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.

06.04.2007

Waiting for the calm….

With very little separating the leading group in the BPE Trophy, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, currently 4th on Domaine du Mont d'Arbois, anticipates the imminent crossing of the area of high pressure that should determine whom, out of the ‘southerners' or ‘northerners', has made the right choice! Thierry is keeping closest eye on the central group, w…

par Gitana

With very little separating the leading group in the BPE Trophy, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, currently 4th on Domaine du Mont d’Arbois, anticipates the imminent crossing of the area of high pressure that should determine whom, out of the ‘southerners’ or ‘northerners’, has made the right choice! Thierry is keeping closest eye on the central group, with whom the gaps have also narrowed over the last few hours and who are becoming a very real threat.

Having crossed a large squall, Domaine du Mont d’Arbois is currently sailing in 8 knots of west/north-westerly wind, mainsail and genoa up. The wind seems to be returning and the Gitana Team skipper has not given up hope of still being able to keep up a reasonable pace aboard his Figaro. Then, the wind is likely to drop and Thierry is resigned to facing the torments of the windless zone, “the worst enemy of the Figaro sailor”!

Thierry Duprey du Vorsent on the radio at 11:30:

On the last 48 hours? “Yesterday was hell… Figaro style! It wasn’t only the difficult conditions with the passing of a front averaging 30 knots and gusting up to 40, plus a cross sea, but over and above all, a boat that is hard to control in itself. There’s nowhere to sit down for a second, let alone relax! It’s very uncomfortable and you’re permanently watching out so as not to injure yourself… And what’s more, feeling as if you’re sailing in a swimming pool doesn’t help! Since this morning, I’ve mopped up three times and probably need to do it again. Everything’s soaked, there’s literally nothing dry … So let’s be positive; within a few hours, I’m sure to be stuck in the doldrums but at least I should be able to dry things out a bit! Last night was a bit calmer, 20/25 knots rising to 30 in the squalls, all beneath a lovely starry sky.”
On the next 36 hours?“I noticed that Armel Tripon’s headed much further south… I don’t know what he’s hoping for or what he saw in the weather info, but I’m carrying on… given the speed a Figaro travels at, I can’t imagine getting around the high pressure zone. It’s slap-bang in the middle of our route! The best thing to do is to prepare oneself psychologically, as these windless periods are definitely the most difficult to manage, especially with the fatigue accumulated over nearly 2 weeks’ racing! The next 48, 72 or even 120 hours are going to be really testing… you make less progress than normal, and you have to be permanently vigilant so as not no miss out on any adjustment that might gain you a few tenths of a knot!”

On the rest of the fleet? “I’m watching the central group most closely, as they’ve got dangerously near. I’d really like to increase the gap with them a bit in order to avoid any nasty surprises.”

Ranking of the TRophée BPE, Friday 6 April at 15:00:

Rank Boat / Skipper Latitude Longitude Vit. Cap Dist. But Dist. 1st
1 Gedimat/Armel Tripon 29 48.52′ N 37 16.73′ W 7.0 222 157 1.3 0.0
2 Susuki Automobiles/Eric Defert 32 26.88′ N 38 51.60′ W 7.5 223 157 5.7 4.3
3 Theolia / Robert Nagy 30 27.40′ N 37 32.69′ W 6.6 226 157 6.6 5.2
4 Domaine du Mont d’Arbois / T. Duprey du Vorsent 30 54.90′ N 37 37.08′ W 7.5 231 158 4.9 13.5
5 Art Immobilier construction /Daniel Dupont 31 06.47′ N 36 36.91′ W 6.3 206 163 7.8 66.4
6 A.ST Groupe / Marc Emig 26 51.80′ N 34 29.02′ W 5.8 231 163 9.8 68.5
7 Groupe Céléos / Ronan Treussart 27 21.36′ N 34 25.91′ W 5.9 203 165 1.3 80.0
8 Luisiana / Eric Drouglazet 27 04.22′ N 34 13.92′ W 5.7 215 165 6.3 84.9
9 Les Mousquetaires / Bertrand de Broc 27 21.06′ N 33 54.60′ W 6.3 233 167 5.7 104.4
10 Aquarelle.com / Yannick Bestaven 24 21.04′ N 32 49.21′ W 5.5 209 168 6.1 114.7
…
Source www.tropheebpe.com

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