32m Maxi Edmond de Rothschild trimaran Gitana 18 launched
The 32-metre offshore racing trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been launched by the French sailing team Gitana, following her construction at CDK Technologies in Lorient, Brittany. Also known as Gitana 18, she succeeds Gitana 17, which was launched in 2017.
Built as the 28th yacht in the Gitana lineage, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is expected to enter competition later this year, as the team celebrates nearly 150 years of sailing under the Rothschild family banner. Gitana 18 features naval architecture by Guillaume Verdier Architecture Navale and Benjamin Muyl, in collaboration with the Gitana design office.
Her exterior vision was developed by Florian and Michaël Quistrebert in collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo. The Gitana team describes the new trimaran as a marriage of “intelligence, art, engineering and cutting-edge technology.”
With a beam of 23 metres, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild adopts a more aerodynamic design than her predecessor. Unlike Gitana 17, which operated in hybrid mode, the new trimaran can switch from hybrid mode to 100 per cent flight. CDK Technologies completed her platform with major contributions from C3 Technologies for the rudders, Re Fraschini for the foils, Southern Spars for the mast and boom, and North Sails for the sail wardrobe.
A standout feature is her set of retractable Y-foils. Each with a span of more than five metres, they allow multiple trim configurations to ensure optimal full-flight stability across every point of sail. According to team simulator testing, Gitana 18 is expected to deliver a 10 to 15 per cent gain in speed over Gitana 17.
Construction of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild began in January 2024 and mobilised the expertise of more than 200 specialists. Her development builds on the nearly 200,000 nautical miles logged by her predecessor, underscoring the Gitana family’s relentless pursuit of performance and innovation.