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.

14.11.2007

Finish in sight.

The last 24 hours have been intense on board Gitana 11, whose arrival in Brazil is now imminent. Presently less than 200 miles behind the leader Groupama 2, who should cross the line victoriously at around midday French time, Lionel Lemonchois and Yann Guichard spent another night on deck with the speedometer needle set to the maximum and should co…

par Gitana

The last 24 hours have been full-on aboard Gitana 11, whose arrival in Brazil is expected around 18:00 hours, French time. Having managed to reduce the gap between them and Groupama 2 to under 200 miles, Lionel Lemonchois and Yann Guichard have spent another night at speeds above 26 knots.
“We’re taking turns at the helm. When it gets a bit too much, we put the boat on auto pilot and then listen out, ready to release if necessary or to gybe to pull free,” explained Yann Guichard trying to communicate to landlubbers some of the intensity of this final phase of combat, which demands total vigilance in the pitch-black night of the moonless southern hemisphere tropics. As usual, unremitting effort is the mantra on board until the finish line is crossed.

Interviewed live on Europe 1 yesterday, Loïck Peyron acknowledged that he was still in the position of hunter: “For the moment, the animal we’d dearly love to take a pot-shot at is Ecover,” explained the Gitana Eighty skipper, who despite a certain weariness induced by some lengthy gybes – “…we’re starting to really get to know the gybing and spinnaker adjustment manoeuvres …” – is enthusiastic about the quality of the competition: “Tremendous. It’s great to have such a tightly grouped fleet, but still with plenty of different options: architectural options, technical options, weather options, and strategic options.” For the moment, the accent is going to be primarily on tactics due to the leading group’s imminent entry of the doldrums. The order in which they exit this delicate zone could well resemble the final positions on the podium in Bahia.

IMOCA – 17 registered
Boat Rank/Skipper Latitude Longitude Speed Cap Dist.But Dist. 1st
1 Ecover III 11 32.98′ N 24 52.81′ W 13.1 191 1696.6 0.0
2 Gitana Eighty 11 28.11′ N 23 41.60′ W 12.9 175 1724.9 28.3
3 Groupe Bel 12 07.07′ N 24 34.23′ W 12.1 193 1735.2 38.6
4 Cheminées Poujoulat 12 46.44′ N 24 41.76′ W 12.8 191 1767.3 70.7
5 Foncia 12 54.74′ N 24 41.55′ W 13.4 189 1774.9 78.3
6 Safran 13 45.44′ N 25 56.73′ W 12.7 256 1791.7 95.2
7 Brit Air 12 56.32′ N 23 53.18′ W 14.1 250 1797.2 100.7
8 VM Matériaux 13 49.34′ N 25 47.39′ W 13.4 248 1798.8 102.2

…

ORMA – 5 registered
Boat Rank/Skipper Latitude Longitude Speed Cap Dist.But Dist. 1st

1 Groupama 11 55.04′ S 36 45.51′ W 20.9 224 106.3 0.0
2 Gitana 11 9 51.77′ S 34 56.84′ W 26.4 222 287.8 181.5
3 Banque Populaire 8 09.44′ S 33 36.68′ W 27.0 216 416.2 309.9
4 Brossard 4 21.68′ S 31 30.88′ W 29.5 212 670.9 564.7
5 Sopra 2 10.92′ S 30 10.27′ W 7.6 174 824.1 717.8

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