The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was launched on 17 July 2017 after three years of work, including design and construction. After the first navigations, the first flights were particularly awaited as this 32 metre giant is the precursor of a new generation of large ocean-going flying trimarans. A two-in-one unit capable of high performance in an archimedean mode, but also capable of "taking off" when the weather conditions are right.
It was therefore a long time coming for the Gitana Team and Sébastien Josse, the skipper of this new trimaran, to test the "flight", a test which proved conclusive, as the skipper explains: "Right from the start, we could see that the boat was keeping its promises: stiff, healthy and with a power just waiting to be expressed! When the two foils found a place on board in mid-August, we were quickly able to find the settings to switch from Archimedean mode to flying mode! The first time the boat took off was an incredible moment. We had 15-17 knots of wind and flat seas with less than a metre... everything was in place to fly. On board there was a mixture of excitement and surprise and pride too. Because even though we're only at the beginning, and we're aware that we have a lot to learn and a lot to discover, it's bound to be very satisfying to see that it's going in the right direction."
This first experience took place on 17 August, one month to the day after Gitana 17 (her christening name) left the yard off Lorient and was immortalised by Yann Riou, the team's mediaman. Flight made possible thanks to the Maxi's appendages: T rudders and L foils for the floats, not forgetting the ray wing placed on the centreboard of the central hull.
"Since that first flight, we've been going step by step and familiarising ourselves with this take-off point, which clearly switches the Maxi into a different mode. It's as if we had two boats, an archimedean classic and a steering wheel. From one mode to the other, the behaviour of the boat is very different, the settings of course, and when you take off the sailing angles change, as does the apparent wind, and the helmsman has to modify his steering accordingly. These initial tests are very positive, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is healthy and stable in flight and with each outing we gain confidence to reach increasingly interesting target speeds" said Sebastian Josse.
Big Race Program
November 5, 2017: Start of the Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre - Salvador de Bahia), double-handed race
November 4, 2018: Route du Rhum (St-Malo - Pointe-à-Pitre), single-handed race
Fall - Winter 2019 : Around the world starting from Brest, single-handed race
