Lorient, Thursday 28th May 2026
Launched on 14 February, the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild reached a significant milestone this week. Fitted with its first foil – a Y-shaped pendulum appendage inspired by America’s Cup monohulls – the 32-metre giant completed its first runs in full flight.
The performance is particularly impressive given that on Monday conditions were light, with winds of between 10 and 13 knots off the coast of Belle-Île. With five months remaining until Gitana 18’s first major sporting event, the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, preparations are intensifying for defending race champion Charles Caudrelier.
On Monday in Lorient, Caudrelier and the Gitana Team set out at dawn in search of the breeze necessary for the 32-metre, 19-tonne vessel to take to the air. The latest addition to the Gitana fleet had received its first hydrofoil – the starboard one – last week, and the team worked quickly to finalise its installation and testing.
A few hours later, Gitana 18 took to the air off the coast of Belle-Île.
Caudrelier reflected on those first moments at the helm: “In the life of a boat, three months after its launch, we’re really in the phase of discovery and fine-tuning, but I’m already focused on performance and competition. We knew Gitana 17 inside out. Here, everything is new. From Gitana 17 to Gitana 18, the feel is completely different. The boat is very stiff and responsive, which is exactly what we expected.”
Wind readings off Belle-Île showed between 10 and 13 knots, and after some initial adjustments, the Maxi took off and achieved stable flight shortly thereafter.
“Our foils are truly the finishing touch to Gitana 18, one of the major innovations. We’ve pushed the design to the limit. These are highly technical components, unprecedented at this scale. Though they arrived later than expected, we haven’t wasted any time since the launch.”
Every aspect of the boat is new and different, which has allowed the team to take things step by step. The upcoming months are crucial, with tight deadlines as the Route du Rhum approaches.
Cyril Dardashti, director of the Gitana Team, noted that the first flights are a significant milestone after months of hard work. “Finally being able to carry out the boat’s first flights is a moment of satisfaction for the team. Gitana 18’s ambitious objective is to achieve the perfect flight. Though it remains a daring gamble, Monday’s outings have given us confidence for the future.”
In the next fortnight, the port-side hydrofoil will be fitted to Gitana 18, and further offshore sailing and training sessions will follow.
Overall, the team is committed to being well-prepared for the Route du Rhum on 1 November.
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