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.

01.10.2005

Gitana 11 wins yet another round!.

In winning the sixth round of the Grand Prix Cap l'Orient, Gitana 11 becomes Groupama-2's most determined opponent but technical problems have hampered Frédéric Le Peutrec's crew, in much the same way as Gitana X has experienced a series of incidents. The whole is positive all in all as Gitana 11 is on the offensive before the last day of racing on…

par Gitana

In winning the sixth round of the Grand Prix Cap l’Orient, Gitana 11 becomes Groupama-2’s most determined opponent but technical problems have hampered Frédéric Le Peutrec’s crew, in much the same way as Gitana X has experienced a series of incidents. The whole is positive all in all as Gitana 11 is on the offensive before the last day of racing on Sunday.

Ups and downs for the Gitana Team finishing on an up note never the less with a fine win for Frédéric Le Peutrec and his crew ahead of Pascal Bidégorry and Franck Cammas. Bit of a breeze on Saturday with some hefty squalls pushing the wind speed indicator from 15 to 25 knots every now and again! Brilliant sunshine alternated with heavy showers. One coastal race – twice round the island of Groix – and two windward leeward courses for tough programme requiring determination on the part of the crews. The Gitana both got off to a bad start. Frédéric Le Peutrec had a hard time hoisting his gennaker on the first round, and Thierry Duprey du Vorsent’s mainsail hook which holds the mainsail at the top of the mast did not withstand the load. The second round was a bit odd, short and the start procedure was apparently not that clear. But it all came out in the wash on the last round for Gitana 11 who got off to an excellent start with the rest of the fleet, pulling ahead in spite of the pressure put on by Banque Populaire, who has been very aggressive and very consistent in Lorient. Sunday will be decisive as the gap in points between the three leaders are small indeed and a northerly 15-20 knot wind is forecast.

Frédéric Le Peutrec (Gitana 11)

« For once, we were up there where action was, fighting alongside Banque Populaire, to win the third round. Groupama-2 had a bit of a job keeping pace! Warm day with some violent squalls, finishing off with a nice win. Reassuring after the technical hitches we had here and there. All six trimarans are close in a blow and that’s where crew efficiency makes all the difference – the manœuvres, precision with the laylines, how well we change tack and so on. But we did a great job on the manoeuvres. We started out having a spot of bother with unrolling the gennaker on the coastal race, then once again when the rolling line snapped. On the second round, there were communication problems with the Race Committee. We mistook the starting shot for the four minutes warning signal! »

Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (Gitana X)

« We got off to a good start on the coastal race but straight away the mainsail hook failed and the halyard got stuck. It took us quarter of an hour to sort that out. The battle was over, but we did finish the race. When it came to the second start, we reckon that the Race Committee had a technical hitch with their radio as we didn’t hear the start procedure. And we weren’t the only ones! Finally, our manoeuvres were not that fluid on the last race either and we were beset by staysail halyard problems leaving us with no choice but to sail a straight line lowering the gennaker. Positive analysis overall though as we pushed the boat hard in strong wind and managed to get 37 knots out of her! »

Provisional rankings – Grand Prix Cap l’Orient (after six rounds):

1- Franck Cammas – Groupama-2 (1+2+1+1+1+3) 9 points
2- Pascal Bidégorry – Banque Populaire (2+3+2+2+2+2) 13 points
3- Frédéric Le Peutrec – Gitana 11 (4+1+4+4+4+1) 18 points
4- Armel Le Cléac’h – Foncia (3+4+3+5+5+4) 24 points
5- Michel Desjoyeaux – Géant (6+5+5+3+3+7) 29 points
6- Thierry Duprey du Vorsent – Gitana X (5+6+6+6+6+5) 34 points

Round 4: NW 20-25 knots, then W 18-20 knots, two laps round the island of Groix (approx 40 miles).
Round 5 : W/NW 15-18 knots, then 10-12 knots, then NW 25 knots in the squalls, then 12 knots, windward/leeward course (windward mark at 1.6 miles), two laps with finish to windward.
Round 6 : W/NW 18-22 knots, then 23-27 knots in the squalls, windward/leeward course (windward mark at 2.9 miles), three and a half laps of course, finish to windward.

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