Gitana 18 Ultim: radical Y‑foils, canting wing mast ak inverted A-frame rudders yo vin devwale

At the Gitana team base in Lorient, France, a 30‑strong in‑house design and build crew presented the new Ultim known as Gitana 18, a 100ft foiling trimaran intended to fly close to 100% of the time and to operate at sustained high speeds in offshore conditions.

Key technical features at a glance

The unveiling highlighted three major technical departures from previous Ultims: the replacement of conventional L‑shaped foils with giant Y‑foils, a sculpted central wing, and an unprecedented inverted A‑frame (U‑shape) rudder arrangement. All of these are designed to control load, reduce deformation and maintain efficiency at extreme speeds.

Foils and appendages

The new foiling concept replaces L‑shaped foils with 5m‑span Y‑foils mounted on large swinging arms. Each foil arm allows spanwise adjustment and independent trimming of trailing‑edge flaps, while the arms themselves can be raised or raked to modulate lift and reduce impact loads during take‑off and flight.

Rudder innovation

The rudders are built as a fixed twin‑chord inverted A‑frame with trailing‑edge flaps controlling yaw. This arrangement avoids the torsional bending that conventionally turning rudder stocks face at extreme loads, and the design team claim there is no net drag penalty for the added structure.

Rig and mast

The rig is a canting wing mast engineered to bend intentionally, giving the crew another axis of control over mainsail power between take‑off and stable flight. The mast for Gitana 18 is the first Ultim mast produced by Southern Spars in New Zealand for the team.

Operational goals and race calendar

Gitana 18’s stated objective is to foil 100% of sailing time by lowering the wind threshold to initiate flight and by improving lift efficiency at higher speeds. That approach builds on data and sea miles accumulated by Gitana 17 (now Actual Ultim 4), the team’s previous optimised 100ft trimaran.

• First major race: 2026 Route du Rhum — a defence of skipper Charles Caudrelier’s title
• Longer‑term targets: solo around‑the‑world and crewed Jules Verne record attempts
• Development focus: take‑off/flight transition, squall handling, and control authority at 40+ knots

Design provenance and livery

Designed by Guillaume Verdier with the Gitana team, Gitana 18’s livery was created by Florian and Michaël Quistrebert in collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo. Owner Ariane de Rothschild attended the launch with family; the boat is the 28th in the Rothschild/Gitana stable, which marks 150 years in the sport next year.

Implications for tourism and maritime spectatorship

The unveiling in Lorient signals new opportunities for maritime tourism: boat‑yard visits, museum tours with live guides, and coastal watching points for high‑speed testing days. Ports with advanced shipyards and spectator infrastructure stand to attract visitors keen to witness next‑generation naval architecture in action.

For travellers planning trips around maritime events, local operators may offer tailored packages including harbor tours, museum visits, and even exclusive yacht charters for events. These options make it easier to turn a technical reveal into a memorable travel experience.

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• Check local schedules for trials—high‑speed tests are the best time to view foiling in action.
• Book guided shore excursions or museum tours in advance to secure good vantage points.
• Consider weather and swell when planning coastal watching; safety and visibility vary.

Highlights: Gitana 18 introduces Y‑foils and an inverted A‑frame rudder மீப்பெரும் சுமைகளைச் சமாளிக்கவும், பறத்தலைத் தக்கவைத்துக் கொள்ளவும் உதவுகிறது, அதே நேரத்தில் வளைந்து கொடுக்கக்கூடிய காண்டிங் விங் மாஸ்ட் மாறுதல் நிலைகளில் சிறந்த ஆற்றல் கட்டுப்பாட்டை வழங்குகிறது. இன்னும் மிகத் துல்லியமான விமர்சனங்கள்கூட இந்தக் கருவிகளை கடலில் பார்ப்பதோடு ஒப்பிட முடியாது. GetExperience-ல், சரிபார்க்கப்பட்ட வழங்குநர்களிடமிருந்து உங்கள் அனுபவத்தை நியாயமான விலையில் பதிவு செய்யலாம். தேவையற்ற செலவுகள் அல்லது ஏமாற்றங்கள் இல்லாமல் மிகவும் தகவலறிந்த முடிவை எடுக்கவும், உங்கள் விருப்பங்களுக்குப் பொருத்தமான சுற்றுப்பயணங்கள் அல்லது கரை அனுபவங்களைத் தேர்வு செய்யவும் இது உங்களுக்கு அதிகாரம் அளிக்கிறது—இப்போது பதிவு செய்யுங்கள் GetExperience.com

Gyara taƙaitacce, Gitana 18 na wakiltar gagarumin ci gaba a cikin ƙirar Ultim mai fa'ida: manyan Y-foils, sassaken tsakiya, inverted A-frame rudders, da kuma Southern Spars canting wing mast da nufin ɗaga matsakaicin gudu da sarrafawa a cikin manyan tekuna. Ga matafiya da masu sha'awar harkokin ruwa, bayyanar Lorient na ba da damar haɗa yawon shakatawa na gidan kayan tarihi tare da kwanakin gwaji na raye, yin hayan jiragen ruwa na musamman, da yawon shakatawa na bakin teku - juya fasaha zuwa gogewa mai ban sha'awa. Ko kuna neman ayyukan kasada kamar tafiye-tafiye na rafting na farawa ko tafiye-tafiye na kasada masu alatu, ko kuma kuna sha'awar tarurrukan bita na al'adu na kan layi da yawon shakatawa na gidan kayan gargajiya tare da jagororin raye, shaidar sabbin abubuwan da Gitana 18 ta keɓancewa a cikin faɗuwar Travel da fakitin balaguro waɗanda ke inganta kowane tafiya.