. For this, two people from the dedicated department were the first to climb aboard the vessel to carry out a thorough inspection, going through and emptying everything carefully and meticulously. After this the Customs Officials took over with various and varied administrative forms.

With that settled, Loïck Peyron was able to join up with Dominique Wavre and Mike Golding, they too suffering damage and ‘seeking refuge’ in Perth. It was an opportunity for the three sailors to share their respective feelings and discuss the terms of the repatriation of their respective boats. Indeed, mid-January, Gitana Eighty, Temenos and Ecover will be loaded onto the same cargo ship bound for Europe. This tricky operation, which initially consists of detaching the keel and then positioning the hull onto a cradle manufactured for the purpose of placing it on the cargo ship, will require the presence of the shore crew until the date the cargo leaves port. As such Olivier Wroczynski will be joined in the next few days by two other technicians from Gitana Team.

Leaving Gitana Eighty in the safe hands of Zolive, the sailor from La Baule very quickly headed for Perth airport – just four hours after arriving on Australian soil – in order to get back to France and his nearest and dearest. As a result, it’s not onshore but in the air that Loïck Peyron will see in the new year…
As such, though 10th December marked the premature end of his race, today, 31st December brings this 2008-2009 edition of the Vendée Globe to a close for this particular team. Indeed, with his arrival in the port of Fremantle, a page has been turned for the skipper of Gitana Eighty. However, to date, the sailor hasn’t yet come to any conclusions about what happened three weeks ago to cause the mast of the monohull equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild to give way.

Gitana Team wishes you a very Happy New Year 2009!

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