After three years of conception and construction, the giant Edmond de Rothschild trimaran underwent initial sea trials off Lorient, France in August.
The latest member of the Gitana racing stable, the 15.5-ton vessel measures 32 meters long and 23 in the beam. It’s the first maxi tri ever designed for full foiling, though its planing hulls are perfectly at home in the water. Extensive use of carbon fiber, the L-shaped foils and T-foil rudders have already allowed the monster to reach 40 knots, with 50 knots as the team’s goal. Skipper Sebastien Josse told Yachts and Yachting that when the boat becomes airborne “The sailing angles change, as does the apparent wind, and the helmsman has to change the way he pilots the boat…”
Gitana intends to race the craft in November’s Jacques Vabre double-handed transat from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. They’ve also set their sights on next year’s Route du Rhum and a round-the-world single-handed competition in 2019.
Read more about trimarans on NauticExpo website.
