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.

06.05.2005

Opening via the open Sea.

At 15h00 Sunday 8th May afternoon, the six trimarans entered in the start of the IB-Group Challenge (Lorient-Nice), shall be setting out on a 2 600 mile long race from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Ocean. Everyone agrees that this new event of the ORMA circuit is highly tactical, largely due to the meteorological conditions forecast for the co…

par Gitana

Both trimarans – Gitana X and Gitana 11 – skippered by Thierry Duprey du Vorsent and Frédéric Le Peutrec will be lining up on the starting line where once again they will be meeting up with their playmates after a winter season with lots of work in the build shed and various training sessions.

Atypical course, no routing assistance … Competitors will have to manage all the weather criteria alone on board which on paper at least, looks rather more complicated on some parts of the course than on others. The course can be divided up into four sections – an exit form the Bay of Biscay (Lorient-Cape Finisterre = 370 miles), a long run down the coast of Portugal and Spain (Cape Finisterre-Gibraltar = 545 miles), a long passage across the western Mediterranean (Gibraltar-Malta = 1 000 miles) and a leg NE, leaving Sicily to starboard, then N into the Tyrrhenaian Sea (Malta-Nice = 600 miles).

When you analyse this unusual course, it is clear that nothing will be decided before reaching Nice as the Mediterranean is home to highly unpredictable winds. Once the Strait of Gibraltar is in the rear view mirror, the weather can be very tough indeed and the gear is truly put to the test. In the Atlantic, storms kick up rough seas but which are generally regular. The Big Blue can give rise to very short boat-breaking waves. Managing weather, anticipating wind shifts and taking account of coastal effects and thermal breezes will be some of the tough tasks facing the navigators.

Gitana crew for the IB Group Challenge

Gitana X

Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (skipper)
Erwan Le Roux (helm)
Mayeul Riffet (navigator)
Nicolas Raynaud (trimmer)
Jacques Guichard (trimmer)
Léopold Lucet (bowman)

Gitana 11

Frédéric Le Peutrec (skipper)
Yann Guichard (navigator)
Loïc Le Mignon (trimmer)
Jean-Baptiste Epron (trimmer)
François Denis (bowman)
Yann Marilley (trimmer)

Gitana Team, to the power of two

After a five month winter refit in the shed of Gitana Team’s shed in Saint-Philibert, Gitana X has lost weight, a total of 250 kg ! The trimaran has a new mast, new sails for her third season. The team is not out to win on the ORMA circuit, as the boat clearly lacks the potential to do so. The aim is to give a chance to young talent to gain access to multihull racing. After having been boat captain last year, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, is the new skipper on board. Almost all the crew are under thirty with the exception of Nicolas Raynaud. Erwan Le Roux (tactician) was bowman on Gitana X last year, Jacques Guichard (trimmer) was also on the boat in 2004. Mayeul Riffet (navigator) was formerly crew on Banque Populaire and on Sopra Group and Léopold Lucet (foredeck) was already one of the Gitana Team shore crew last year.

Gitana 11 has been optimised over the winter without any radical modifications being made. These developments have to make it possible for Frédéric Le Peutrec’s trimaran to perform every bit as well as the latest generation of multihulls. Last season, the whole team got to know what made this trimaran tick. She has excellent qualities in certain conditions and on certain points of sail, particularly downwind in rough seas offshore. Over the winter season, the starting point was not to touch the boat’s strong points, but to concentrate on identifying her weak points to compensate for them upwind and improve her course holding ability. A new large chord mast, a slimmer dagger board with trimmer (partly multi-directional trailing edge), revised rudders, shrouds moved aft, a new lighter boom… Lots of details have been optimised and Gitana 11 is now perfectly adapted and ready for this new ocean race.

Boats entered in the IB-Group Challenge :

Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire-4), Armel Le Cléac’h (Foncia), Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant), Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (Gitana X), Frédéric Le Peutrec (Gitana 11), Franck Cammas (Groupama-2)

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