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.

07.07.2017

Genesis of a maritime work.

Blazing a trail for a new generation of large oceanic multihulls, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is a concentration of innovation, both in her design and creation, requiring over 170,000 man-hours during a 20-month build process. However, the boat is proving to be just as unique through her livery; the fruit of a fantastic collaboration between Gita…

par Gitana

To sublimate and support this atypical new project, the owners of Gitana Team were keen to entrust an artist with the ‘visual perso- nality’ of this craft and her unconventional dimensions. Thanks to the commitment and dynamics of its President Jean de Loisy, the Palais de Tokyo is embarking on the adventure and so it is that the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild joins one of the Palais ́ artistic programmes, the “Lasco Project”.

It is the American artist Cleon Peterson who has been selected, specially designing an original work that Jean-Baptiste Epron, Gitana Team ́s loyal designer, has adapted to the silhouette of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. It is a committed creation, embodying the character and sleek lines of this new generation ‘giant’ and confronting the ‘other-urban’ territory that is the sea and reminding us that art and sailing pursue the same mirage: the crossing of boundaries like horizons.

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From the design to the build – the principle behind a maritime adaptation

Jean-Baptiste Epron is a graphic designer come sailor, a twin passion which this Parisian has managed to turn into a profession and a sought-after speciality. Present alongside Gitana Team from the genesis of the racing stable in 2000, Jean-Baptiste has not only created the team ́s visual identity but he has also penned all the liveries of the Gitana fleet. For the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild project, he has once again had to reinterpret the Rothschild universe by collaborating with the urban artist Cleon Peterson.

“My work consists of interpreting and optimising the legibility of identities, taking care to respect and preserve the original spirit, aesthetics and messages. The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild project really is an extraordinary project in the Gitana saga. She represents a year and a half of work. Once the artist Cleon Peterson was selected by Ariane de Rothschild, my primary focus was that his design worked in the maximum number of sail configurations as the boat is a form in perpetual movement. Boat and artist have something powerful to say, so it was a gamble, but I think we nailed it.”