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.

31.10.2022

Flying Offshore, season 2 Diving into the Gitana Team’s innermost recesses.

Flying Offshore has coloured the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s signature since it was created, on 17 July 2017. Indeed, from the outset, the ambition of Ariane, Benjamin de Rothschild and the Gitana Team through this project has been to construct and fine-tune the first flying maxi-trimaran for offshore racing capable of pulling off the incredible te…

par Gitana

Through the five episodes of season 1, which came out in January 2021, Yann Riou, media crewman for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and the polaRYSE teams, took us behind the scenes of daily life in the five-arrow racing stable, the main setting for which was a rather special sports season against the backdrop of a global pandemic. It was this very planet that the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild wished to circumnavigate, in the most wonderful of ways, by setting sail on a Jules Verne Trophy attempt. The planetary challenge didn’t pan out as they’d hoped, despite a very fine first record to the tip of South Africa.

Season 2, filmed from 2021 to 2022 also comprises 5 episodes. Spanning victories in the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Transat Jacques Vabre in late 2021, Franck Cammas handing over the helm to Charles Caudrelier to live out the whole of 2022 to the full, together with preparations for the legendary Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, this second chapter is sure to be spicy and full of twists and turns.

Episode 1: alone at the helm!

In 2019, Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas joined Gitana Team. In this way, they formed a unique skipper pairing at the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. The gamble paid off if we look back at the flawless track record of the two sailors and their crew. In early 2022, faced with a season where the emphasis is on sailing singlehanded with the major Route du Rhum meet, together with Franck Cammas’ desire to make changes to his role within the team, Charles Caudrelier has become the sole skipper at the helm of the five-arrow giant.

The first episode here =>

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