Gitana 18, due to be launched in autumn 2025, marks a new stage in the history of maxi-multihulls dedicated to flight. But beyond her architectural design, it's a strong aesthetic approach that attracts attention: a monumental pictorial work affixed to all her exterior surfaces.
An artistic approach integrated into the boat's program
Nearly 2,000 m2 of painted surface were entrusted to the Quistrebert brothers, figures on the French contemporary scene, to visually translate Gitana 18's identity. Inspired by symbolic faces, this pointillist fresco in black and white blends a quasi-abstract approach with the technical challenges of a flying sailboat.
The constraints of weight, UV resistance and durability dictated the choice of pigments and techniques, carried out by specialists in technical naval painting. An approach comparable to marouflage adapted to the constraints of ocean racing.
The work of art as symbolic protection of identity
Echoing the sails of Gitana 17 by Cleon Peterson, the new decoration incorporates a strong meaning: an expanding wave from which five faces emerge. These profiles, representing Ariane de Rothschild and her daughters, give the boat a totemic, even protective dimension, while continuing the artistic commitment initiated with the Palais de Tokyo.
Implementation adapted to the constraints of flying multihulls
Jean-Baptiste Epron, a well-known graphic designer in ocean racing circles, translated the Quistrebert's pictorial work and integrated it into the hulls and sails. The complex shapes, dynamic deformations under sail and constant exposure to the elements had to be taken into account.
Les Ateliers d'Olivier, Decosail and Atelier-sur-Mer carried out the various stages of application to the different supports, in a process coordinated with the Gitana Team's technical teams. Each panel was checked, tested and validated before installation.
Art and technology: the same demand for precision
Gitana 18's decoration is much more than a simple livery. It illustrates the convergence of two highly technical worlds: contemporary art and naval design. The pointillism of the faces, playing on gradations of dots, matches the composite structure of the multihull and its carbon skin.
Aesthetics become an integral part of overall performance: legibility at sea, immediate recognition, but also visual speed and surface protection.
Towards a culture of sailboats as a means of expression
This new project confirms a broader trend: racing boats are becoming vehicles for artistic creation, with a view to cultural mediation. The partnership with the Palais de Tokyo is in line with this desire to disseminate contemporary art outside the walls, on mobile, public, cross-sea supports.
With this in mind, Gitana 18 is as much a racing yacht as a floating graphic manifesto.
