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  • Gitana 18
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    • 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.

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    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s daggerboard

    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.

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    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.

    Gitana 18’s coachroof

    18.01.2024

    The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in the Roaring Forties.

    The extreme latitudes of the Deep South, the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties, are part and parcel of round the world legend. Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have been navigating these waters since midday. Despite holding the top spot, this 11th day of racing in the Arkea Ultim Challenge - Brest has been tinged with mixe…

    par Gitana

    The extreme latitudes of the Deep South, the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties, are part and parcel of round the world legend. Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have been navigating these waters since midday. Despite holding the top spot, this 11th day of racing in the Arkea Ultim Challenge – Brest has been tinged with mixed emotions. Indeed, this morning, the skipper of Gitana Team made no secret of his disappointment following the announcement about the major damage suffered aboard the trimaran SVR-Lazartigue. Water ingress as a result of a collision has forced Tom Laperche to put his race on hold. Beyond the admiration that Charles feels for the youngster of the race, this duo has been the key mover and shaker of the first 7,000 miles of this Round the World and it is always a shame to see an adversary of this calibre out of the game, even if we hope it is just a temporary glitch. Alone at the head of the fleet, now over 712 miles ahead of Thomas Coville, third, Charles Caudrelier is due to cross the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope tomorrow afternoon. A symbolic step, above all else it marks his entry into the Southern Ocean.

    Charles Caudrelier, on 18 January

    “Since the start, I’ve been living and breathing this adventure with Tom Laperche, slugging it out together. Last night he suffered a collision and that’s something you have no control over. I know that everything can quickly come to a grinding halt and I know that the biggest challenge lies ahead of me, namely to drive this boat through the Southern Ocean and to round Cape Horn with a boat in good condition. Naturally, my first thought is one of sadness for Tom, for his teams. We’ve exchanged ideas and chatted a great deal. We also teased each other a lot about one another’s performance… nicely. There are 25 years between us. We’ve known each other for a fair few years and I really like the guy. This latest turn of events inevitably affects the way I’m sailing, as we were piling on the pressure and in instances like that you force things a little more on the boats.

    I should round the Cape of Good Hope tomorrow. It’s satisfying to get to this point in this position, but it’s always a tricky moment because it’s the gateway to the ‘cold zone’. For now though, the programme for the Indian Ocean is pretty good considering where we are, which is quite incredible. We are set to pass below a zone of high pressure, which is quite rare. More often than not it’s a depression, so we’ll make the most of it. At least half of it is fairly mild for me and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. It’s not perfect. There are better weather scenarios where you can sail a straight-line course. Here, the ice zone will hinder us a bit. We’ll have to slalom our way around because that’s where things get breezy, but we’re happy it’s there as we have no desire to go and see the icebergs.”

    Ranking at the 18:00 UTC position report   

    1) Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – Charles Caudrelier
    2) SVR Lazartigue – Tom Laperche – 377.1 miles behind the leader (victim of damage)
    3) Sodebo Ultim 3 – Thomas Coville – 711.6 behind the leader 
    4) Actual Ultim 3 – Anthony Marchand – 1,929.6 behind the leader 
    5) Maxi Banque Populaire XI – Armel Le Cleac’h – 2,168.8 behind the leader 
    6) Ultim Adagio – Eric Peron – 2,997.8 behind the leader 

    WAYPOINT #3, Gitana Team’s round the world rendez-vous

    Every Thursday, throughout the Arkea Ultim Challenge, Gitana Team is offering you a complete round-up of Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s race. Via its weekly video broadcast, you’ll discover the latest onboard footage, analysis of the weather and strategy as explained by the members of the team’s routing cell, as well as delving behind the scenes of the five-arrow racing stable whilst its flagship is out on the racetrack. Finally, this rendez-vous will round off with a long oceanic interview recorded by a different star guest. Charles will share his feelings and his sentiments with the host throughout this epic adventure.

    For this third episode of WAYPOINT, we find the giants competing in the Arkea Ultim Challenge – Brest in the South Atlantic. After eleven days at sea, the fleet is now stretched out across the cartography. Indeed, Eric Péron is just launching into this section of the course whilst Charles Caudrelier, leader this Thursday, should be done with it by tomorrow afternoon as he rounds the Cape of Good Hope. This latest chapter begins by offering you a range of images from the ocean, which have been sent by the skipper of Gitana Team over the past week. Next, we’ll return to Brittany and the heart of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s routing cell. Erwan Israël will retrace the miles covered since last Thursday for us and explain the strategic choices associated with the weather. We’ll continue to dive behind the scenes with a trip to the Gitana Base, where technical director Pierre Tissier and head of the racing stable’s design office Sébastien Sainson reveal what colours their daily life during the race.

    Finally, this Thursday 18 January, it’s over to Yoann Richomme, skipper of the IMOCA Paprec Arkea to lend himself to the task of carrying out a direct interview with our skipper. The recent winner of December’s Retour à la Base race, the sailor has known Charles for a number of years and values his friendship. As he recently explained, Charles entrusted him with the helm of his Figaro project in late 2000 to give him a leg up and then mentioned his name for a series of projects associated with The Ocean Race.  

    Welcome to the 3rd episode of WAYPOINT!

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