French sailing team Gitana has announced the launch of the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild offshore racing trimaran, Gitana 18. The 32-metre new build was first unveiled in early December at the team's shed in Lorient, Brittany, before hitting the water for the first time on Valentine's Day last Saturday (14 February).
Following her departure from her shed, the central rudder — which is retractable — and the daggerboard will be fitted once the yacht is afloat, while the Y-shaped foils, each featuring a wingspan of more than five metres, will be installed following initial tests. She is expected to begin sea trials off the Breton coast in the coming days.
Gitana 18 succeeds the 2017-launched Gitana 17, building on her strengths with a "bold and assertive" new architectural design. She is also the 28th boat in Gitana’s maritime saga, which is soon to celebrate 150 years of racing.
"It is an immense pleasure to see the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild afloat — it represents three years of work," said the trimaran's skipper, Charles Caudrelier. "We are entering a new phase in the life of this yacht and will finally discover what it has in store for us on the water. These 26 months of construction have been an intense and rewarding period, and I feel fortunate to have experienced it. Building a maxi like Gitana 18 was already a major technological and human challenge, and an equally important one now awaits us in the development phase."
The Gitana design office and Team Verdier were responsible for the slender lines of the maxi trimaran, with Florian and Michaël Quistrebert, in collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo, responsible for her "monumental livery". CDK Technologies completed the trimaran's platform, working in collaboration with suppliers such as C3 Technologies for the rudders, Re Fraschini for the foils, Southern Spars for the mast and boom and North Sails for the sails, alongside others.
Unlike her predecessor, Gitana 18 will be able to switch from hybrid mode to 100 per cent flight - a move said to be at the forefront of "a new generation of large[...]high-performance oceanic trimarans". She is described as a "polymorphic creature", capable of adjusting, deploying and retracting a plethora of elements and has a beam of 23 metres.
A notable feature on board Gitana 18 is her five-metre retractable Y-foils; inspired by the flying monohulls of the America’s Cup, they are expected to allow for several different trimming options to optimise flight on every point of sail in all conditions.
Other additions include "revolutionary" rudders, a redesigned central daggerboard on the central hull and a reimagined rig, which now stands out with spreaders that can be adjusted, enabling her 38-metre mast to bend to modify the power of the mainsail whilst sailing - a world first on this scale, according to the team. Based on simulator tests, the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is expected to offer a 10 to 15 per cent gain in speed.
"It is a significant day for all of us — a major milestone in the project and in the collective adventure that Gitana 18 represents," said Cyril Dardashti, managing director of Gitana. "Gitana 18 is an incredible maxi-trimaran – one with great systems complexity. For months, the team has worked relentlessly, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to taking on the major challenge ahead of us. I would like to thank them sincerely for their outstanding work."
The vision for the new 32-metre came following nearly 200,000 nautical miles around the world aboard Gitana 17 – with successes on the racing circuit including Transat Jacques Vabre, Route du Rhum and the Arkea Ultim Challenge – alongside the history of the Gitanas and the philosophy of her owners, today, Ariane de Rothschild and her daughters.
“With the launch of Gitana 18, a new chapter opens in the Gitana lineage," said Ariane de Rothschild, CEO of Edmond de Rothschild and owner of the Gitana fleet. "For 150 years, my family has expressed its passion for the sea and sailing performance through these legendary yachts, always with a spirit of innovation. The new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is the embodiment of that vision. It is bold in its architectural concept and in its artistic design, created by Florian and Michaël Quistrebert. I would like to thank the team for the remarkable work accomplished over more than three years, and I look forward with great anticipation to seeing this new giant take flight.”
Gitana 18's build began in January 2024 with her original launch scheduled at the end of September 2025. Following her launch and sea trials, the racing trimaran is expected to make her debut at the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe on 1 November 2026.