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.

05.07.2009

Gitana Extreme fourth in Hyères.

Yann Guichard’s men have nothing to regret… In a final day of racing which saw windy yet shifty conditions, six more races were organised with Gitana Extreme finishing 4th in the second event of the iShares cup 2009. The French event in the programme was won by Pete Cumming’s crew whilst James Spithill and Loïck Peyron complete the podium places re…

par Gitana

The tension was palpable throughout the day and on studying the points which separate the top five in the final ranking, we can easily understand why. This is all the more true given that the wind decided to spice things up for the ten crews in the Extreme 40’s. Indeed the breeze continued to fluctuate between 7 and 15 knots, filling in dramatically to around 20 knots during the 6th and final race of the day. Some ideal conditions then for the 40 foot catamarans, which put on a spectacular show, flying their hulls right next to the local crowds

Fourth with a lead of just one point over Groupama, but solely three behind Oman Renaissance in third, the skipper of Gitana Extreme – LCF Rothschild Group looked back at the three days of racing: “It’s a mixed result: some very good things and some not so good things… We started out with a difficult first day, where we found it hard to get into the race, but we made up for lost time the following day by getting ourselves back in contention for a podium place. Ultimately though, we stayed at the foot of the podium, despite four superb first races today. The penultimate rate this Sunday, where we brought up the rear, cost us very dearly”analysed Yann Guichard, as Gitana Extreme arrived back in the port of Hyères.

However, the Breton skipper has already demonstrated it: he much prefers drawing on the positive aspects of his experiences and projecting himself forward to the future: “We have the place we deserved and it’s not a disappointment as we remained in contact with the frontrunners. We nevertheless won four races over the course of the weekend, which is not something to be sniffed at. We are still well placed in the championship, with a joint second place that we’re sharing with today’s winner. There’s certainly a great battle on now, which promises some fiercely contested events in the future and that’s exactly what we want!”

Finally, we must salute the performance of Pete Cumming and his men, the outright winners of this French stage. With eight race victories out of the nineteen disputed Oman Sail Masirah climbs to the highest step of the podium, which escaped them by just a handful of points in Venice.

The next meet for the Extreme 40’s will take place in Cowes on the Isle of Wight (England) on 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd August. This third event will mark the mid-season point in the 2009 circuit.

Crew of the Extreme Gitana / LCF Rothschild Group

Yann Guichard / skipper-helm

Pierre Pennec / mainsail traveller trimmer, tactics

Christophe Lassegue / headsail trimmer, control of manœuvres

Simeon Tienpont / headsail trimmer, control of manœuvres

Final ranking in the Grand Prix in Hyères – TPM (after 19 races)

1/ Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) – 161 points

2/ BMW Oracle (James Spithill) – 151 points

3/ Oman Sail Renaissance (Loïck Peyron) – 135 points

4/ Gitana Extreme- LCF Rothschild Group (Yann GUICHARD) – 132 points

5/ Groupama 40 (Franck Cammas) – 131 points

6/ BT (Nick Moloney) – 118 points

7/ iShares – Shirley Robertson – 107 points

8/ Holmatro (Carolijn Brouwer) – 91 points

9/ Luna (Erik Maris) – 62 points

10/ Ecover – Mike Golding – 50 points

Provisional ranking in the championship (after two events)

1/ BMW Oracle (James Spithill) – 18 points

2/Gitana Extreme- LCF Rothschild Group (Yann GUICHARD) – 17 points

2/ Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) – 17 points

4/Oman Sail Renaissance (Loïck Peyron) – 16 points

5/ Groupama 40 (Franck Cammas) – 12 points

6/ BT (Nick Moloney) – 10 points

7/ iShares – Shirley Robertson – 6 points

8/ Luna (Erik Maris) – 6 points

9/ Holmatro (Carolijn Brouwer) – 6 points

10/ Ecover – Mike Golding – 2 points

Retourner aux articles

Heritage