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.

16.05.2003

D + 5 – Gitana withdraws from the Challenge Mondial Assistance.

There are times when reason has the edge over passion... Although the wish to get back into the race as soon as possible was uppermost in the mind of the Gitana Team, there was no choice but to face up to reality and accept that the damage sustained to the dagger board yesterday morning was too heavy to consider getting underway hastily. "It's bett…

par Gitana

There are times when reason has the edge over passion… Although the wish to get back into the race as soon as possible was uppermost in the mind of the Gitana Team, there was no choice but to face up to reality and accept that the damage sustained to the dagger board yesterday morning was too heavy to consider getting underway hastily. "It’s better to prepare calmly and correctly for the Grand Prix de Cagliari. Therefore, we are withdrawing from the race" explained Lionel Lemonchois during today’s chat session.

Here’s a quick reminder of what happened. Yesterday morning, 15th May for a reason which is as yet unexplained , the dagger board snapped off on a level with the hull as Gitana was lying in 7th position of the Challenge Mondial Assistance and was getting ready to attack the Strait of Gibraltar. “We were rather pleased with ourselves. The only gear to have broken was a sail batten and the boat was at 100% of her capacity. It’s a real shame because we were highly motivated at the idea of attacking the Mediterranean…” stated Lionel Lemonchois, contacted by telephone at 12h30 today. After having secured the broken appendage (attached under one of the float’s crossbeams and the gennaker support aft), the boat first headed for Cadix then decided to go to the marina in Puerto Sherry where the technical shore team arrived yesterday evening around 20h00.

A wise decision

After having inspected the damage and made a diagnosis, the decision to withdraw from the Challenge Mondial Assistance was made after having talked it over with the whole of the Gitana Team. “This is never an easy decision to make, but that’s part of the ups and downs of our sport” murmured Lionel Lemonchois. “There was no way we could continue the race with this sort of handicap and it was essential to inspect the damage to see whether it had damaged the boat or not“. Olivier Besse, Project Manager for Team Gitana continued : “We had to make sure that the dagger board casing had not suffered as a result of the damage. It is a matter of priority and even if we sent divers down to have a look, we could not be 100% certain. By far the wisest thing to do is to rally La Ciotat and carry out repairs calmly and to find out how and why the damage occured too !“.

Tomorrow

“We have managed to recover the bit of the dagger board which was stuck in the hull. This element will enable us to sail to Ciotat (next to Marseille/South of France) where our container will be waiting for us and where all the infrastructures we need to make efficient repairs are located” concluded Lionel Lemonchois at midday.

Installation of the operational part of the dagger board, cleaning the deck and waiting for a suitable weather window before crossing the Strait of Gibraltar are now what is on the schedule for the Gitana Team. They will be present on 13th, 14th and 15th June in Cagliari (Sardinia/Italy) for the first Mediterranean Grand Prix of the year.

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