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The Maxi Gitana 18 has left her hangar to join her element. Behind this launch lies a tight schedule, a number of architectural choices and a major sporting challenge, the Route du Rhum 2026.
A tight schedule for the Route du Rhum 2026
Six months. That's how long the team has to discover, tune and make reliable this ocean-going trimaran before the start of the Route du Rhum 2026. Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the project, sums it up as follows: " We have a very important race in six months' time. Six months to develop a boat like this, discover it, learn how to use it and make it reliable is extremely short."
As sailors know, an Ultim cannot be tamed in a few outings. The previous Gitana 17 took almost two years to reach its full racing potential. The team now has a wealth of experience on ocean foilers, but the technological leap means a new learning phase.
More complex systems to make reliable
The new Maxi Gitana 18 is the result of 200,000 hours of work and 50,000 hours of design. Built at CDK Technologies, then finalized on the team's premises, she features a denser systems architecture than her predecessor. Cyril Dardashti, General Manager of the Gitana Team, calls it a milestone: " We tried to set the cursors very high. The idea is to break through a barrier."
This barrier is as much structural as it is electronic. Hydrofoil management, trim control, on-board hydraulics, power electronics - each subsystem must interact without latency. The higher and longer a boat flies, the greater the alternating loads on the linkage arms and forward beam.
Maximum or average speed, the real debate
The question often asked on the pontoons is: how much does it go? Yes, the trimaran can top 50 knots. But that's not the main objective. Charles Caudrelier explains: "People often ask what the maximum speed is. Yes, we can pass 50 knots. But the idea is to average above 40 knots."
In ocean racing, average speed makes the difference. Keeping close to 40 knots in a North Atlantic crossing or in the swell trains of the South Seas, that's what's at stake.
A trimaran designed for circumnavigation and the South Seas
This Maxi Gitana was designed with one priority in mind: offshore sailing. The team has oriented her towards ocean sailing and the southern seas, where the seas deepen and average speeds determine the time. As Cyril Dardashti reminds us: " We really designed it for round-the-world sailing and the South Seas. It's going to take on its full dimension when the sea forms."
150 years of history and a sporting responsibility
The launch of the Maxi Gitana 18 is also part of a history that goes back to 1876. This year marks 150 years since the first Gitana was launched. Over and above the technical aspects, the project carries a legacy. " We convey an image of 150 years of history", emphasizes Cyril Dardashti.
In the Ultim world, where each platform represents a heavy investment and a sporting gamble, the pressure is real. But the team's motivation is intact. Charles Caudrelier talks about the group's state of mind, convinced that it is ready for the Route du Rhum 2026.
What's next? Time for testing, fine-tuning and the first few miles. The trimaran is about to hit the water. The open sea awaits.
