Gitana 17 is back on the waters of the Morbihan

With six months to go until the Route du Rhum, the undisputed sporting objective for 2018, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was relaunched this Monday 7 May in Lorient, Brittany. Following a winter refit geared around optimisation, which mainly focused on making the platform and the existing systems reliable as well as repairing the appendages damaged during the Transat Jacques Vabre, the latest addition to the Gitana fleet is back on the waters of the Morbihan once more. 

Crédit : E Allaire

Ultime / Sodebo Ultim’ wins Transat Jacques Vabre in record time as Doldrums come alive

Having match raced each other down the Atlantic after leaving Le Havre last Sunday, Thomas Colville and Jean-Luc Nélias struck a blow for experience by holding off Sébastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel on their newly-launched Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to win the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Crédit : JM Liot (More pics, here)

Coville and Josse heading for record-breaking photo finish in Salvador de Bahia tomorrow

After 4,350 miles descending the Atlantic from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia, the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre could come down to a photo finish between the older warhorse, Sodebo Ultim’, and the young stallion, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

Crédit : JL Nelias

Vidéo / The first flight, "The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is safe and stable"

A few weeks ago, on 17 July, the day of her launch in Vannes, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild joined the Gitana Team. She is leading the way in a new generation of large flying offshore trimarans and her debut flights were eagerly anticipated ...

Crédit : B Stichelbaut / Gitana SA

Ultime / A highly charged day for Gitana Team (Images)

Suspended from the crane, the carbon bird packs quite a punch. This emotional moment has been eagerly awaited by all those who have worked on her, not to mention those working in the background, in the big push to take offshore sailing into a whole new era. At 08:30 GMT this Monday, the first oceanic trimaran designed to fly offshore was launched in Vannes, south-west Brittany, under the proud gaze of her owners, Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild, her designers and builders, and of course the whole of Gitana Team supporting skipper Sébastien Josse. 

Crédit : Y Zedda

The Bridge / MACIF wins the Centenary Transat

At 1.31pm and 20 sec (7.31 pm and 20 sec, French time), this Monday, July 3rd, 2017, the MACIF maxi-multicoque crossed, under the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York Bay, the finishing line of the Centenary Transat, a 100% ultimate trimarans race, celebrating 100 years of friendship between the France and the United States, as part of THE BRIDGE.

Crédit : Th Martinez

Maxi / The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is unveiled

This Thursday 30 March, the Gitana Team invited the press to the Palais de Tokyo museum in Paris to mark the official launch of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a giant' measuring 32 metres long and 23 metres wide, which is undergoing her final few months in the yard after a build process spanning over a year and a half. The launch of this new Gitana craft is scheduled for this July. 

Crédit : Y Zedda / Gitana SA

Ultim / Francois Gabart takes line honours in The Transat bakerly 2016 and wins the Ultime class

Francois Gabart, the young heart-throb of French solo offshore sailing, completed his first solo win on board his new 100ft trimaran, Macif, today when he crossed the finish line of The Transat bakerly off New York.

Crédit : Lloyd Images

The Transat / A warm reception for The Transat bakerly skippers in Plymouth

The public was out in force today as Plymouth locals and visitors soaked up the sun and entertainment programme laid on as part of The Transat bakerly festivities.

Crédit : M Lloyd

New entrants boost growing field for the 2016 edition of The Transat

With the closing date for entries to the 2016 edition of The Transat fast approaching, three new skippers have added their names to the starting roster.

In the competitive Class40 fleet, French skipper Vincent Lantin will take part on board ‘Le slip français’, while fellow Frenchman Erik Nigon on ‘Vers un monde sans sida’ will join the now five-strong Multi50 fleet.

Jules Verne / "Our aim now is to cross the finish line safely in Ushant" Yann Guichard - Spindrift 2

Situated just 2,600 nautical miles away from the finish line off Ushant and about to start her 43rd day at sea, Spindrift 2 is now only 266 miles off the pace, but will no longer be able to improve on the Jules Verne Trophy record time of 45d 13h 42m 53s, set in 2012. Although the crew have battled incessantly, closing the gap by more than 700 miles in three days, the weather has sealed their fate. The Azores High has blocked the direct route, while violent storms lie ahead, making the sea unnavigable, so the conditions in the Atlantic make it impossible for the crew to finish the circumnavigation on time. From today, Spindrift 2's crew have been forced to take their foot off the gas and leave off record-attempt mode.

Credit : Y Riou

Jules Verne / Francis Joyon confirms amber alert with Idec Sport

Three days before a possible start to attempt to smash the Jules Verne Trophy record time, Francis Joyon has confirmed amber mode is ongoing for the crew of the IDEC SPORT trimaran, which includes Bernard Stamm (SUI), Gwénolé Gahinet (FRA), Alex Pella (ESP), Clément Surtel (FRA) and Boris Herrmann (GER). With his router, Marcel Van Triest, Joyon is still talking about a possible weather opportunity on Saturday.

Crédit : JM Liot

Jacques Vabre / François Gabart and Pascal Bidegorry, Kings in the Land of the Giants

When MACIF finished first in Match of the Giants, as the first Ultime to finish the Transat Jacques Vabre two handed Transatlantic race from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brasil, co-skipper Gabart completed ocean racing’s Triple Crown, adding the Transat Jacques Vabre title to Route du Rhum and Vendée Globe wins. He becomes only the second sailor after Michel Desjoyeaux to collect all three titles.

Transat Jacques Vabre / “Our strategy? Don’t break the boat.” Said Alex Thomson

Even if the statutory autumnal Atlantic low and the customary biennial bashing in the Bay of Biscay awaits the 42 teams of two which will race to Brasil, a relatively gradual, gentle start to the 12th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre appears to be on the cards Sunday lunchtime.

Crédit : O Blanchet / TJV2015

Jacques Vabre / Favourites, Underdogs and Uncertainty

Look back to the pre-start period of the last edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the two handed Transatlantic race from Le Havre to Brazil two years ago, and there were clear favourites in most classes. But, as the sages constantly remind us, ocean racing is a mechanical sport which is entirely reliant on what the weather and sea conditions deliver. And so there may be pre-race race favourites but there is no such thing as a certainty.

Ultime / “This circumnavigation is probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever set myself,” says Dona Bertarelli

To undertake the crewed around-the-world record is as much about the human adventure as it is a technical and sporting challenge. The men and women working alongside Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard at Spindrift racing have been preparing this race against the clock for almost three years. The target: to sail around the world in less than 45 days, 13 hours and 42 minutes. The tough record they will try to beat was set by Loïck Peyron and his crew in 2012 on Banque Populaire V, which was renamed Spindrift 2 a year later.

Crédit : E Stichelbaut 

Ultime / Qingdao China, ex Idec back to hometown (Images)

After 25 days' sailing on sea, Qingdao China finally arrived inher home town Qingdao, the port city with enchanting sea view and known as the sailing capital of China.

Record / Guo Chuan Racing completes Arctic Ocean World Record challenge

After 13 days' racing on the treacherous waters of the North East Passage for 3240nm, Qingdao China, led by Chinese skipper Guo Chuan, finally crossed the finish line on the Bering Strait at 16.48 UTC September 15, Guo Chuan and his five crew from Germany, France and Russia made it! For the very first time in history, a racing trimaran sailed non-stop successfully through the Arctic Ocean Northeast passage from Murmansk to Bering Straits.

Credit : Guo Chuan Sailing

Ultime / Gitana Team launches the construction of a maxi-multihull

Monday 11 May, at the Multiplast yard, it was the day chosen by Gitana Team to set its compass to the future. Cyril Dardashti, the team’s General Manager, accompanied by the skipper Sébastien Josse and the entire Gitana design office, revealed the stable’s programme for the next five years, notably announcing the launch of the construction of a new generation maxi-multihull.

credit : Y Zedda / Gitana SA

Ultime / Maxi Spindrift 2 back on the water: Special Jules Verne Trophy version

The trimaran Spindrift 2 has been relaunched in Vannes, following months of optimisation in preparation for the huge challenge of a new around-the-world record attempt during the winter of 2015-16. Hours of meticulous planning, calculations, innovations and implementations carried out by the research and technical teams put together by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard make this 2015 version of the largest racing trimaran in the world entirely the work of Spindrift racing.