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.

28.01.2008

Here we Go!.

Gitana 13 will enter its 12th day at sea at the end of the afternoon. The maxi-catamaran set up by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild left New York on 16 January to attempt to beat the record on the legendary Route de l'Or. After a week of slow progress along the coast of Brazil, the boat is once again enjoying more clement weather conditions and high av…

par Gitana

Gitana 13 will enter its 12th day at sea at the end of the afternoon. The maxi-catamaran set up by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild left New York on 16 January to attempt to beat the record on the legendary Route de l’Or. After a week of slow progress along the coast of Brazil, the boat is once again enjoying more clement weather conditions and high average speeds.

Skipper Lionel Lemonchois, not one to complain, said that the past few days of sailing were very difficult: “Since exiting the Doldrums (Ed.: on 23 January), things haven’t been easy! We’ve had to deal with fickle winds, both in strength and direction, and get through tricky squalls and dead zones…it dragged on a bit! Then, this past weekend, we got caught up in a stormy low-pressure system off the Brazilian coast. We had to work our way through that. On Saturday, at the end of the morning, we executed our first jibe of this trip. But the night from Saturday to Sunday proved to be the most difficult, spending more than four hours in very light winds. Four long hours, during which our speed never got above 4 knots!” These conditions gnawed on the ten sailors’ nerves and required a number of sail adjustments: “We always had someone on deck to fine-tune the boat to try to take advantage of the slightest wind changes.”

Back to business as usual
The conditions over the past few days threw a kink in the maxi-catamaran’s attempt at the record from New York to San Francisco, but the situation improved significantly yesterday afternoon. Team Gitana was rewarded for its efforts and patience in the form of a southeasterly wind current. “The wind is back and Gitana 13 is cruising along at 25-30 knots. It’s great to get back up to these speeds and be able to again tap into the boat’s potential.”

Over the next few days, the strategy adopted by Lemonchois and his crew of nine will consist of skirting around the west side of the Saint Helena high-pressure system—which is very broad in the southern summer—by sailing along the coast of Uruguay and Argentina.

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