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.

20.06.2018

An eye on the Volvo!.

A few days ago, during one of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s offshore outings, Sébastien Josse and his crew made a quick detour via the Celtic Sea to pay tribute to the Volvo Ocean Race fleet. The seven one-designs were just starting the tenth and penultimate leg of the event between Cardiff and Gothenburg. In addition to the beautiful images spre…

par Gitana

Indeed, Sébastien Josse has not forgotten that he owes a great deal to this famous round the world race with stopovers. In 2005-2006, he was the youngest skipper in history to have been entrusted with a Volvo boat and above all he was once again paving the way for French sailors in the event, the last such skipper being a certain Eric Tabarly! The Volvo was a key stage in his life as a sailor, as it was for Thomas Rouxel, his co-skipper and training partner in this year coloured by singlehanded sailing. Originally from Erquy in Brittany, the latter finished third in the 2014-2015 edition with Dongfeng Race Team and more recently has sailed aboard Brunel. It was during the leg across the Southern Ocean between Auckland and Itajai that the Dutch VOR masterfully took the win…

#VIDEO

Tomorrow, the Volvo fleet will set sail on the last 700 miles of its 2017-2018 edition. A very short leg, but one where the atmosphere promises to be electric. Prior to this final leg to The Hague, three of the seven competitors are still in with a chance of outright victory, virtually tied on points at the top of the leaderboard… As such, the suspense is tangible and the tension will be at its peak on 24 June, the date the one-designs are expected to reach Holland. Sébastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel, enlightened observers of this perfect scenario, have kindly got embroiled in the game of predictions for us: “It’s kind of like the perfect goal this story! I have been thinking about all the teams, as it promises to be a really intense finish. The next days will be very intense for them, but that will make outright victory all the finer… Brunel is the crew to beat at the moment and they’ve racked up a massive amount of confidence over the past four legs. They’re solid and I greatly admire the way they’ve sailed at the end of this race. Mapfre, after dominating play at the start of this round the world, seems in contrast to be performing less well now… but they’re still in the game. Xabi Fernandez is a great sailor. Dongfeng has displayed impressive consistency for months and is always at the top of the table. All three clearly deserve to win, but my favourite has to be our ‘frenchies’ led by Charles! They’re honouring French expertise”, admits Sébastien Josse.

“It’s a very tough question! There is very little separating the teams at the finish of the long legs so imagine what it will be like for this one… There will be a massive number of moves to be played with a lot of localised effects and tides to negotiate… Anything is possible among the three and the fact that they’re virtually tied on points shows that they all deserve it. However things play out, the winner of this edition will be a very fine victor! Personally, Brunel seems to have the psychological advantage for the end of this race and has been very successful since their victory in Itajai. They’re sailing very well and confidently. But inevitably I have a lot of very good friends aboard Dongfeng and I’d like to see them win this Volvo,” explains Thomas Rouxel.

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