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.

10.11.2007

The G5!.

After roughly a week's racing, the head of the monohull fleet spent last night in the Canaries archipelago, while the first multihull – Groupama – reached Cape Verde without problems and continues to set the pace this morning ahead of Banque Populaire and Gitana 11, in 3rd position after her express stop in the Canaries two days ago.

par Gitana

After roughly a week’s racing, the head of the monohull fleet spent last night in the Canaries archipelago, while the first multihull – Groupama – reached Cape Verde without problems and continues to set the pace this morning ahead of Banque Populaire and Gitana 11, in 3rd position after her express stop in the Canaries two days ago.

Hot on the heels of Marc Guillemot’s grey monohull, Gitana Eighty and Foncia are still engaged in a battle royal. This morning at 04:00, Loïck Peyron and Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant sneaked a few lengths ahead of Michel Desjoyeaux, but four hours later, Foncia moved back into second position. However, it now seems that Michel Desjoyeaux has opted to go it alone by taking a more easterly tack, close to the African coast.

But the night also proved very favourable to their direct pursuers, Groupe Bel and Ecover, as this morning, there are 5 monohulls all within 8 miles of each other. Such a situation was anticipated in the middle of the week by the skipper of Gitana Eighty: “There’s a risk of the race starting all over again at the Canaries!” Even though Safran retains a slight advantage this morning, the pressure on her is building all the time and there’s still a long way to go. Loïck Peyron declared this morning: “We’re not making much progress and there’s a real risk we’ll be at sea for a while yet. Another 8 days minimum, or even 9!”

On board Gitana 11, the skippers have rediscovered their morale. The wind has come back after a somewhat tricky day yesterday that saw them lose a few miles, and the boat is again zipping along at 25 to 30 knots! The aim now is to make an optimum passage through the infamous doldrums, the last major meteorological minefield on the course. This area of intertropical convergence seems to stretch on and on forever, complete with disturbances, alternate squalls and windless zones that are often hard to anticipate but which should ideally be avoided.

Lionel Lemonchois, skipper of Gitana 11: “Here, the atmosphere’s akin to endless yellow desert sands, but with flying fish! We’ve been making good progress since 04:00 today but we needed to after suffering from a dearth of wind yesterday. The boat’s back to 100% again, and so is the crew. We’re now keeping a close eye on the weather for the passage through the doldrums, which is the next important stage and can easily shake things up a bit!”

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