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  • Gitana 18
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    • 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.

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    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s daggerboard

    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s coachroof

    08.02.2011

    Kick-off for the Extreme season on 20 February.

    With less than a fortnight to go until the start of hostilities in the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, some of the future pretenders to victory, including the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group driven by her new helmsman Pierre Pennec, decided to have a get together in Oman. As such the Extreme 40 crews set up camp in Musanaah, a marina located around…

    par Gitana

    With less than a fortnight to go until the start of hostilities in the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, some of the future pretenders to victory, including the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group driven by her new helmsman Pierre Pennec, decided to have a get together in Oman. As such the Extreme 40 crews set up camp in Musanaah, a marina located around fifty nautical miles to the NW of the capital, Muscat and the future site for The Wave Muscat competition, where the first races of the season will be contested from 20 to 24 February 2011.

    The race rules 2011 only allow for two training days on the competition site itself. As a result the crews of the Extreme Sailing Series have got together just a few miles further North for an initial training session. On the programme: assembly and preparation of the 40 foot one designs, speed tests and the first ‘skirmishes’ of the season through some round the cans racing.

    A studious return to school

    After around ten days on site and eight days of sailing under their belts, the helmsman of the Extreme 40 Edmond de Rothschild Group gives us his assessment: “Oman offers perfect conditions with sunshine and variable wind, which is strong enough for us to test ourselves in various sailing configurations. As such we’ve been able to size up our adversaries in both the light airs and breezy conditions. The initial training sessions have been conclusive in terms of speed and manœuvres, but we still have a lot of work to do. With the arrival of some big teams from the America’s Cup universe, the level of the circuit will certainly go up a notch. It’s going to be very closely fought from the outset of racing and we’re going to have to defend our position. It’s extremely motivating to be part of world championship and up against the best there is in the world of sports catamarans.” Sailing, establishing of a team organisation both on and off the water, not to mention the physical preparation that such a circuit requires: nothing has been left to chance by the members of the stable fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild.

    Assiduous, concentrated and extremely motivated to take up the upcoming challenge, Pierre Pennec, Thierry Fouchier, Hervé Cunningham and Christophe Espagnon have prepared the ground for the nine Grands Prix, which await them this season: “These first few days have called for us to get the project on its feet. We’ve established the organisation on the boat (who does what and when?), we’ve sorted out the boat’s trim thanks to the sensations acquired during the long tacks and finally we’ve familiarised ourselves with the new gear and the new set of sails in particular, which we had to adjust to our needs” explained the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild Group.

    From tomorrow, Pierre Pennec and his men will head back to France and their respective homes for a few days’ rest with their families. However, very soon they’ll be back on Omani waters as they’ll be participating in a second and final training session on 14 February before the first Grand Prix of 2011.

     

    Extreme Sailing Series 2011 

    The dates :

    Act 1: from 20-24 February, Muscat, OMAN
    Act 2: 13-17 April, Qingdao, CHINA
    Act 3: 25-29 May, Istanbul, TURKEY
    Act 4: 30 June – 4 July, Boston, USA
    Act 5: 6-12 August, Cowes, UK
    Act 6: 14-18 September, Trapani, ITALY
    Act 7: 28 September – 2 October, Nice, FRANCE
    Act 8: 12-16 October, Almeria, SPAIN
    Act 9: 7-11 December Singapore
     

    The participating force : 

    1. Alinghi – SUI / Tanguy Cariou (FRA)
    2. Artemis Racing – SWE / Terry Hutchinson (USA)
    3. Emirates Team New Zealand – NZL / Dean Barker (NZL)
    4. Edmond de Rothschild Group – FRA / Pierre Pennec (FRA)
    5. Luna Rossa – ITA / Max Sirena (ITA)
    6. Niceforyou – ITA / Alberto Barovier (ITA)
    7. Oman Air – OMA / Sidney Gavignet (FRA)
    8. Red Bull Extreme Sailing – AUT / Roman Hagara (AUT)
    9. Team Extreme – EUR / Roland Gaebler (GER)
    10. Team GAC Pindar – GBR / Ian Williams (GBR)
    11. The Wave, Muscat – OMA / Torvar Mirsky (AUS)

     

    Gitana 11 is back

    The maxi-trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild made it back to her technical base at the Gitana stable during the course of January. After setting out from Guadeloupe midway through December aboard a cargo ship chartered by a large number of Class 40 competitors from the last Route du Rhum, the 23 metre maxi-trimaran was unloaded in the Port du Château in Brest, NW France, just a few hours before the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Following that the members of the Gitana Team had to wait several days before the mild weather returned to the tip of Brittany, enabling them to tow the platform back to its port of registry in La Trinité-sur-Mer with its mast unstepped. Since then the team has been attending to the giant’s every need as she thoroughly deserved a complete check-up after her solo Atlantic crossing.

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