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.

08.11.2007

Full steam ahead for Las Palmas!.

Having initially planned a stop for last night at Porto Santos in Madeira, it is now at Las Palmas on Gran Canaria where Lionel Lemonchois and Yann Guichard will halt to replace Gitana 11's starboard foil lost in the early morning of Tuesday 16 November. This decision was taken to give the crew the best possible chance of getting back into the race…

par Gitana

Having initially planned a stop for last night at Porto Santos in Madeira, it is now at Las Palmas on Gran Canaria where Lionel Lemonchois and Yann Guichard will halt to replace Gitana 11’s starboard foil lost in the early morning of Tuesday 16 November. This decision was taken to give the crew the best possible chance of getting back into the race with a 100% functioning boat!

So Gitana 11 is flying towards the small Puerto de la Luz, or “Port of Light”, wich they should reach it in the middle of the afternoon. Currently sailing at between 27 and 29 knots with 1 reef in the solent, Gitana 11 scarcely seems handicapped, although in this morning’s radio chat, Lionel Lemonchois lamented “not being able to pass the 30-knot threshold, as we need to take care of our lovely boat. This is not the time to throw caution to the wind!”

Lionel Lemonchois, at 10:00 this morning : “The weather conditions were too bad to make the stop at Madeira. It’s one thing to stop, but another to get going again under optimum conditions! Nevertheless, the planned stop there has resulted in us losing a bit of time, but it was difficult to anticipate this as the weather was so unstable. A stop of less than 2 hours would be ideal, and everything’s ready on land. We have to remove the tip of the foil that’s stuck in the float and replace it with the new foil. We’ve been reluctant to stop for quite some time, as the boat has been behaving very nicely, but we can’t afford to keep taking risks. We’ll only waste a little bit of time and then hopefully get back in the thick of things very quickly.”

Well-honed logistics…

Several Gitana Team operatives have been dispatched to the port and are awaiting Gitana 11 to ensure the job gets done as swiftly as possible: Olivier Wroczynski, known as “Zolive”, a specialist in missions of this kind, William Fabulet, the Gitana 11 boat captain, and Sébastien Thetiot. They left France on Tuesday night to be sure of being able to intervene, irrespective of the location and timing of the boat’s stop.

Meanwhile, back among the monohulls…

Loïck Peyron, the skipper of Gitana Eighty but also the Gitana Team’s general manager, it keeping a close eye on the unfolding operation. But despite his dual role, the man from La Baule has still managed to build on his current third place in the fleet by gaining 25 miles on his closest rival Michel Desjoyeaux.

Gitana Eighty is sailing mainsail and gennaker up amid 12-15 knots of wind on the fringe of the ridge of low pressure, and is intent on maintaining this position. Loïck Peyron and Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant are taking turns at the helm in order to optimise the boat’s trajectory, while delighting in discovering just what she is capable of.

But there is one worry on board… their water supplies:
“We’re really enjoying the meals prepared by the Domaine du Mont d’Arbois, we never expected to be eating so well at sea. It’s that good that we might even put on weight! But we’re starting to get slightly low on water and so have chosen to start rationing ourselves already!“

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