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.

21.05.2006

A weekend of torment.

The weather conditions in the Baie des Anges have been tough, not to say fierce! After the dismasting of Gitana 12 on Friday, Banque Populaire IV capsized on Saturday, while Gitana 11 burst her mainsail battens on Sunday… All in all, it's been a very lively Trophée du Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes!

par Gitana

The weather conditions in the Baie des Anges have been tough, not to say fierce! After the dismasting of Gitana 12 on Friday, Banque Populaire IV capsized on Saturday, while Gitana 11 burst her mainsail battens on Sunday… All in all, it’s been a very lively Trophée du Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes!

The good folk of Nice are not accustomed to see a Baie des Anges that can only be described as… devilish! So much so that at one point on Saturday, wind speeds of 82 knots (140 km) were recorded off Cap Corse… The Mediterranean frequently springs surprises with its cyclothymic rhythms, but this weekend, nothing short of unadulterated rage has been spewing forth from the mouth of Aeolus! On Saturday, the coastal route between Nice and Antibes proved to be spicy but still manageable, with a 12-knot south-westerly wind beneath Nice Château, 20 knots by the entrance to Antibes port… and gusts of thirty-five knots in the ocean across from Nice airport. And in such conditions, it’s not easy to combine racing and handling a trimaran on very short, highly chaotic seas.
Having got off to a good start, Gitana 11 took the head of the fleet, but a windless zone opposite the runways put Banque Populaire IV back in front: Pascal Bidégorry was the first to reach the mark at Antibes, but on the tough run downwind, she was going off track and as she endeavoured to right herself, her bows went under… and Banque Populaire IV was back in front! Arriving a few lengths behind, Frédéric Le Peutrec was forced to swerve out to sea to avoid striking her, then remain in the area to try to be of assistance. Gitana 11 then decided to lower all her sails following a communication error with the Race Committee. The next day, the Complaints Committee reinstated her in second place (the position she had occupied on passing the last marker), taking into account her “sailor’s spirit”.

Sunday saw no let-up in the rough seas and strong southwesterly wind, which was blowing at twenty knots at the start, rising to 25 before finishing at over 30 knots… After a lap and a half on a banana-shaped prelude course close to the wind, the three trimarans still in the race were neck and neck with everything to play for, only for technical problems to again rear their ugly head when Gitana 11’s upper mainsail battens snapped. Frédéric Le Peutrec and his crew were forced to abandon the race, leaving Franck Cammas and Michel Desjoyeaux to finish the regatta at moderate speed.
So this weekend of torment has brought a victory for Groupama 2 ahead of Géant (as they’re equal on points, they will be separated by the result of the final race), with Gitana 11 clinching third place on the podium. As for Gitana 12, the technical team has been working all weekend at its yard in La Ciotat to get the trimaran shipshape, the two pieces of its mast having already been taken to Lorima in Lorient for repair.

Multi Cup Café Ambassador Rankings

After the London-Alpes Maritimes Race (coefficient 2) and the Trophée du Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes (coefficient 0.5):
1-Franck Cammas (Groupama 2): 12.5 points (10+2.5)
2-Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire IV): 9 points (8+1)
3-Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant): 8 points (6+2)
4-Frédéric Le Peutrec (Gitana 11): 5.5 points (4+1.5)
5-Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (Gitana 12): 2.5 points (2+0.5)

Trophée du Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes Rankings

(Two rounds completed)
1-Franck Cammas (Groupama 2) 11 points (5+6)
2-Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant) 11 points (6+5)
3-Frédéric Le Peutrec (Gitana 11) 6 points (5+1)
4-Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire IV) 1 point (1+0)
5-Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (Gitana 12) 0 point (0+0)

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