Gitana : écurie de course au large fondée par le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild

Wednesday 31 January 2007

Gitana 13 hits the water!

Yesterday, on Tuesday 30 January at the Multiplast shipyard in Vannes (56), it was launch day for Gitana 13, the Gitana Team's new maxi-multihull. The manoeuvres commenced around 14:00 and the mild weather conditions meant that the team was able to step the catamaran's 33-metre mast at the same time. That very evening, the boat entered its home port, Trinité-sur-Mer, delivered by the team's permanent members who have been working on the boat all winter.

Loick Peyron, Gitana Team general manager: “It's always nice to put a boat in the water. After several months' construction work, it's the fruit of an entire team's labours! And it's even more pleasing because Gitana 13 is really very elegant, with a paint job that has received a unanimous thumbs-up! An efficient hard day's work was put in by both our own team and that of the Chantier Multiplast who, as usual, did an excellent job. At 20:00, Gitana 13 was quayside at La Trinité sur Mer, and we're now going to proceed with her first ocean forays in order to check the winter's modifications before competition recommences.”

The boat will be skippered by Lionel Lemonchois, recent winner of the Route du Rhum 2006 aboard Gitana 11.

The 2007 programme for the whole Gitana Team will be unveiled in a few days.

Gitana 13: key facts…

Technical characteristics:
Length: 32.8m
Width: 16.5m
Mast: 41m
Weight: 22 ton
Structure: nomex-carbon sandwich

Genoa jib: 374m²
Solent: 177m²
Staysail: 104m²
Gennaker : 550m²

Honours:
2000: Launch under the name of Innovation Explorer
2001: 2nd in The Race skippered by Loick Peyron
2002: wins the Trophée Jules Verne under Orange's colours and skippered by Bruno Peyron
2003: aborted attempt (due to dismasting) at the Trophée Jules Verne in the colours of Kingfisher /Castorama, skippered by Ellen MacArthur.

After being brought into Vannes in May 2006, Gitana 13 has undergone a complete refit at the Multiplast shipyard…

The main modifications concern the rigging, with a new 41-m mast that is higher than the original one, the introduction of a hook system on the gennaker, staysail and main sail halyards and a full new set of sails made from Cuben Fiber in cooperation with Jean-Baptiste Levaillant from the Voilerie Incidences at La Rochelle.
The platform has also seen a few modifications. The fore beam has been raised by 30 cm to reduce frontal impact and the bows have been reshaped to give a straighter and more aggressive shape. The interior living quarters have been remodelled, and the boat has also been equipped with all the latest safety systems (man overboard, spotting, etc.)