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.

22.11.2021

The last few miles laced with tension.

par Gitana

The closing scene in this Transat Jacques Vabre is exciting to say the least! The final sprint is in full flow and the battle is raging at every stage. In the Ultime class, the pursuers have made great inroads into their deficits, causing the head of the fleet to squeeze back up together some twenty-four hours from the finish in Martinique. Yesterday morning, before tackling the 2nd doldrums passage, the 400-mile lead Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier boasted over their closest rival had dropped to under 125 miles by early afternoon this Monday. Since then, the men on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have picked up the pace again whilst Banque Populaire XI and SVR-Lazartigue have stalled. With less than 400 miles to the finish line off the marina in Fort-de-France, the atmosphere is more studious than ever aboard the five-arrow giant. Dealing with the clouds one after the other, trimming the boat as precisely as possible and effectively linking together the final manoeuvres, true to form the skippers of Gitana Team are extremely focused and clearly in serious race mode, an exercise in which each of them is particularly adept.

Tomorrow in Fort-de-France

How interminable yesterday and especially last night must have seemed to Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier. The leaders in the Ultime category were the first to negotiate the light winds of the intertropical convergence zone, which stood between the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Martinique. Whilst the sailors of Gitana Team were making headway in slow motion in an asthmatic breeze, to their south the duo of Le Cléac’h / Escoffier and Gabart / Laperche were not suffering the same fate at all, enabling them to lengthen their stride. In all, 300 miles were lost in the battle. “We knew that our pursuers were going to come back really strong at the end. Added to that, conditions out on the water were not in line with the grib files and all in all we had less breeze than forecast. It’s tough to see the others catching back up like that, so close to the finish, but Franck and Charles know how to handle the pressure and are keeping a cool head. The weather models haven’t been very reliable for a few days so it’s very difficult to give a precise ETA as a 1 or 2-knot discrepancy changes the deal on a multihull.”

The timing for when the duo will cross the finish line is yet to be fined down then, but one thing for sure is that the name of the winners of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021 in the Ultime category will finally be revealed tomorrow, Tuesday 23 November, after more than 16 days of racing.

Finishers galore

The Transat Jacques Vabre is a race made up of multiple classes. On 7 November, four separately ranked fleets set sail from Le Havre in north-east France. On top of that, three different courses were on offer. In this way, no matter who takes line honours, the goal is to win in your category and hence your transatlantic race! The maxi-multihulls in the Ultime Class benefited from a course designed especially for them, namely a route stretching 2,000 nautical miles further than that of the 50-foot multihulls, which will be the first to make out Diamond Rock and the lights of Fort-de-France, sometime tomorrow night in all probability.

This order of arrival, which may be surprising given the difference in size and potential of the two categories, is not quite so unexpected if we consider the unique weather patterns encountered by the sailors in this Transat Jacques Vabre. Indeed, the light airs have played a far greater role than usual during the 15 days that have elapsed at sea, especially over the first few hours of the race and the passage across the Bay of Biscay.

Position on Monday 22 November at 19:00 UTC

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (F. Cammas / C. Caudrelier) 337.8 miles from the finish
Banque Populaire XI (A. Le Cléac’h / K. Escoffier) + 190.9 miles
SVR – Lazartigue (F. Gabart / T. Laperche) + 219.6 miles
Sodebo (T. Coville / T.Rouxel) + 942.1 miles
Actual (Y. Le Blevec / A. Marchand) + 970.6 miles

Retourner aux articles

Heritage