Gitana 18, the 32-metre Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, has been launched in Lorient after more than two years in build.
The trimaran entered the water on Saturday, the 14th of February at Lorient La Base during a brief break in recent Atlantic storms. The 32m by 23m platform was manoeuvred from her hangar before a mast over 36 metres tall was stepped.
“Everything aligned today,” said skipper Charles Caudrelier. “The weather window was almost unexpected, but it allowed us to launch the platform and step the mast straight afterwards.”
Revealed in December by owner Ariane de Rothschild, the yacht was developed over 26 months in near-total secrecy. She now begins dockside checks before sea trials off Brittany.
Designed to move from hybrid to fully foiling flight, Gitana 18 features retractable Y-shaped foils, U-shaped rudders to limit cavitation, and a pivoting central daggerboard fitted once afloat. Simulator data suggests a projected speed gain of 10 to 15 per cent.
The team has eight months to prepare for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, which starts from Saint-Malo on 1 November.
“It is an immense pleasure to see the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild afloat,” Caudrelier said. “We are entering a new phase and will discover what it has in store for us on the water.”
