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.

24.06.2005

An odd sort of day….

After having raced two roud in light air, clearly favouring Groupama-2, Gitana 11 became the first boat to beat the green trimaran in the third round of the day when the wind picked up. Gitana X also put on an excellent performance giving several favourites cause for concern…

par Gitana

At last ! The single-minded determination of Franck Cammas was starting to look like a hold-up. After his grand slam in Calvi, his win in La Giraglia, everyone was starting to wonder quite whether they would ever manage to see Franck Cammas in their rear view mirror. Well, now that has been taken care of, and a nice job i twas too on behalf of Frédéric Le Peutrec and his crew ! Thierry Duprey du Vorsent also showed him a thing or to on one round. The third round was run in a 13-17 knot breeze (whereas the two previous ones were raced in 3-10 knots). Perfect conditions on a flat sea. The difference in light air between the fleet and Groupama-2 was much less noticeable. It was necessary to get to grips with a rather technical, even tricky, course.

Frédéric Le Peutrec got off to an excellent start on the starboard tack with Pascal Bidégorry as the five other trimarans opted for the port tack to head out to the open sea in search of wind. But Marseille harbour entrance was out of sorts today, alternating puffs of wind and windless zones, along with rather noticeable changes of pressure and shifts. As Gitana 11 rolled round the first windward mark ahead of Foncia and Banque Populaire, Gitana X blocked Groupama-2 throughout the whole of the first upwind leg. Same speed, same heading – perfect conditions for Thierry Duprey du Vorsent and his crew.

Frédéric Le Peutrec was backed up on tactics by Yann Guichard and ran a masterly race marking Pascal Bidégorry perfectly, taking his first Grand Prix win of a round this season. Gitana X was also in the match as she twice beat Italian Giovanni Soldini. A great day all round for the Gitana Team !

ITV with Yann Guichard, tactician on Gitana 11 :

« A tough but beautiful day. Conditions were changeable in terms of intensity and wind direction but we ended up with a good third round. Opportunist with a spot of good luck, just what is needed to win ! Franck Cammas was caught up with on a couple of occasions, depending largely on the wind. In light air, it is almost mission impossible but in winds of more than 12 knots, it can be done. He got of to a good start and we had an excellent one, as did Pascal Bidégorry, on the starboard tack. We did an excellent first section downind with a little more pressure which meant that we were able to increase the gap with Banque Populaire. On the second round, we broke the rudder on the port float at the last windward mark. The shore crew did a fantastic job. We only had 30 minutes before the next start and they managed to change the rudder in time ! Brilliant ! During the winter, they had the bright idea of putting the transom in front of the rudder stock – it is more practical to work on ! »

ITV with Erwan Le Roux, tactician on Gitana X :

« We’ve good reason to be pleased ! We discovered a dagger board adjustment which meant we could hold our own with Groupama-2 throughout a whole upwind leg. That’s new and great to know. Otherwise, we pulled off one or two good things here and there, a couple of good starts, some good manoeuvres. We still have a spot of bother holding onto our position over two or three days. We had Géant, TIM-Progetto Italia… and Groupama-2 in our rear view mirror from time to time. Not bad ! The boat is better, but in light air on the first two rounds Gitana X still has a tough time keeping up. This is like an extension of the Grand Prix de Corse. We can put up a fight, put our friends in difficulty and hold onto positions we couldn’t hold onto last season. We are more at ease on the water and that can be seen with the crew too who did an excellent job all round today. When the manoeuvres go well, you can go the distance more easily. It’s interesting. That’s where the sporting element comes in – tactics and all that ! Looking forward to tomorrow… »

Provisional Rankings – Grand Prix de Marseille Métropole after three rounds :

1-Franck Cammas – Groupama-2 (1+1+4) 6 points
2-Pascal Bidegorry – Banque Populaire (2+3+2) 7 points
3-Frédéric Le Peutrec – Gitana 11 (3+4+1) 8 points
4-Michel Desjoyeaux – Géant (4+2+5) 11 points
5-Armel Le Cléac’h – Foncia (5+5+3) 13 points
6-Thierry Duprey du Vorsent – Gitana X (6+7+6) 19 points
7-Giovanni Soldini – TIM Progetto Italia (7+6+7) 20 points

Round 1 : windward-leeward course, 3 rounds, S wind 3-8 knots
Round 2 : windward-leeward course, 2 rounds, S wind 8-12 knots
Round 3 : windward-leeward course, 2 rounds, SSE wind 13-18 knots

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