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Video: Flying on the world’s largest foiling trimaran

Sailing team Gitana has released an on board video showing its new 32 metre maxi trimaran Edmond De Rothschild flying on her hydrofoils. As the footage below shows, all three hulls were lifted clear of the water on her sea trials despite weighing a total of 15.5 tonnes.

Speaking after a successful day on the water, Sébastien Josse of Gitana said, “We immediately saw that the boat was keeping her promises: stiff and safe and begging to unleash her power. The first time the boat took off was an incredible moment.

“We had 15-17 knots of breeze and flat seas, with waves of less than a metre — everything was in place to fly. Aboard the boat there was a mixture of excitement and surprise, as well as pride,” he added. “Even though we're only at the start, it's hugely satisfying to see that we're heading in the right direction.”

Launched back in July in the French port town of Vannes, Edmond De Rothschild has spent three years in development. Continuing their family’s sailing legacy, namesake descendants Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild were involved in the fit-out stage.

Built for speed, she lacks the creature comforts found on a multihull superyacht , but with an LOA of 32 metres, Edmond De Rothschild is the largest purpose-built foiling trimaran in the world — and more than double the length of the AC45 racing catamarans that competed at the America's Cup in Bermuda earlier this summer.

The ultimate aim is that Edmond De Rothschild will singlehandedly circumnavigate the globe in 2019-20. Before then, the team has set the intermediary goal of racing in the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre, which departs from Le Havre on November 5.

Foiling technology was thrust into the global spotlight in 2013 during the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco and with the format of the 36th America’s Cup still undecided it is likely that the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will be watching these developments with great interest.

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We sailed aboard the Ultim foiling trimaran Gitana17:Edmond de Rothschild

With the flying machine in full swing, note the adjustable end flap (yellow) at the bottom of the daggerboard (equipped with a trimmer). The 15.5 t and 32x23m of Gitana 17 sits on 4 points (leeward foil, central and port rudder blade and daggerboard flap)

At full speed, the foiler exceeds 40 knots, so you can understand the importance of aerodynamic optimization!

Sébastien Josse standing on the cap of the gigantic foiler. Note the log showing 35.7 knots of boatspeed with less than 20 knots of true wind!

Helming such an exceptional machine provides unforgettable pleasure... Philippe Echelle, chief tester at Multihulls World is one happy sailor!

The awesome deck plan of an Ultim foiler: hydraulics, computers, deck hardware, winches and custom-made columns developed in the USA as part of a partnership with Harken... Welcome aboard a flying trimaran of the future!

The protective capsule of Gitana 17 is a beautiful carbon structure, luminous, slender and strong. New ergonomics are needed to control a machine in which the apparent wind is constantly very strong and where there is generous spray

Sébastien Josse shows the screen for controlling all the parameters of the flight. Each appendage is loaded with sensors whose values are displayed in digital and analogue (on the image of the trimaran).

The foiler’s cockpit and life pod. Thomas Rouxel is adjusting the foil incidence (rake) from 5.50 high by means of the small, carbon half-wheel (it controls its action of 0 to 4° from the image of the boat on the screen in front of him)

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Published 20/09/2018

By Philippe Echelle

Published: nov. / dec. 2018

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Issue #: 162

Published: November / December 2018

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Gitana: A family of prestigious, classic boats

In 1876, Baroness Julie de Rothschild commissioned Thornycroft shipyard to build a 24.45m record steamer. The first of the Gitanas would be timed on Lake Geneva at 20.5 knots (an extraordinary speed for the period!): the world record! The Gitana saga had begun! In the 1960s, Baron Benjamin (founder of the financial group in 1953) revived the family enthusiasm for boating and racing.

The transformation into a racing team mainly dedicated to multihulls

In 2000 Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild established a real competition team that recruits its skippers from among the cream of the crop: Fred Le Peutrec, Loïck Peyron, Jean Le Cam, Thierry Duprey Du Vorsent and Lionel Lemonchois have been among those elected. The first racing trimaran was the former Elf III, now Gitana IX (Designed by G.Ollier - Multiplast). Then came the first boat entirely developed by the team: Gitana X. Its design was already based on the characteristics that were to become the hallmark of the team: daring techniques and aesthetics were being sought. The X was the product of a unique collaboration (something not yet undertaken in 2002!) between Gilles Ollier, Sebastien Schmidt, Mario Caponnetto and Duncan Mac Lane. Geared towards performance at Grand Prix level, this boat with X-arms was a little fragile for ocean racing.

By now the team had gained experience and made the informed choice of the acquisition of Jean Luc Nélias' ex-Belgacom (VPLP / Larros / CDK). Fred Le Peutrec and Loïck Peyron were the skippers, before Lionel Lemonchois' fantastic ride in the 2006 Route du Rhum, with an incredible victory in 7 days 17 hours! It was one of the most fantastic performances in this race since its inception. The boat was then to be transformed and extended by 17' to be eligible for the new Ultim class, and would then come 4th in the 2010 Route du Rhum, with Yann Guichard. Gitana 12 (formerly Jean Le Cam’s Bonduelle) was to be the team’s last Orma before the acquisition of one of the 4 giants of the time: Loïck Peyron’s former Innovation Explorer. Perfectly prepared, the big catamaran measuring 32.80m set out on a series of ocean records in 2008. From 2009 through 2012, the one-design circuit of the Extreme40 Sailing Series mobilized the team's multihull activity with Pierre Pennec at the helm. In 2011, the Mod 70 series started to look promising: one-design with a dynamic calendar. The bar had been raised! An ideal boat for the team. Alas the system rapidly collapsed: Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier’s victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre was to be the high point of the adventure. Transformed into an experimental flying trimaran, which makes L foils progress quickly (the most efficient at the time), the Mod 70 Gitana 15 returned under the hand of Guillaume Verdier (one of the pioneers of the Team New Zealand foiler during the America’s Cup). This boat was to become the first modern ocean foiler: it paved the way for Gitana 17:Edmond de Rothschild.

Gitana 17:Edmond de Rothschild, the first flying Ultim trimaran

Launched after Macif (CDK/VPLP in original Archimedean version, holder of the single-handed round the world record), but before Banque Populaire IX (CDK/VPLP), Gitana 17 was a born foiler: Guillaume Verdier's radical and highly innovative design is characterized by rectangular section arms, streamlined and without curvature (for better platform rigidity and increased reliability), a very large elevation of the topsides of the floats and optimized aerodynamics. From a hydrodynamic point of view, the flat U-shaped float and hull sections provide the planing shapes that maximize lift and avoid getting "sucked down". These flat bottoms in monolithic carbon also play a stiffening role to counteract the twisting loads on the foils when in action (50 tonnes!). The boat was designed around its appendages at the end of the Mod70 test campaign: 3 inverted T-rudder blades, 2 L-shaped foils with XXL dimensions (5.40m!), and a central T-shaped daggerboard with trimmer and flap at the extremity. Maximum height on the water, maximum platform stiffness and minimum aero and hydrodynamic drag: these are the parameters of this aggressive and futuristic design.

The technical, conceptual and financial challenge

If the figures make us dizzy, they also express the reality of design and manufacture of such a speed machine that is actually evolving for the first time in the air-water interface. These 15.5 tons of black fiber required the investment of 250 stakeholders in all. These included 40 composites specialists who spent 20 months on its production, 35,000 hours of design team time and 135,000 hours of construction! The complex mobile appendages of such a flying machine have required the intervention of 3 different manufacturers in order not to risk weakening a company in case of default on one of the parts (the two foils cost €500,000 for example!). Eligio Re Fraschini (foils) is a strong, high-tech company specializing in the manufacture of Formula 1 chassis, avionics composite parts and large-vessel propellers; Heol's Morbihan team has an extraordinary mastery of hollow carbon parts and pre-impregnated material in general. This composites alchemist put together the central daggerboard with its trimmer and end flaps. C3 Technologie in La Rochelle operates in the same areas and also manufactures all-carbon passenger aircraft. Here’s are some amazing numbers: Foils with a height of 5.50m withstand up to 130t of load before breaking! The construction budget of the boat: €15M; the annual budget of the team: €3.5 M (but compare this with the budget, for example, of the Sky cycling team: €35 M!! And they’re not even building an innovative boat!

Just a perfect day!

I’m sure Lou Reed will forgive me for borrowing this from one of his iconic songs, but these are the words that came to my mind when I left the maxi foiler. Some notes on a Steinway, a heady, addictive melody, a song that transcends time! My experiences of multihull flight are very limited: Some runs in Windrider Rave in the late 90s, the AC50 Groupama; the TF30 trimaran and finally Gitana 17. However, sailing each of these boats gave me an intense pleasure and revived my passion for multihulls! With these machines, life starts at 20 knots, explodes at 30 and reaches a climax at 40! Ocean flight isn’t 5 years old, but for a new generation of Jedi-navigators it opens a revolutionary sector in the sailing experience. It was the magicians of the appendages who made this miracle possible!

Our trip took place at the end of a night out with a small crew off the coast of Brittany. The crew: (Thomas Rouxel, Sébastien Josse, his teammate in the Transat Jacques Vabre, Nicolas Lunven who will be in charge of weather routing for the 2018 Route du Rhum and Sébastien Sainson who is a naval architect who graduated from Southampton, and is a member of the design team) We joined the trimaran SE of the Ile de Groix. The mastodon descended towards us with the wind behind and the mainsail sheet in to slow her down and stabilize her. A spectacular fender staircase is set up from the big 10m tender to allow us access on board.  Immediately, we are in for a collective 5 minute session of effort (with 4 of us!) on the grinders to lower the port foil (the biggest winch has been designed as a one-off by Harken USA for a permanent workload of 9 tonnes)! The rudders and the daggerboard are in the lowered position,  and the foil raked at 3° (a positive impact out of the possible 4°). We then unfurled the solent (again, sizeable effort is required and there are 4 of us on the grinders)! Sheeted hard in (as always on this kind of boat where the apparent wind is always very close to dead ahead, whatever the speed, this sailing rocket takes off in 12 knots of wind. Thomas Rouxel is at the wheel where the jumbo display regularly shows 25 knots of boatspeed when, suddenly, at 90° to the true wind that goes up to 15-16 knots, the powdery wake becomes huge, the speedo panics and the appendages pull us free from earthly attraction! 32 knots, the trimaran’s trim is so perfect that it seems unreal. We are flying! Sébastien Josse offers me the chance to take the helm. Well-secured on the navigating platform, titanium rim in hand, I poke my head through the opening roof and find myself in an exclusive, exceptional universe, that of one of the 5 Ultim multihulls which exist in the world. 

The helm sensation is quite a shock at first, but you get used to the size of the machine quickly. Sitting between 82 and 90° off an irregular wind, I manage to keep the machine in flight and semi-flight. The transitions between the Archimedean sequences and the 5-point takeoff are smooth, as is the landing. It’s extraordinary! The noise coming from aft is powerful, but the noise level of the appendages (perceived from the outside) is low; not at all like the wild beast howls of an AC50. The wind speed, just unbearable for a long time, is the reason why the navigation capsule includes the helm station and all the sail handling controls. A small removable windshield completes the device to help fight against the spray! In these ideal conditions, the speed is maintained between 22 and 36 knots and the steady behavior is so perfect that one has the impression of sailing on a well-honed, long-developed machine, whereas in reality, the job list is always full at the end of each test run. 

If Nicolas Lunven (weather) and Olivier Douillard (performance) manage to position the machine in good condition and a driver in shape on an optimized trajectory, the long flight sessions will allow a unique wake across the Atlantic. The English Channel, Biscay and The Azores are not short of rough crossings, delicate weather phenomena and crossed seas, all the opposite of the desired conditions for high speed. The bonus will go to the pilot who will fly the best and the most regularly, knowing that it is almost impossible to rest in these conditions...

At the helm, I observe the fantastic work of the foils and the careful preparation of this platform which provides extraordinary performance, and am fascinated by the snowy wake that we leave between Ile de Groix and Belle Ile! At 30 knots, on our way back, the perception of the entrance to the Chenal de Lorient is distorted and in a few minutes we are off the signal station, where the speed is limited to 6 knots! With all the sails eased, the 32m trimaran stops: it's over. All that’s required now is get the machine back alongside the dock using the 110hp engine and the two little tugs!

Name: GITANA17-EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD

Naval Architects: Team Verdier-Gitana

Builder: Multiplast/ Appendages by Eligio Re Fraschini-Heol- C3 – Persico (coachroof tip), mast by Lorima

Length: 32m

Laden weight: 15.5t

Mast height: 35m

Upwind sail area: 450m²

Downwind sail area: 650m²

Construction: honeycomb carbon-epoxy, hull bottoms in monolithic carbon

Decor on hulls and sails (800m²): JB Epron based on an original work by Cleon Peterson

Text: Philippe Echelle Photos: Eloi Stichelbaut / Gitana SA and P.Echelle

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Gitana foiling trimaran luanch. Photo @Yvan Zedda/ GITANA SA.

Launch of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – first foiling offshore trimaran

At 08:30 GMT this Monday, the first oceanic trimaran designed to fly offshore was launched in Vannes, south-west Brittany, under the proud gaze of her owners, Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild, her designers and builders, and of course the whole of Gitana Team supporting skipper Sébastien Josse.

It is 17.07.2017, the perfect date for the latest of five-arrow racing stable, which goes by the name of Gitana 17 for her christening ceremony. She’s set to compete in a series of XXL maritime events, both in single-handed and crewed configuration, under her race name, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

The public was also out in force, curious about the opportunity to discover this unique boat, which is a precursor of the latest generation multihulls that fly. Her sleek, ethereal forms as well as her appendages, all equipped with trim tabs (even the central daggerboard), are an invitation to voyage, at speed, along the long oceanic swell.

Indeed, this maxi-trimaran embodies the offshore racing universe and that of foiling, which is predominantly practiced within harbours, as is the case in the America’s Cup. In fact, it was Guillaume Verdier and his associates who worked in collaboration with the Gitana Team design office to create this new prototype. This French naval architect, who has just secured the silver ewer with the New Zealand team, was also behind the first foiling monohulls from the last Vendée Globe.

This same challenge was also taken up by the Gitana Team in 2015-2016 with the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild. Indeed, the ambition of flying offshore is part of a long-term strategy within the racing stable, as much in terms of research and development as on the water, where Sébastien Josse has been flying for a long while, on various craft.

The spectacle of the genesis of this extraordinary boat has taken 170,000 man-hours and a build process lasting over 20 months. Following her launch, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a craft measuring 32 metres in length and 23 metres wide, then made for her home port of Lorient. This is where her mast was built and awaited her arrival, surrounded by all the people who manufactured the 35-metre spar capable of carrying up to 650m2 of sail area with precision, patience and expertise. Sails which, together with the hulls, form a genuine original work by American artist Cleon Peterson, which is totally unique. Indeed, under the impulse of Ariane de Rothschild, Gitana 17 has today become the largest off-the-wall work of the Lasco Project, an artistic project organised by the Palais de Tokyo as a dedication to urban arts.

In sporting terms, Sébastien Josse can now really get the chance to come face to face with this new machine. The skipper will now try to get his bearings, step by step, with humility, before setting sail across the Atlantic, on 5 November 2017, accompanied by Thomas Rouxel. This journey will be the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race between Le Havre and Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. Over the next two years, the skipper will notably participate in the Route du Rhum (2018) and then the first ever single-handed round the world race created for these Ultime multihulls (2019).

Devise, transpose, innovate Today’s multihulls fly, which means that they are held up out of the water thanks to appendages equipped with lifting surfaces, which act like the wings of a plane, albeit in the water. At the heart of this new mode of sailing, stability and reliability are key parameters in performance. Already, on 31 March 2016, the Gitana Team managed to get its Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild airborne. A first success on this one-design come test platform, which was followed up by today’s foiling Imoca monohull and the Maxi.

No fewer than 250 people from all manner of specialist trades across Europe, New Zealand and the United States have played their part in the creation of the maxi-trimaran. Team Verdier combined all its expertise with that of the members of Gitana Team’s design office, as well as an incredible network of service providers, particularly those from engineering and construction. Among them, Pixel Sur Mer (servo-control), C3 Technologies (bulkheads and appendages), Re Fraschini (foils), Lorima (mast), Multiplast (platform) and also Persico (cockpit). Leaving the yard is the first major step, but there is a long road ahead to discover her potential and learn to tame her. Over the coming weeks, there will be a series of tests for resistance under load, sail trials and debut flights. Like a bird that takes off alone away from the nest, prudence will be the order of the day.

A collective work of art and craftsmanship Onboard this boat, man has had a hand in everything. Laminators, hydraulics specialists, painters, experts in top-level ropework and many other professions make up this team of high-tech craftsmen and women, who rank among the world’s elite, and who have given their all in the bid to realise a common goal. As such, when the street artist Cleon Peterson designed his work on this immense canvas, Jean-Baptiste Epron adapted the original design so as it could be expressed in various weather conditions, namely under every sail configuration. The graphic artist-navigator has interpreted the livery of the Gitana boats since 2000, all based on the family coat of arms. In this way, the work by Cleon Peterson is very much in line with tradition, with the notable integration of the five Rothschild arrows brandished by its warriors. The ‘Gitane’ is present too, embodied as a Greek goddess carrying the globe to reflect the round the world journey, which the boat will soon embark on. Finally, another powerful symbol, the four warriors represent Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild’s daughters and convey the much cherished family notion of passing things down.

QUOTES Ariane de Rothschild, owner of Gitana Team “This trimaran is a fantastic way to carry on the 140-year history of the Gitana boats and the research and development within our family. The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is the culmination of serious consideration, both on a technological and aesthetic level. It is the story of a continuous quest and a series of experiments, notably that carried out on the trimaran Gitana XV, then again on Gitana 16 (a foiling monohull for the Vendée Globe). Thanks to Cleon Peterson’s designs, this trimaran also champions art and provides a fabulous sounding board for what we’re doing through our foundations, which deal with matters such as integration, urban violence and philanthropy. For all these reasons, this boat beautifully champions the values, which our family has supported for generations.”

Benjamin de Rothschild, owner of Gitana Team “This launch was naturally moving. Over time, the Gitana boats have had their share of innovations and the latter is continuing this tradition with the aim of being the first flying offshore trimaran. We’re keeping up the tradition of daring to venture forward, whilst placing our trust in Guillaume Verdier, who has already proven his worth, and in our team, which is constantly progressing. It’s also a very stimulating period in terms of the records being set at the moment, which place the bar ever higher. We’re now really keen to step the mast, bend on the sails and get out sailing.”

Cyril Dardashti, General Manager of Gitana Team “We’ve had a very emotional and important day in Gitana Team’s history. The team has been working flat out to launch this boat within the original timeframe and it hasn’t been easy day in day out as the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is an exceptional and extraordinary craft. The last few weeks have been particularly intense for everyone and I’m very proud of the team as together we’ve managed to overcome all the challenges to conclude this chapter of the build and set this Maxi in motion. It’s the start of a new story, but already its realisation has been exemplary. I repeat this over and over, but we’re incredibly lucky that Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild honour us with such trust, which enables us to be daring in our innovation. Such passion and commitment are what drives the Gitana Team on a daily basis.”

Sébastien Josse, skipper of Gitana Team “Inevitably I’m itching to get going but I’m keeping a low profile, in absolute awe of all the work put in by the whole team. We won’t sail the same in solo or crewed configuration, and the same is true in record or race configuration. Today, records are broken by teams who have been working away at them for a long time. There is a large unknown element and lots of things are being trialled here for the first time. We’re going to have to become ever greater, come face to face with this boat and listen to each other in order to get a full grasp of what’s going on. In due course, the race around the world in 2019 will bring to the fore the pressure of competition, which will thrill us, not only through the technological element but through the incredible human adventure in what is a truly pioneering ambiance.”

Pierre Tissier, Technical Manager of the Gitana Team “Ten years ago, we wondered about the size of the headsail furlers, the stresses the winches were under, whether to use rams for certain operations or about canting the mast. Today, we’re no longer asking questions along these lines, rather we question what angle to give the flaps (like those on a plane’s wing), what type, what size… We’re asking new questions about new things. It’s a large boat, designed like a small foiler and it operates in a fairly similar way to a boat in the America’s Cup. It’s the start of a long journey of discovery, we’re breaking new ground here, with a boat that has the potential to fly offshore, and now it’s a question of doing just that.”

Guillaume Verdier, naval architect “The initial idea was to design the first oceanic boat capable of flying with unfailing reliability. There are trim tabs on all the appendages. The central daggerboard has one too, a lifting surface in the form of a skate wing in order to increase stability still further when heeling and rolling. That is a huge amount for Sébastien (Josse) to trim. He’s going to have to go at it in stages, learn how far is reasonable enough and also what hand to play when the seas are too heavy. There were 80 of us within Team New Zealand answering these questions. As such, we’ll need to be patient and discuss ideas in depth to reveal the boat’s true potential.”

Cléon Peterson, artist (USA) “It’s a great privilege and an honour to have played a part in this fascinating project. I can imagine Sébastien Josse’s heroic voyage, where he will have to face up to himself and the sublime power of nature. In contrast to my other works, this one is going to travel. It’s very motivating to know that your work will have a life around the world, across the oceans and in all different lights. It was also a real challenge to adapt the design to the sail area and the paint team did an incredible job off the back of that. I’m now very keen to see her with her sails and in motion.”

TECHNICAL FOCUS Six delicate appendages: The decision came down to L-shaped foils measuring 5 metres in height and 3 metres in breadth (the largest ever built) and T-foil rudders, which serve to lift the boat and hence help her take off. These T-foil rudders will be retractable so as not to impinge on the boat’s ability to slip through the water and minimise the rise of breakage regarding the windward float. Flat-bottomed hull and floats: As is the case on the America’s Cup craft, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is equipped with three planing hulls with inverted bows and flat bottoms, so as to increase the ability to fly and provide excellent stability in heavy seas. The central hull and floats have a high freeboard for improved protection at sea. Rectangular, streamlined beams: The use of massive L-shaped foils and T-foil rudders translate as high floats and as stiff a platform as possible. The beams linked to the central hull are rectangular – and non-curved – so as to optimise stiffness. These straight beams are streamlined like plane wings so as to improve the aerodynamic effect. Streamlined cockpit: Streamlined to reduce windage and retain the boat’s aerodynamic look, the cuddy carried back from the central hull results in a highly-protected living pod. When sailing singlehanded, the skipper will spend a lot of his time here and, when sailing in crewed configuration, bunks are provided down below, inside the central hull.

PROGRAMME NOVEMBER 2017 Start of the Transat Jacques Vabre (LE HAVRE – SALVADOR DE BAHIA), double-handed race. NOVEMBER 2018 Route du Rhum (ST MALO – POINTE-À-PITRE), single-handed race. AUTUMN – WINTER 2019 Round the world SETTING SAIL FROM BREST, single-handed race.

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Pictures: the launch of the magnificant Maxi Edmond de Rothschild

• Katy Stickland

See pictures of the world's first oceanic trimaran designed to foil offshore, as Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is launched in south west Brittany

It was an emotional moment for the team who have spent the last 21 months building the 32-metre long Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

This groundbreaking trimaran, which is predicted to take offshore sailing into a whole new era, was craned into the water on Monday morning (17 July) at Vannes in south west Brittany.

Skipper of the Gitana Team, Sébastien Josse, will now have several months to get to grips with his new vessel, before he takes part in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race between Le Havre and Salvador de Bahia in Brazil with Thomas Rouxel in November.

Craned into the water. Credit: Yvan Zedda

Over the next two years, Josse will notably participate in the Route du Rhum (2018) and then the first ever single-handed round the world race created for these Ultime multihulls, which is scheduled for 2019.

“There is a large unknown element and lots of things are being trialled here for the first time,” explained Josse.

“We’re going to have to become ever greater, come face to face with this boat and listen to each other in order to get a full grasp of what’s going on,” he continued.

“In due course, the race around the world in 2019 will bring to the fore the pressure of competition, which will thrill us, not only through the technological element but through the incredible human adventure in what is a truly pioneering ambiance,” added Josse.

Unsurprisingly, the public were out in force on Monday to witness the launch of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild as it was craned into the water.

The trimaran was designed by French naval architect  Guillaume Verdier , who was responsible for New Zealand’s winning America’s Cup catamaran , the new foil-assisted ocean racing monohull for the 14th Volvo Ocean Race, and was also behind the first foiling monohulls from the last Vendée Globe .

He worked in collaboration with the Gitana Team design office to create the trimaran, which is 23-metres wide and is capable of speeds of up to 50-knots.

Part of the Gitana Team’s long-term strategy has been the ambition of flying offshore.

The mast is put in place. Credit: Yvan Zedda

“The initial idea was to design the first oceanic boat capable of flying with unfailing reliability,” explained Verdier. “There are trim tabs on all the appendages. The central daggerboard has one too, a lifting surface in the form of a skate wing in order to increase stability still further when heeling and rolling.”

“That is a huge amount for Sébastien (Josse) to trim. He’s going to have to go at it in stages, learn how far is reasonable enough and also what hand to play when the seas are too heavy,” he added.

Continued below…

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Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has six L-shaped foils.

Each measures five metres in height and three metres in breadth (the largest ever built). There are also T-foil rudders, which help lift the boat out of the water.

These T-foil rudders will be retractable so not to impede the boat’s ability to slip through the water. They also minimise the risk of breakage.

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is equipped with three planing hulls with inverted bows and flat bottoms, in order to increase the ability to fly and provide excellent stability in heavy seas. The central hull and floats have a high freeboard for improved protection at sea.

Credit: Yvan Zedda

The cockpit is streamlined, and helps retain the boat’s aerodynamic look. There is a protected living pod back from the central hull, which will be the main accommodate for the skipper when sailing singlehanded.

When sailing with crew, bunks are provided down below, inside the central hull.

Following the launch, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild made for her home port of Lorient.

This is where her mast was built and awaited her arrival, surrounded by all the people who manufactured the 35-metre spar capable of carrying up to 650m2 of sail area.

Technical Specifications:

LOA: 32 metres Width: 23 metres Top speed: 50 knots Sail area: 650m2 Man hours to build: 170,000 hours over 20 months Number of foils: 6 (each 5 metres high and 3 metres wide)

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Caudrelier Wins Round-the-World Solo Sprint

• By Dave Reed
• February 26, 2024

UPDATE: French solo racer Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest, this Tuesday morning at 8h 37mn 42s local time (UTC+1hrs) to win the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest , the first ever solo multihull race around the world, sailed in giant 32m long ULTIM class trimarans.

The race leader who has been unchallenged at the front of the race since the night of January 17, Caudrelier– triumphs on the first edition of this unprecedented race. Before he had to slow to avoid a huge storm at Cape Horn, at one point in the Pacific Ocean Caudrelier was ahead of the time needed to set a new all-time record for sailing solo around the world.

His elapsed time is 50 days 19 hours 07 minutes 47 seconds since leaving Brest in the six-boat fleet on Sunday 7th January.

After a thrilling head to head duel with 26-year-old Tom Laperche down the South Atlantic, Caudrelier, who turned 50 years old on Monday, widened the gap to over 2500 miles ahead of his nearest rival after Laperche had to retire into Cape Town with damage caused by a collision.

Along his route, Caudrelier set a new record for the Indian Ocean and then proved he knew how to moderate his pace to look after his high tech flying ULTIM and give himself and the emblematic Gitana team the best chance of completing the 24,260 nautical miles course.

With a substantial lead Caudrelier put his race on hold – sailing at very slow speeds for more than 36 hours in the eastern Pacific – to avoid a storm at Cape Horn and latterly sat out storm Louis, stopped in the safety of the Azores last week to avoid any additional risk which might have jeopardized his win.

This success rewards more than ten years of endeavour by the Edmond de Rothschild Gitana team. They worked initially from 2011 with a MOD70 on which they developed the multihull foiling program before they launched the innovative Verdier designed Ultim in 2017.

Arriving two years later along with co-skipper Franck Cammas,  Caudrlier, double winner of The Ocean Race -once as skipper, contributed to the boat’s continued evolution and optimisation and the boat built up the most extensive track record of the class with some great victories with Caudrelier  including the Brest Atlantique (2019), Fastnet (2019 and 2021), Transat Jacques Vabre (2021), Finistère Atlantique (2022) and blue riband solo Route du Rhum (2022).

After a frustrating Transat Jacques Vabre last autumn which was marked by numerous damages including problems with the steering system and a foil, finishing in third place, the Gitana team worked hard to repair to be ready for this race and to move forward.

“I’ve had my struggles but I know that things are turning round,” said Caudrelier before the start of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest.

From the early days on this race he had to deal with small problems too including a break in his forward fairing. Although he succeeded in capturing a dream ride on a low pressure from the South Atlantic until the south of Australia, the second half of his race was much more problematic, including his pause before Cape Horn and his strategic halt into the Azores last week.

A popular, highly respected racer and leader among his peers, this is Caudrelier’s biggest solo success and finally fulfils his youthful dreams of winning a singlehanded race around the world. Added to his Ocean Race wins he further establishes himself as one of the best skippers among the French greats.

Charles Caudrelier’s victory in figures

• Finish time : 8 h 37 min 42 sec
• Race time : 50 days 19 hours 7 min 42 sec
• Miles traveled : 28 938,03 miles
• Actual average speed : 23,74 knots
• Average speed on the great circle: 19,93 knots
• More: Racing , Sailboat Racing , Ultim
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Caudrelier wins the 2022 Route du Rhum with new course record

• Toby Heppell
• November 16, 2022

The close-fought three-way battle for victory among the giant Ultimes in the 2022 Route du Rhum saw a new course record and win for Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild

Charles Caudrelier sailing his Ultime trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild  was first to cross the finish line of the 2022 Route du Rhum race this morning in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe in a time of 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds.

This is a new (yet to be ratified) course record for the Route du Rhum with Caudrelier beating the previous best set in the last race by Francis Joyon of 7 days 14 hours 21 minutes and 47 seconds, despite early conditions being far from favourable.

After the line an emotional Caudrelier said: “I’m not even tired. The first 24 hours were hard.”

The Gitana campaign is one of the most long-standing and committed sponsorships in sailing. Caudrelier took over the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, also known as Gitana 17,  as solo skipper last year, having previously co-skippered with Franck Cammas for double-handed and crewed campaigns.

He continued: “I so wanted to win the race for the team. I’ve been dreaming of it since I was young. It’s for the family Rothschild. It seemed like a crazy idea, building a boat that could fly. It’s for Franck Cammas, as he had the experience. Without him I wouldn’t be here. He left me the place for the Rhum. He could have won it himself.

“It’s a Formula 1 team and I just drive in the race. This is a team effort and there’s Guillaume Verdier, the designer. I recently lost my mother and she isn’t here to share this moment. Thanks to everyone for believing in me.”

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild shortly before winning the 2022 Route du Rhum. Photo: Alexis Courcoux / Route du Rhum

It has been an impressively close battle between the top three Ultime trimarans  ( Gitana , Sodebo and SVR-Lazartigue Ultime ) throughout much of the 3,542-mile race. Caudrelier led the fleet from the start but has not had things all his own way.

Initially the race committee called Gitana as was one of several boats over the starline, which would have required Caudrelier to stop for a mandatory four hour penalty. However, the Gitana race team were able to provide a significant amount of GPS data to the race officials to show that he was actually 50m behind the startline at the gun and the penalty was dropped.

Although Gitana  led out of the start and at the finish, the lead swapped between Caudrelier and François Gabart (sailing  SVR-Lazartigue Ultime ) on a number of occasions as the huge foiling multihulls navigated several complex light wind transitions. But is was Caudrelier in the lead most of the time, with his gap to Gabart remaining around 40nm for much of the Atlantic crossing with a maximum gap to second of a little over 100nm.

Gabart is set to finish shortly, picking up his second consecutive 2nd place in the Route du Rhum, having lost victory to Francis Joyon in the final minutes of the 2018 edition of the Route du Rhum.

Thomas Coville on Sodebo Ultim 3 also remained in close contention with the lead two boats throughout this year’s Route du Rhum and was close enough to be consistently putting pressure on Gabart in second. This morning, however, his team reported he had caught a fishing net on his final approach to Guadaloupe.

Four years of improvement

Most significantly, this Route du Rhum resolved many questions of reliability for the giant Ultimes, with no significant incidents after Armel le Cleac’h on the Maxi Banque Populaire XI incurred foil damage at the start (he was able to repair and restart later).

It is a significant contrast to the 2018 Route du Rhum, which saw the previous  Banque Populaire  capsize and break up,  Maxi Edmond de Rothschild  had a whole bow section ripped clean off, the previous Sodebo suffered structural issues, while Gabart’s  Macif  limped to the finish missing two of its newly retrofitted foils.

This time around the Ultime skippers consistently managed 30-plus knot speeds and periods of headwinds and large swells, without capsize or serious damage. The reality of these giant 100ft trimarans racing around the world solo has got a step closer.

Route du Rhum still close for the other fleets

Further back, in the middle of the Atlantic, Charlie Dalin ( Apivia ) remains the clear leader of the IMOCA 60 fleet – a position he has held since the fleet sailed out of the English channel shortly after the start of the race. But a singnificant lead for Dalin has been reduced as he was the first to hit a lighter weather front allowing the rest of the fleet to close on him.

This gateway to the trade winds is very narrow and keeps changing for the IMOCA 60 fleet and is causing headaches for those in the tight pack immediately behind Dalin. “As long as we haven’t slipped under the area of high pressure and crossed the ridge, it’s going to be complicated,” commented Jérémie Beyou ( Charal ) early in the morning on Wednesday 16th November.

Jeremie Beyou is in a close fight for second in the IMOCA 60. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut

The winds are light and variable going from 6 to 13 knots. “I’m getting passed by Thomas (Ruyant). He is two miles above me, but I can’t find the wind here… It’s complicated with a lot of people around me, but that does offer the advantage of indicating where the wind is. Losing or gaining places happens very quickly, when it’s close like this.” His lead of ten miles over Paul Meilhat ( Biotherm ) and Thomas Ruyant ( LinkedOut ) has quickly vanished.

There is a similar situation with the Ocean Fifty boats with the gaps narrowing between the three frontrunners, Quentin Vlamynck ( Arkema ), Erwan Le Roux ( Koesio ) and Sébastien Rogues ( Primonial ). Eighty miles separated the three yesterday, but now the gap is down to less than 25.

Things are slightly different for the Class40 boats with Yoann Richomme, skipper of Paprec Arkea leading the fleet since Monday afternoon. He continues to extend his lead and is now thirty miles ahead of Corentin Douguet ( Quéguiner – Innoveo ). “I’m trying to sail well and keep cool. There is another front moving in from the west. We have to get in the right place to deal with it. I’ll be trying to cross it where there is the smallest risk. The weather changes very quickly. I’ll try to avoid the calms, as it would be a pity to get stuck in there. We have to remain on it. The gateway is narrow and changing all the time. This is a critical and crucial moment in the race,” concluded Yoann Richomme.

Follow all the latest Route du Rhum updates here.

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Maxi Edmond de Rothschild launched - an emotional day for the Gitana Team

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Supported by their onshore routers, Jean-Yves Bernot and Antoine Koch, the Josse-Caudrelier duo didn’t have a minute’s respite. Every day and every night, the sailors had to negotiate another tricky session, confront what were often extreme sailing conditions and withstand the pressure of their pursuers. Traversing the different weather systems in the north and south Atlantic at high speed, the crew of Edmond de Rothschild shook up the forecasts. With just 11 days of racing required to cover the 5,400 miles that separate Le Havre from Itajai on a direct route (they actually covered 5,952 miles), Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier took a time worthy of the best times set by past Transat Jacques Vabre winners. It should be noted though that the past victors sailed instead to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil (from 2001 to 2007), which had a course some 1,000 miles shorter.

The five acts of this incredible race from the North to the South Atlantic

Act i: english channel, biscay, finisterre: edmond de rothschild gains an edge.

After a clean start from 7 November at 1200 GMT, Edmond de Rothschild led out of the starting blocks, rounding the Radio France mark off Le Havre in first place. From there the boats launched into a tactical ballet of tack changes in the English Channel. At the north-west tip of Brittany, Sébastien and Charles hugged the bend to hunt down the expected wind shift as early as possible behind the front passing over Ushant in the early hours of the morning. The trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild then lengthened her stride across the Chenal du Four then the Raz de Sein, entering the Bay of Biscay with a lead of three miles over Oman Air-Musandam. Following that came the first day of speed testing between the two boats as they made for the north-west tip of Spain. Each of them showed themselves to be rather comfortable in this exercise, despite 5-metre waves and 30 knots of breeze as they approached the coast. Late into the night, conditions became extreme off Cape Finisterre. The breeze picked up considerably and the seas boiled making any headway to the south rather laborious to say the least. Here too, the blue trimaran hunted down her salvation offshore, leaving La Coruña and her adversary in her wake.

Act II: The southern espressway

The slight edge gained by Edmond de Rothschild in this intense start to the race would become more substantial as the hours went by, slipping along the coast of Portugal and then into the north-easterly tradewinds. Riveted to the helm day and night, Sébastien and Charles kept up the pace, avoiding the wind shadow created by the island of Madeira, then than of the Canaries, and extending their lead, which culminated at 101 miles between 11 and 12 November. Shortly before Cape Verde, Sidney Gavignet and Damian Foxall aboard Oman Air-Musandam initiated a slightly more easterly trajectory, doubtless looking to make a break for it before tackling the tricky Doldrums.

Act III: Night of storms prior to the equator

In the tropics, the tension rises. The Doldrums are forecast to be very active and extend across an area spanning some 300 miles in width. Leading, Edmond de Rothschild opts for a more conservative position whilst her pursuer takes the risk of falling into the zones of light airs. In the depths of the night, it’s like broad daylight for Sébastien and Charles with the amount of lightning striking the water in one particularly impressive squall. The crew keeps a cool head and keeps a tight rein on its boat, which ends up being knocked about by over 25 knots of breeze. The sailors adapt the sail area and gain headway due South at full speed. In the early hours, Edmond de Rothschild escapes the clutches of the Doldrums with an 80-mile lead over Oman Air-Musandam, which was the same as when they entered this meteorological transition zone. However, by continuing in its earlier option, the Gavignet-Foxall duo has managed to reduce the lateral separation. The trimarans cross the equator on 14 November, within just two hours of each other. The boat fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild makes it into the southern hemisphere at 2035 GMT after 7 days 8 hours 35 minutes at sea since leaving Le Havre.

Act IV: Full-on Brazil

In this other hemisphere, the two trimarans quickly latch onto the tradewinds, which are blowing from the south-east this time. The speed is on the up again aboard Edmond de Rothschild, which resists the various attacks from her adversary, even though the latter is benefiting from a favourable angle of attack to accelerate along the coast of Brazil. From 80 miles, their lead melts to just 20 miles at noon on 16 November. Despite the fatigue, despite these long hours of piloting in the sunshine and permanent humidity, salt and stress, the Josse-Caudrelier duo don’t let up one iota. The three hulls cut through the tradewind sea, whilst ahead the scenario for the conclusion is taking shape.

Act V: Final wrestling match

On the morning of 17 November, the boats gybe to negotiate Cabo Frio, to the west of which nestles the bay of Rio de Janeiro. Some 500 miles from the finish in Itajai, Sébastien and Charles have stretched out their lead to some fifty or so miles again ahead of their pursuers. Suffice to say that the pressure remains substantial when you’re aware of the boats’ speed. It isn’t the time to slow down and there are still a number of hurdles to be avoided. Indeed, a cold front, associated with an extension of the Saint Helena high, is forming ahead of the sailors’ bows. Thanks to the great job performed by their routers of anticipating the next weather system, the sailors of Gitana Team managed the situation like metronomes and carried the day on the finish line.

Note to editors

The edmond de rothschild duo.

Sébastien Josse, skipper

38 years of age, lives with his partner 6 Solitaire du Figaros, 2 Vendée Globes, 1 Volvo Ocean Race, 1 Jules Verne Trophy 2011, joined the Gitana Team and performed his first tacks on an oceanic multihull 3 rd participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre, 1 st on a multihull

To find out more about Sébastien Josse: http://www.gitana-team.com/fr/event.page.aspx?eventid=88&category=skippers&page=sebastien_josse_2013.html

Charles Caudrelier, co-skipper

39 years of age, married, two children 8 Solitaire du Figaros, 11 transatlantic races, 1 Volvo Ocean Race 4 th participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre, 2 nd on a multihull, including 1 victory in 2009 in the Imoca class with Safran

To find out more about Charles Caudrelier: http://www.gitana-team.com/fr/event.page.aspx?eventid=88&category=skippers&page=charles_caudrelier_2013.html

Transat Jacques Vabre

11 th edition, celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year Double-handed transatlantic race between Le Havre and Itajaí (Brazil) 5,400 miles to cover over a direct route 4 classes of boat entered (Class40’, Imoca60, Multi50 and MOD70), 44 duos competing Departure from Le Havre: Thursday 7 November at 1200 GMT Estimated race time: between 12 and 16 days

MOD 70’ Trimarans, Multihull ocean racing, Benjamin de Rothschild: Team Gitana Sailing.

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Written by Mike Smith

In 2000, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild chose to perpetuate a 100 year old passion for watersports, initiated by his forebears, by expanding his family’s history to multihulls. These magnificent machines have fascinated him for a great many years, as much through their elegance as the technical skill and expertise that is required to sail them. The Gitana Team was created to form an offshore racing stable dedicated to a passion for making speed across the water and hatching fresh talent. Ten years on, Benjamin de Rothschild confirms his status as a major player in ocean racing circles – and a fervent multihull owner – by agreeing to participate in a new international oceanic class: the MOD 70, one design 70 foot trimarans.

Trimaran 70'Mod gitana 11

The third team to announce its participation in the Multi One Championship, the Gitana Team thus joins the one design Ambassador, skippered by Swiss sailor Stève Ravussin, and the trimaran Foncia, helmed by Michel Desjoyeaux, in writing this new page on oceanic multihulls. An undisputed affection for the craft as well as an infatuation for crewed races, where the team spirit and cohesion so dear to Baroness and Baron de Rothschild take on their true dimension, have largely guided the choices in this new, daring challenge: “Save for the Gitana Eighty adventure, the history of the Gitana Team has always been associated with multiple hulls. Following the fall of the Orma Championship and despite a concerted effort to provide a future for 60 foot multihulls, we were lacking a circuit. The Multi One Championship partly meets our requirements. Through competitive sailing we hope to perpetuate the family values: transcending ones own capabilities, the systematic search for excellence, teamwork, and an openness to the world and innovation. Ranking among the pioneers of this new class seemed natural to us.”

Cyril Dardashti, general manager of the Gitana Team, was naturally delighted with this announcement: “The decision by the boats’ owners to continue the Gitana story, by taking part in the Multi One Championship, is tremendous news for a team, which has brought the multihull class to life for what has already been nearly ten years. The provisional programme announced by the Multi One Design offers a mixture of oceanic and Grand Prix style races, however the approach goes further than that of the Orma Championship, since a round the world with stopovers will be organised every three years. This new dimension has additional appeal. The restricted intake imposed per nation and the desire for international openness which ensues, are also very important factors about this circuit. Indeed the Orma championship suffered in its time through, among other things, being overly Franco-French. I hope that overseas crews will appreciate this project and come and join us.”

In his position as President of Multi One Design S.A., Marco Simeoni welcomes the Gitana Team’s entry the fray within the Multi One Championship: “It’s an honour and a great pleasure for Multi One Design SA to play host to a team of such renown as Gitana in the MOD 70’ championship. Gitana Team’s track record and the loyalty of Baron Benjamin de Rothschild towards the multihull are exemplary. This participation already demonstrates the high level of the competition that will be racing in the Multi One Championship. We’d like to wish the whole Gitana team a warm welcome and look forward to seeing you in September 2011 for the launch of the MOD 70’ Gitana.”

The MOD 70’ Gitana, whose delivery is scheduled during the course of September 2011, will be the ninth yacht from the Gitana Team to defend the colours of the Edmond de Rothschild Group on seas across the globe. In the run-up to the arrival of this new craft, the team is concentrating on its major competitive objective of 2010, namely the Route du Rhum, which will set off from Saint Malo, France on 31st October 2010. Finally the Gitana sailing season will also be marked by the participation of the Edmond de Rothschild Group catamaran in the Extreme Sailing Series; a European inshore race circuit in which the performance of Yann Guichard and his men shone out in 2009, when they took second place in the championship. The first Grand Prix of the 2010 season is to take place in Sète, southern France, from 27th to 30th May 2010.

MOD 70’ Gitana Trimaran

The MOD 70’ Gitana

LOA: 21.4 m

Beam: 16.91 m

Air draught: 28.5 m

Light displacement: 6.2 tonnes

Upwind sail area: 267 m2

Downwind sail area: 397 m2

Start of construction: end 2010

Delivery scheduled: September 2011

The 2010-2014 Programme for Gitana Team

Extreme Sailing Series 2010

French GP (Sète, Hérault)  27th – 30th May 2010   British GP (Cowes, Isle of Wight)  31st July – 5th August 2010   German GP (Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein)  26th – 29th August 2010   Italian GP (Trapani, Sicily)  23rd – 26th September 2010   Spanish GP (Almeria, Andalusia)  9th – 12th October 2010  

Route de Rhum – La Banque Postale 2010

Start of the Route du Rhum (Saint Malo / Pointe-à-Pitre)  31st October 2010  

Multi One Design Championship 2011-2014

Pro-Am, promotional race bringing together skippers and guests

(objective of four boats)  November 2011   European Tour in crewed configuration

(6 to 8 stages, objective of eight boats)  May – June 2012   Oceanic race in crewed configuration  November 2012   European Tour in crewed configuration

(6 to 8 stages)  June – July 2013   Round the World in crewed configuration

(5 to 6 stages, 5 oceans, objective of twelve boats)  November 2013 – April 2014

On 16th April 2010, whilst Yann Guichard was carrying out a solo training session offshore, the maxi-trimaran Gitana 11 suffered float damage. To avoid taking any unnecessary risk and given the blustery conditions reigning over the zone at the time, it was decided that a pit stop would be necessary in Dingle (Ireland) – the port closest to where the incident happened – to effect temporary repairs and make it back to Gitana Team’s technical base as quickly as possible. Returning to La Trinité-sur-Mer on Monday 26th April, the most recent of the Gitana fleet has since been lifted back into one of the base’s sheds in nearby Saint-Philibert for a refit and further consolidation as a precautionary measure. The team will also benefit from this time on the hard to look ahead to the running maintenance, which was initially scheduled to take place during the summer.

After a pit stop in Dingle, Yann Guichard was able to head back out to sea again and set a course, single-handed, for Gitana 11’s port of registry. The minute the 77 foot maxi-trimaran was tied up at the Loic Caradec jetty in La Trinité-sur-Mer, the shore crew, led by William Fabulet, organised for her to be lifted out onto the hard. “Our 2010 programme of fine tuning and sailing was designed so that Gitana 11 could be back in the water early in the season. Our aim was to focus on testing the platform in some varied wind conditions, which is an element that wasn’t entirely completed in the autumn of 2009 due to the lack of opportunities in the weather. However, the conditions encountered in mid-April, during my solo trip, were particularly trying for the boat, especially as regards the short, cross seas” explained Yann Guichard before going on to specify the issues involved: “At that point, Gitana 11’s new floats showed signs of weakness around the forward beam. These observations have prompted us to reinforce this zone.”

Right now, discussions are underway between the project’s various technical contributors, namely Gitana Team’s design office, the VPLP naval architecture firm and HDS, a company specialised in structural calculation.   “Following the detection of anomalies in the floats, the shore team will err on the side of caution and carry out a thorough inspection of each of the hulls to protect them. Nothing can be left to chance and these operations will require Gitana 11 to be moved back into the shed” confided Cyril Dardashti, the team manager at Baron Benjamin de Rothschild’s racing stable.   As with the motor industry, competitive sailing, especially that involving oceanic multihulls, is a mechanical sport. The fine tuning of prototypes calls for numerous adjustments. These technical vagaries are nevertheless a way of moving forward and improving the machines so as to get the very best out of them. It’s all part of the rules of the game! With six months to go till the start of the legendary transatlantic race between Saint Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre, the men and women that make up the Gitana Team are continuing to hone the maxi-trimaran Gitana 11 to ensure that the reigning champion is all ready to take up the challenge at the end of October.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "MOD 70’ Trimarans, Multihull ocean racing, Benjamin de Rothschild: Team Gitana Sailing.".

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Maxi Edmond de Rothschild takes line honours in Rolex Fastnet Race

The Ultim trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is first boat to finish in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, while Skorpios is first monohull around the RockWhile the smaller monohulls faced a battle of attrition in the first 24 hours of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the crew of the 100ft trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have made the 695-mile offshore course look easy, finishing first on Monday evening after 1 day 9 hours 15 mins and 54 seconds of racing.

As the majority of the fleet woke to another 20-knot day as they battled their way west along the English Channel this morning, the Gitana team on the leading Ultim were approaching the Fastnet Rock. Having blasted out of the Solent as far south as Alderney, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild trimaran set up on a long port fetch towards Ireland, tacking around the Rock at 0800am. From there, they lit the afterburners, topping 40 knots on a fast reach back towards the Scillies. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild leaving the Solent. Photo: Mark Lloyd/Gitana Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas smashed the previous race record for the 2019 edition into Plymouth, and have now also set the new benchmark course time for the Cowes-Fastnet-Cherbourg route.  There was much controversy over the decision by Rolex Fastnet Race organisers RORC to move the finish from Plymouth to Cherbourg in France. But if validation were needed, the reception the giant trimaran crew received into Cherbourg-en-Contentin at 2024hrs will have been a positive early sign. Spectators gathered on the breakwater, flares were lit, horns blasted and champagne sprayed. While not yet on the scale of a Route du Rhum or French ocean classic, as Cammas noted: “There is a very good ambiance here – maybe a little bit more than if we finish in England.” Franck Cammas celebrates Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s line honours win in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race Photo Paul Wyeth/Rolex Fastnet Race The winners’ biggest gains came from their early decision to duck south, which put the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild team on the south west of the fleet. “We did a very good job in tactics,” said Franck Cammas on the dock after finishing. “Charles and Erwan [Israël] did a good job in the routing to go in the south. “And we had one very good shift, one good tactical call, to stay in south of Sodebo and Actual, and that put us more than 20 miles ahead, so we were not in the same wind. That’s why we finished so far ahead.” Flat water for Maxi Edmond De Rothschild passing the Fastnet Rock Photo: Rolex The run back from the Fastnet Rock was where the Ultim was able to really hit top speed, maintaining high 30-knot boat speeds until the Channel Islands. “The wind was stronger than expected so we were very happy,” said Caudrelier. “We smashed the routing on the way back, and the wind was forecast to decrease but until Gurnsey the wind was much stronger than [predicted]. It was good for us, we’ll have a good dinner in Cherbourg!” Second boat home will be Yves le Blevec’s Actual Leader, due some five hours later, with Thomas Coville’s Sodebo close behind. The Ultims were not the only class to dive south on exiting the Solent. While the conventional yachts have plugged the usual tactical course along the English south coast, playing the tidal gates around the headlands, the largest trimarans and IMOCA 60s also opted to sail further mileage by heading south of the Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme.  The IMOCA 60s Hugo Boss, Apivia and Charal heading west from Cowes after the Rolex Fastnet Race start Photo: Rolex Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat on the IMOCA Apivia took the most extreme route, sailing to within 20 miles of the Paimpol peninsular of Brittany. The gamble paid off, and at Lands End Apivia was side by side with the ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, despite the Swan having more than double the IMOCA’s waterline length. Initiatives Coeurs skipper Sam Davies explained why so many of the IMOCA fleet had chose the route: “Nico [Lunven, her co-skipper] had done a lot of work on the weather routing with lots of different models and pretty much all of our routing went that way, because we might get flat water in the Alderney Race, sheltered by the Channel Islands and be first into the west going current off the north French coast.” Skorpios leads Rambler 88 in the Rolex Fastnet Race Photo: Rolex As anticipated, the ClubSwan 125 Skorpios is leading the monohull fleet on the water. The largest boat ever to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race was first monohull to round the Rock at 1818 on Monday night, after after 30 hours 38 minutes 43 seconds (leaving the record set in 2019 by Rambler unbeaten at 26 hours 45 minutes 47 seconds). Last race’s line honours winner Rambler 88 had a challenging night of manoeuvres, ducking the tide closely around Lands End. George David’s Rambler 88 took the east side of the Land’s End TSS, while Skorpios passed to the west, between the TSS and the Scilly Isles.  However, Dalin and Meilhat on the IMOCA 60 Apivia stayed neck and neck with the giant Swan all the way to the Rock, rounding just 1 hour 5 minutes behind them at. The Class 40 Project Rescue Ocean was leading class with skipper Axel Trehin before dismasting. Photo: Rolex Elsewhere in the fleet the brutal conditions continued to impact, with over 70 retirements by Monday afternoon. These included the leading Class 40, Project Rescue Ocean, which was dismasted off Lizard Point – the crew is unhurt and are making their own way to Cournouaille.

With potentially significant breeze shifts and windspeed forecast to reduce as the fleet approaches Cherbourg, the IRC overall lead is likely to change. However currently the IRC leaderboard is topped by the Volvo Open 70, I Love Poland, which is 1st in IRC Zero.    The post Maxi Edmond de Rothschild takes line honours in Rolex Fastnet Race appeared first on Yachting World.

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Route du Rhum: Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild dock into Saint Malo

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Finistère Atlantique : 5 trimarans Ultim vont s'élancer de Concarneau à destination d'Antibes

Pour cette deuxième édition de la Finistère Atlantique, cinq trimarans de la classe Ultim vont s'affronter entre Concarneau et Antibes, en équipage. Le parcours et les concurrents ont été présentés à Port Vauban, qui accueillera les équipages après ce sprint océanique de 2000 milles.

Relier deux citadelles 

Après la Nice Ultimed, c'est la deuxième fois depuis 2018 que les Ultim viennent s'affronter en méditerranée. Après deux années d'échange entre la classe et les différents partenaires, la Finistère Atlantique va offrir un nouveau parcours à ses concurrents.

Le départ sera donné le samedi 28 septembre à Concarneau. Les trimarans s'élanceront pour un petit parcours côtier, avant de virer la Jaune des Glénan.

Après une traversée du Golfe de Gascogne, un premier passage délicat devra être négocié entre le Cap Saint Vincent et Gibraltar. Les concurrents devront se maintenir à distance du DST , avant une remontée libre le long des Baléares .

Une marque de parcours devra être virée devant Marseille , avant une dernière ligne droite vers Antibes, soit environ 2000 milles de régate en équipage.

Des équipages rompus à la régate au contact

Chaque Ultim accueillera un équipage de six personnes, et seulement deux femmes embarqueront, à savoir Amélie Grassi sur SVR Lazartigues, et Marie Riou sur Actual.

Pour ce sprint autour d'une partie de l'Europe, les figuristes et autres régatiers habitués à la régate au contact seront de la partie.Pour trois Ultim , les équipages seront les mêmes que pour les tentatives de Jules Verne cet hiver.

Un parcours qui pourra créer des surprises

Francis Le Goff, directeur de course de la Finistère Atlantique, nous a décrit ce parcours et les surprises qui pourraient se révéler aux équipages :

 " Ce sera une belle course d'Ultim, avec un golfe de Gascogne qui peut réserver des surprises, puis une entrée en Méditerranée qui demande une grande attention en raison du trafic et des conditions météo. C'est un parcours complet et très technique, la réussite de l équipage sera prédominance pour ce sprint. Il peut y avoir de grosses transitions, si l'on en croit les gribs des dernières années "

Anthony Marchand , skipper d'Actual, confirme qu'une attention particulière sera apportée à la météo, surtout en méditerranée :

"La préparation météo se travail surtout 3 jours avant le départ. Sur un parcours proche des côtes, on repère la topographie générale et les hauts fonds. C'est génial de repartir en équipage. Après une saison en solo et en double, il faut apprendre à repartager l'espace avec plusieurs équipiers. "

Un joli spectacle pour le public

Les festivités commenceront le mercredi 25 septembre à Concarneau, où les cinq ULTIM seront regroupés, comme lors de la première édition de Finistère Atlantique en 2022, qui avait vu la victoire du Maxi Edmond de Rothschild . Le village officiel de la course sera inauguré ce jour-là à 17h. Le jeudi 26 septembre sera dédié aux rencontres entre les équipages et les élèves. La compétition reprendra le samedi 28 septembre avec un départ prévu à 13h. Francis Le Goff estime que la durée de la course, en fonction des conditions météorologiques, sera d'environ cinq jours.

Les cinq maxi-trimarans seront accueillis à Antibes dans des conditions optimales. Le village sera ouvert au port Vauban à partir du jeudi 3 octobre à 11h pour quatre jours de festivités, offrant aux équipages l'occasion de rencontrer le public local.

Le vendredi 4 octobre comprendra des rencontres avec les élèves et des visites des ULTIM . Le samedi 5 octobre sera consacré à des courses de vitesse sur le plan d'eau d'Antibes, et la remise des prix aura lieu le dimanche 6 octobre à 11h. Ce jour-là, des rencontres entre les marins et des apnéistes locaux sont également prévues. Chaque jour, des animations musicales accompagneront l'événement pour faire de cette deuxième édition de Finistère Atlantique une véritable fête sportive et populaire.

Charles Caudrelier vainqueur des 24 H Ultim

Charles Caudrelier a remporté dimanche à Lorient les 24 H Ultim, échauffement de rentrée pour la classe des maxi-trimarans (32 m). Le skippeur du Maxi Edmond-de-Rothschild a coupé la ligne avec 2'55'' d'avance sur Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3).

Vainqueur de l'Arkea Ultim Challenge le 27 février dernier à Brest en 50 j19h7', Charles Caudrelier a entamé la saison hivernale par une victoire ce dimanche à Lorient à la barre du Maxi Edmond-de-Rothschild. Le skippeur et ses cinq équipiers ont remporté à 12h45, après 22 h 10' 58'' de course (une boucle dans le golfe de Gascogne), les 24 H Ultim.

Ils ont devancé de 2'55'' le Sodebo Ultim 3 de Thomas Coville. SVR-Lazartigue de François Gabart a complété le podium, à 17'59'' du lauréat. Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque-Populaire XI) a terminé 4e, à 24'32'' et Actual d'Anthony Marchand, 5e, à 1h13. Prochain rendez-vous pour les géants, la Finistère Atlantique (en équipage), entre Concarneau et Antibes dont le départ sera donné le 28 septembre au large de la ville close.