The Henri Kummerman Award, recognition of an excellent lineage that goes above and beyond

This prize, one year on from Charles Caudrelier’s dazzling victory in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe and Gitana Team’s double victory in the legendary single-handed transatlantic race, comes in recognition of the pioneering and innovative spirit which has guided the Gitana saga since its creation nearly 150 years ago.

Launched in 1876 through steam boats on the waters of Lake Geneva by Julie de Rothschild, the Gitana lineage got its first taste of salt water back in the 1960s with Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a passionate defender of monohulls and the yachting way of life. In 2000, his son, Benjamin de Rothschild made the switch to the world of multihulls, boats whose technological aspects and performance fascinated him and whose future he was very quick to drive.

The Gitana saga is intrinsically linked to the history of Ariane de Rothschild’s family and the values she champions. Over the decades, each generation has brought into play its own high standards, its own style and its own innovative approach to the various Gitanas in order to perpetuate the family’s quite unique maritime tradition, whilst also reinventing it. However, these generations have shared a common goal: to test the limits of the age in order to be the best, because every Gitana generation must completely embody the values of progress, excellence and setting new targets.

Finally, this award pays tribute to the boldness and vision demonstrated by Ariane de Rothschild and the teams within Gitana in the construction and fine-tuning of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the first oceanic maxi-trimaran designed to fly which, since her launch in 2017, has paved the way forward for a new era of offshore racing.