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.

27.08.2015

First spectacular tacks.

par Gitana

Launched on 7 August in Vannes, after an eleven-month build at the Multiplast yard, le Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild was able to put in her first tacks just ten days later offshore of the team’s base in Lorient. However, on Monday of this week, thanks to a boisterous low off the north-west tip of Brittany, Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier (his co-skipper for the Transat Jacques Vabre) opted to trial the machine in some blustery conditions. It proved to be a rather bracing sail which photographer Thierry Martinez and cameraman Christophe Castagne captured in full for Gitana Team.

It’s been a very studious summer for Gitana Team! Indeed, the whole of the team fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild has been working flat out in a bid to complete the build and, on 7 August, ensured the success of the launch of this latest addition to the Gitana saga: the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild. Delivered from Vannes to nearby Lorient immediately afterwards, the latest generation 60-footer went on to have her keel and mast stepped before undergoing a series of tests to check her compliance with the IMOCA class measurement. On 17 August, Sébastien Josse and his men were finally able to cast off and get a first taste of helming this new steed.

At the start of this week, on Monday 24 August, the weather reports announced that a particularly active and deep low was set to roll across Brittany, dishing up 28 to 35 knots of north-westerly breeze accompanied by a 2.5 to 3-metre swell! Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier saw it as the perfect opportunity to validate the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild’s performance in blustery conditions: “It was really interesting to get a chance to sail in these boisterous conditions on what was only our 3^rd outing! Our current phase is all about discovering and breaking-in the boat. Even though this type of sailing is giving us some positive signs as to how the boat handles, these outings are just sprints for now so they’re much too short to draw any real conclusions from them. We’ll have to wait till the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre for that. The very demanding 5,400-mile course (nearly quarter of a round the world circuit) offered up by this double-handed transatlantic race serves as a fantastic trial run,” explained the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild.

With a little less than two months till the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, which sets sail on 25 October from Le Havre, the pace is picking up. Indeed, to stand a chance of being ready to set sail for Brazil, the Edmond de Rothschild duo has a very tight schedule to stick to. In this way, the training sessions will intensify, notably including a 1,000 nautical mile qualifier aboard the new boat, and every opportunity for time on the water will be exploited to the full as Sébastien Josse stresses: “The Transat Jacques Vabre is tomorrow! As a result there’s no time for deliberation. If we get a chance to go sailing, we’re going.”

Tech Spec

LOA: 20.10m
Waterline length: 18.28m
Beam: 5.70m
Air draught: 29m
Water draught: 4.50m
Displacement (weight): 7.6 tonnes
Keel bulb weight: 3 tonnes
Maximum upwind and downwind sail area: 290m2 / 490m2
Number of sails permitted aboard: 8 (1 mainsail, 7 headsails)
M² of living space: 10m2
Number and type of daggerboards: 2 foils
Source of on-board energy production: generators coupled to the diesel engine + hydrogenerators

Naval architects: Guillaume Verdier / VPLP Yacht Design
Yard: Multiplast (Vannes)
Rudders: C3 Technologies
Daggerboards: Heol Composites
Keel: AMPM (La Mothe-Achard)
Mast: Lorima (Lorient)

Start of construction: September 2014
Launch: 7 August 2015

Retourner aux articles

Heritage