Qualification and measurement certificate ticked off
The summer of 2026 has proven to be an intense and particularly studious affair for the members of Gitana Team and their skipper with a series of crewed test sails to speed up the fine-tuning of the latest addition to the fleet of large oceanic flying multihulls, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.
Last week, Tuesday 1 September, Charles Caudrelier cast off singlehanded with Gitana 18 for the first time, returning to one of his real passions and talents. On the programme was a return trip to the north of Ireland, which gave the sailor a chance to continue his training and gain further insight into the inner workings of Gitana 18. After over 48 hours at sea and 1,200 miles on the clock, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild made it back to the dock and in so doing qualified for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Clutching both an entry ticket and a signed and sealed measurement certificate, it is all systems go for the reigning champion and his new steed with less than two months till the big day.
Six questions to Charles Caudrelier
Where are you at with less than 60 days until the start of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, which will be the first official race for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild?
“We’re just about where we wanted to be. The race preparation phase has great appeal for me: everything’s falling into place, the planets are aligned and that creates a dynamic energy. We have a new boat, whose potential we can already gauge, in my favourite race… so the mindset is very positive. What sets it apart from the Route du Rhum 2022 is the experience and status. During the last edition, I said that the weak link could well be me. Today, the reverse is true. I have experience while the boat still only has a few miles under her belt offshore. Gitana 18 is a young, highly promising boat but she’s in the midst of her development phase.”
Is lining up for the start of the Rhum eight months after the launch is a substantial technical and competitive gamble?
“Yes, it remains a gamble and a significant challenge as no one has managed to fine-tune a boat like this in such a short space of time. Generally speaking, you need two or three years to have a high-performance boat.
This is especially true given that with Gitana 18, we’ve chosen to do something way different to anything that’s gone before. On top of that, when you’re breaking new ground, you obviously take risks.
Day in day out, we’re resolving teething issues and it is these tweaks that will enable us to perform well in a few weeks’ time.”
Last week you validated your qualification. What was this first experience sailing the boat single-handed like?
“Just perfect, and it was high time! Single-handed sailing is second nature for me. It’s an exercise in which I’ve always felt at ease. When you’re alone, you’re more focused, you’re more at one with your boat because you’re responsible for everything. It’s even easier for me to get a feel for a boat on my own than in a crew. Gitana 18 is easy to sail single-handed because everything has been very carefully designed to do just that.”
You have a rather different programme to that of your rivals, with an on-the-water refit scheduled over the coming weeks instead of competitive clashes and training. Can you explain your reasoning?
“The timing is such that we have to make choices and essentially we have to write our own narrative adapted to where we’re at in Gitana 18’s life. We were keen to go all out with our time on the water so as to gen up as much as possible with her before setting a deadline for making any improvements we’ve identified. Winning the Route du Rhum on an Ultim is like winning in F1: you need the best car. With the experience I’ve racked up today in solo format, training is less important. What I need most is a boat prepared as well as possible. A quick, reliable boat gives you a greater chance of winning than additional training with a boat that’s not yet firing on all cylinders.”
In practical terms, what’s involved in the technical overhaul in the coming weeks?
“We’re removing all the appendages. Within Gitana, we like to ensure all our appendages are as clean as possible prior to races because this will have a massive impact on their performance. We’re also going to make the most of the opportunity to check all our systems. This is crucial because everything is new and largely unprecedented as it’s been specially manufactured for Gitana 18. The past three months of sea trials have been invaluable. We had a lot of questions at the start. Now, we have a lot of answers and solutions, so we’re going to apply them.”
What’s next for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild before you head to Saint Malo?
“We’ll get out sailing again in late September. After this technical pit-stop, I have around a fortnight of training lined up and naturally it would be great if we could get to sail for half of that period. That would enable us to test the recent modifications and optimisations. Gitana 18 won’t be racing at her full potential at the start of the Route du Rhum but the team will have given its all to be competitive on the start line.”
