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.

22.06.2013

Racing cancelled in Ireland this Saturday.

par Gitana

The races originally scheduled for today have been cancelled and the Route des Princes’ fleet has headed back to Dùn Laoghaire’s marina following the capsize of Spindrift Racing in the first inshore race of the day. When the incident happened, weather conditions were very unstable. Indeed the anemometer showed a wind of around twenty knots, but the squalls encircling the race zone led to gusts in excess of thirty knots. The Gitana Team has given Yann Guichard’s team its full support in these tricky moments.

Three days after the finish of the offshore stage between Lisbon and Dublin, the crews were making no secret of their desire to get back into competition mode once again. This Saturday afternoon, the inshore races were set to begin with three races on the programme. The muscly weather conditions reigning in Dùn Laoghaire led the race committee to delay the start of the first race. In the end, it was shortly after 1330 GMT that the 70 foot trimarans set off. However, just moments after the starting gun fired in this leg, the MOD70 skippered by Yann Guichard capsized.

On his return to the dock, Sébastien Josse described conditions on the water: “It was very shifty due to the big squalls circulating around the race zone. The wind increased from 20 to a little over 30 knots. As the race kicked off, some big gusts hit the water before the boats had a chance to power up. This is one of the most dangerous times in multihull sailing. With the trimaran not under full power, the effect of the big puffs of breeze has a great deal of influence on the boat’s trim. Aboard Edmond de Rothschild, given the conditions and the violence of the puffs, we decided to play it conservatively and sail as simply as possible in terms of the manoeuvring. However, conditions were still really full-on on the race zone and you’re always sailing close to the edge in such a scenario. It all happens in a matter of seconds…”

Some of the members of Gitana Team are currently on the water alongside Spindrift Racing’s men to lend them a helping hand with recovering the boat. The whole team are keen to give Yann Guichard and his team their full support and they wish the crew member injured during this capsize a very speedy recovery.

Tomorrow’s programme hasn’t yet been defined given that the weather forecast is still predicting muscly conditions.

Ranking for the Route des Princes (after the jury’s decision)

Spindrift Racing (Yann Guichard) / 94 points
Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) / 88 points
Musandam – Oman Air (Sidney Gavignet) / 84 points *
Virbac Paprec 70 (Jean-Pierre Dick) / 66 points

* It is worth noting that Musandam – Oman Air has dropped four points since the finish of offshore 2 to Dublin after hampering Spindrift Racing’s progress during the start in Lisbon.

The inshore crew on Edmond de Rothschild

Sébastien Josse (skipper)
Charles Caudrelier (navigator) / Sébastien Col (tactician) / Thomas Rouxel (trimmer) / Olivier Douillard (trimmer) / Cyril Dardashti (grinder) / David Boileau (grinder) / Florent Chastel (bowman)

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