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.

04.11.2007

A gentle start.

Now they're on their way! Today, it was the turn of the 13 multihulls, both 60 and 50-footers, entered in this 8th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre – Bahia), to get off their marks. The Lionel Lemonchois - Yann Guichard pairing at the helm of Gitana 11, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild's 60-foot trimaran, shot off on route to Brazil in th…

par Gitana

Now they’re on their way! Today, it was the turn of the 13 multihulls, both 60 and 50-footers, entered in this 8th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre – Bahia), to get off their marks. The Lionel Lemonchois – Yann Guichard pairing at the helm of Gitana 11, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild’s 60-foot trimaran, shot off on route to Brazil in the smoothest of manners. The phrase “shot of”, on reflection, might be overdoing it bit, as the start was sounded amid barely 5 knots of wind! That situation is unlikely to persist, however, and the big multihulls will be called upon to deploy all of their power in order to reach Salvador de Bahia, not without first having overtaken the fleet of monohulls which departed yesterday.

As planned, the start took place at 13:02, but in a 5-knot north-north-easterly breeze. Gitana 11 crossed the line in an unruffled fashion, mainsail and genoa up and set slightly back from her competitors. It was the trimaran Brossard who got off to the quickest start but before long, Groupama took advantage of the light air to slip into the lead. On passing the Metzinger marker, Franck Cammas was still in front ahead of Pascal Bidégorry and Lionel Lemonchois. Gitana 11’s crew raised its Code Zero just before passing the marker, hoping to exploit the slight breeze which seemed to rise over the water. A very light forward mainsail, the Code Zero is specially designed for these conditions as it allows the crews to make the most of light air.

On leaving the pontoon this morning, Lionel Lemonchois was lucid and relaxed:

“These starting conditions are like being in the Med! There’s very little wind and the first few days look likely to remain very calm. So the accent will be on speed rather than survival! It’s difficult to predict the timing, 11 or perhaps 12 days’ racing, but whatever happens, the most important thing is to finish first, irrespective of the time it takes. Given the weather situation that is quite advantageous for our lighter competitors, there’s a risk of us being outstripped by a certain green boat for a few days, but that was also the case on the Route du Rhum and look what happened there! One thing is for sure: we’re setting off with cool heads and plenty of confidence!”

Yann Guichard, co-skipper of Gitana 11:

“In this situation, you’re always just itching to get going. The boat is ready and the race promises to be very open. While the conditions are very variable, we can be sure of one thing: the start’s going to be calm but there will very soon be key decisions to make. We’re gonna have to be on the ball right from the word go.”

Update on the night spent by Gitana Eighty, which set off from Le Havre at 14:00 hours yesterday:

During the morning radio chat at a point when she headed the fleet, Gitana Eighty’s skipper Loïck Peyron admitted to having passed a difficult night: “We’re a little tired. It’s fair to say that this early part of the race has been anything but a walk in the park. We were sailing in pretty shallow waters all night long and had to make no end of manoeuvres. Everything’s going well on board: I’m very pleased with the boat, and passing Safran last night was very reassuring, as I have to admit that the superb way she moved up the field at the start certainly gave us food for thought!”

The Gitana Eighty skipper had declared before departing that “it’s the type of race where the positions can change every couple of hours!”, and so it proved at 12:00 when Générali moved ahead of Gitana Eighty by some 0.7 of a mile.

Positions at 16:00 – ORMA multihulls

1st: Groupama
2nd: Banque Populaire, 1.1 miles behind the leader
3rd: Gitana 11, 3 miles behind
4th: Sopra Group, 3.2 miles behind
5th: Brossard, 5.5 miles behind

Positions at 16:00 – IMOCA monohulls

1st: Groupe Bel
2nd: Ecover, 0.5 miles behind
3rd: Brit Air, 0.6 miles behind
4th: Akena Vérandas, 0.6miles behind
5th: Foncia, 1.2 miles behind
6th: Safran, 1.2miles behind
7th: Gitana Eighty, 1.4miles behind
….

Follow the race live from Saturday 3 November, courtesy of regular updates and a detailed cartography
on www.gitana-team.com

Retourner aux articles

Heritage