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.

12.05.2008

New reference time between Yokohama and Dalian for Gitana 13.

At 02h14'56'' UT this morning, Lionel Lemonchois and his seven crew crossed the finish line of the Yokohama – Dalian record. In so doing Gitana 13 and her men have established a new reference time by making the Chinese port in 3 days 20 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Ellen MacArthur's reference time in 2006 (7 days 3 hours 8 minutes) has thus bee…

par Gitana

At 02h14’56” UT this morning, Lionel Lemonchois and his seven crew crossed the finish line of the Yokohama – Dalian record. In so doing Gitana 13 and her men have established a new reference time by making the Chinese port in 3 days 20 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Ellen MacArthur’s reference time in 2006 (7 days 3 hours 8 minutes) has thus been improved upon by 3 days.

Yokohama – Dalian: 1,215 miles dotted with hazards

This 1,215 mile course has been highly varied in terms of the weather. Setting out from Yokohama on Thursday 8th May at 05h55’45” UT, the maxi-catamaran in the colours of LCF Rothschild Group had a gentle start to the record, with the initial miles sailed at a fairly reduced pace in order to extract themselves from Tokyo Bay. However, Lionel Lemonchois and his seven crew quickly hit more air, enabling them to lengthen their stride. Over the course of Friday night, during the passage of the Osumi straits at the SW tip of Japan, the sailors of Gitana Team experienced their usual ‘allotted gale’ for this particular record. Indeed the anemometer climbed as high as 57 knots, whilst the catamaran was on a reach. However, a few miles further down the track, during Gitana 13’s slog along the coast of Southern Korean, it was a zone of high pressure that the eight sailors had to negotiate this time round. “We experienced several radical changes in weather; we set off in calm conditions and sunshine, then very quickly after that we hit some air and then a gale for a 24 hour period. Gitana 13 was then sailing with just three reefs in the mainsail; the big swell producing quite a spectacle” confided Léopold Lucet

On his arrival on shore, the skipper of Gitana 13 looked back at the last few miles of their journey in the Yellow Sea: “Our third and final night at sea was fairly complicated… We had to slalom our way between the fishing boats, the cargo ships and the drifting fishing nets, the whole thing coloured by virtually no visibility. We weren’t unhappy to get safely into port! Our course and this arrival in China has all been a really enjoyable change of scene! We’re really very privileged to be able to come and sail in this part of the globe, as few boats have this opportunity. We’re well aware of our good fortune aboard Gitana 13.”

Gitana 13 will spend a few days in Dalian prior to taking to the high seas again, bound for Qingdao, a city which will play host to the sailing events in the Beijing Olympic Games this coming August.

The crew of Gitana 13 between Yokohama and Dalian

Lionel Lemonchois (Skipper / helmsman / watch leader)
Ludovic Aglaor (helmsman/ watch leader)
Jean-Baptiste Levaillant (helmsman/ watch leader)
Olivier Wroczynski (trimmer /computer manager)
Nicolas Raynaud (trimmer / video manager)
Antoine Mermod (trimmer)
David Boileau (N0.2 / trimmer/ head of deck fittings)
Léopold Lucet (N0.1 /head of supplies and medical needs)

Gitana 13’s records

North Pacific Crossing (San Francisco – Yokohama): in 11 days 12 minutes 55 seconds (April 2008)
Route de l’Or (New York – San Francisco, via Cape Horn): in 43 days 3 minutes 18 seconds (February 2008)

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