The members of Gitana Team were gathered around Ariane de Rothschild in Paris this Thursday 7 December for a celebration, the presentation of the Henri Kummerman Award by the Académie de Marine, as well as a major announcement regarding the future of the five-arrow racing stable. Heiress to a quite unique family maritime saga, Ariane de Rothschild intends to continue this legendary lineage which, together with her husband Benjamin de Rothschild, they have transformed into a school of excellence and a genuine technological laboratory. In the summer of 2017, Gitana Team unveiled the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild: a pioneer! The first large offshore racing trimaran designed to fly in the open ocean. Six years on, the team is announcing her descendant. A new flying steed created by a unified Verdier/Gitana design team and built in Lorient by CDK Technologies. This latest generation maxi-multihull will come into the world in 2025.

The Henri Kummerman Award, presented to Ariane de Rothschild this Thursday by the Académie de Marine, rewards a personality or a team whose work or successes stand out in the field of improvements to construction methods or commercial shipping operations of all kinds.

Late last Tuesday in Martinique, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandie Le Havre. Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël secured third place in the ULTIM category after more than 16 days at sea. Their podium place came as the result of a brave struggle and with hindsight the duo made no secret of their pride at getting their injured animal safely dockside in Fort-de-France. Four days later, thanks to some exemplary work by her shore team, the five-arrow giant has been able to set a course for home and her base with a view to a rapid refit and, most importantly, the singlehanded round the world race, the Arkea Ultim Challenge.

The duo aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild timed their arrival to perfection! Yesterday, on Tuesday 14 November, it was 17:10 hours (local time), 21:10 hours (UTC) when the five-arrow giant entered Fort-de-France Bay, resulting in a sublime passage across the finish line, lit up by the last rays of sunshine. On their arrival dockside, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël were welcomed by a large crowd of locals, who had come out in force to pay tribute to the sailors’ performance after 16 days 9 hours 5 minutes and 43 seconds at sea and nearly 10,000 miles (18,500 kilometres) covered since the start in Le Havre on 29 October. The men of Gitana Team post the 3rd best performance of the ULTIM fleet in this Coffee Route and complete the podium in an event which saw the brilliant Maxi Banque Populaire XI take victory on Sunday evening.

Sometimes we learn the most from failures! such was Charles Caudrelier’s sentiment on his arrival in Martinique a few minutes after the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the line and bagged 3rd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Affected by damage to the boat throughout the 10,000-mile journey from Le Havre to Fort-de-France, the winner of the Route du Rhum 2022 and his co-skipper Erwan Israël demonstrated real tenacity in their bid to overcome their technical issues and snatch the 3rd step of the ULTIM podium.

The ULTIM podium for the 2023 edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandie Le Havre is complete. After the Maxi Banque Populaire XI, outright champion of the Coffee Route, and runner-up SVR-Lazartigue, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is the third giant to make landfall in Martinique. It was at 17:10 hours (local time), 21:10 hours (UTC) this Tuesday 14 November, that she crossed the finish line in Fort-de-France Bay. A much-appreciated daytime arrival, it gave rise to some fabulous images to conclude this epic transatlantic with Gitana 17 fully powered up in flight mode as she passed the famous Diamond Rock, as well as enabling the public to come out in force to welcome the duo of Gitana Team. The intense racing of the past 16 days 9 hours 5 minutes and 43 seconds was etched on their faces, but the beaming smiles of Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël as they crossed the line spoke volumes about their delight at being able to complete this race.

The ULTIM podium for the 2023 edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandie Le Havre is complete. After the Maxi Banque Populaire XI, outright champion of the Coffee Route, and runner-up SVR-Lazartigue, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is the third giant to make landfall in Martinique. It was at 17:10 hours (local time), 21:10 hours (UTC) this Tuesday 14 November, that she crossed the finish line in Fort-de-France Bay. A much-appreciated daytime arrival, it gave rise to some fabulous images to conclude this epic transatlantic with Gitana 17 fully powered up in flight mode as she passed the famous Diamond Rock, as well as enabling the public to come out in force to welcome the duo of Gitana Team. The intense racing of the past 16 days 9 hours 5 minutes and 43 seconds was etched on their faces, but the beaming smiles of Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël as they crossed the line spoke volumes about their delight at being able to complete this race.

The 2023 edition of the Coffee Route is nearing its end. Yesterday, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI was the first to take the chequered flag as it crossed the finish line in Fort-de-France Bay after 14 days and 10 hours of racing. SVR - Lazartigue followed suit five hours later to secure 2nd place after a fantastic duel. Armel Le Cléac’h and his team posted a very fine performance to succeed the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild on the list of winners of the event. Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël are now closing on the finish line themselves - 800 miles to go this Monday afternoon but aboard their injured’ maxi-trimaran the duo is still under threat from its pursuers in the quest for the final podium place. Finally clear of the doldrums, which proved much less cooperative for them that it was with their rivals, the men of Gitana Team have latched onto some fresh breeze and are busily honing their trim as they take turns at the helm. For now, their ETA is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday 14 November late in the day local time in Fort-de-France.

Late yesterday evening, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI was first across the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandie Le Havre. This morning Erwan Israël and Gitana Team congratulated Armel Le Cléac’h and all of the Team Banque Populaire for this fantastic victory. At sea, the race continues for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, which shook itself free of the doldrums overnight. A long final straight now lies ahead of the bows of the five-arrow maxi-trimaran with less than 900 miles to go to Martinique!

Like the top two in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been weaving her way downwind along the edge of the traffic exclusion zone off northern Brazil. This game of gybes, which has already required a great deal of manoeuvring and concentration from the duos, has been spiced up by a rather tough DIY session aboard the five-arrow giant. However, the news from the open ocean is positive this Saturday! The skipper spent a large part of last night at the back of the central hull repairing yesterday morning’s damage to the steering system. There has been considerable loss of ground in the ranking on both the Maxi Banque Populaire XI and SVR-Lazartigue, but thanks to all their efforts and constantly taking it in turns at the helm, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël have managed to maintain an acceptable lead ahead of their rivals. Some 1,500 miles from the finish, there is still a long way to go, especially with the curveball presented by a second passage of the doldrums over the coming hours. This is not a scenario the top two maxi-multihulls will have to deal with however, so they will likely extend their lead still further before Fort-de-France.

Since the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has had to contend with a certain number of technical issues. Yesterday morning though, they suffered serious damage to the steering system, forcing them to take it in turns helming the giant using just the central rudder. This breakage is causing them to lose a lot of ground in relation to the head of the fleet. However, this morning, there was more positive news for Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël. Late last night, the skipper of Gitana 17 found the energy to implement the repair process concocted by the men of Gitana Team back on land. The shore team hailed this massive job on this the anniversary of the armistice. Though the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is still not operating at her true potential, she now has more weapons at her disposal to try to defend her podium place in Martinique...

After 12 days of racing, the leading ULTIMs are attacking the home straight of their epic 7,500-mile course across the Atlantic and are currently sailing downwind towards the northern hemisphere, immediately adjacent to a large exclusion zone along the north coast of Brazil where navigation is not permitted. For the men on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, this final section of the race is set to be even more difficult than suspected since an incident that occurred this morning. In fact, since setting sail from Le Havre, on 29 October, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël have not been spared of technical woes. As such, they have had to very quickly try to get the best out of a boat that was no longer at her full potential and adapt their race accordingly. This morning, an impact caused serious damage to the steering system and the sailors will have to contend with the major breakage all the way to the finish line, which is still some 2,000 miles away.

Since yesterday, and the Imocas’ morning departure from Le Havre, the whole of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 fleet has been doing battle on the Atlantic Ocean. However, as the Vendée Globe monohulls begin their 2nd day at sea, for the ULTIMs, this Wednesday 8 November heralds the 10th day of racing. Shortly after 14:00 UTC, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild rounded the course mark of Ascension Island at 8° South in third place, with a deficit of around five hours in relation to the top duo. This eagerly awaited passage around the British island marked not only the start of the final section of the course to Martinique, but also the end of a very long beat that began on exiting the doldrums three days earlier. The five-arrow giant is now sailing downwind, her favourite point of sail according to her skipper, with 3,000 miles to go until the finish in Martinique. Despite the ground lost over the past 24 hours, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël are attacking this new section of the race with real determination. Indeed, the battle is far from over and the sailors are well aware that their machines can play catch up, but also fall off the pace, in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday, the ULTIMs celebrated their first week of racing in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023. However, now is not really the time for celebration aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. For Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël, the hours spent in the doldrums have been particularly gruelling both physically and in terms of the ranking. Since then, the Gitana Team duo has put this tough passage to the back of its mind and has been able to make the most of the more favourable conditions to recharge their batteries and get back on the hunt. Third this Monday evening, theoretically around thirty miles shy of the firm leader, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI, they are continuing to apply themselves and take it in turns with the trimming to optimise the trajectory and speed of the five-arrow giant.

After a week of racing, and with the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild sailing in the trades of the South Atlantic since yesterday, close-hauled, bound for Ascension Island, Charles Caudrelier gave us a quick analysis of the miles covered and cast his mind forward to the second half of the course. Third and, in theory, some fifty or so miles shy of the leader, Banque Populaire, the sailors of Gitana Team have managed to rack up a few precious hours of sleep after a passage through the doldrums that was as cruel as it was energy-zapping.

After six days of racing, the leaders of the Coffee Route are negotiating their first passage through the doldrums, the notorious and dreaded inter-tropical convergence zone located a few degrees to the north of the equator. Heading the fleet, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI was the first to cross its threshold this afternoon and has stalled dramatically over the past few hours. In her wake, in 2nd place, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël are making the most of the situation to claw back every possible mile, well aware that in this constantly shifting zone, opportunism and quick reactions are vital. A sentiment heightened by the fact that just astern of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the rest of the fleet is poised to pounce, starting with the Gabart / Laperche duo.

This Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 clearly has its fair share of surprises and contrasts. After an intense start to the race in rough weather, the five duos which make up the ULTIM line-up had to demonstrate both patience and self-sacrifice in their negotiation of the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira to traverse a ridge of high pressure barring the way for their journey southward. Released from the clutches of the anticyclone late yesterday morning, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her rivals were quick to put pedal to the metal and dramatically up the tempo. Since then, the fleet of maxi-multihulls has been embroiled in a drag race through the trades as they head towards Cape Verde. Following a great option as they negotiated Madeira, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI is leading the troops at a rapid pace. On the attack in their wake, on port tack, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël are sparing no effort in their bid to defend their current second place. On this long leg towards the doldrums and the next course mark of São Pedro e São Paulo, concentration, trimming and precision piloting are punctuating the watches aboard the leading boats in the Coffee Route.

The ridge of high pressure barring the way forward for the duos is now astern of the ULTIM fleet. Passing Madeira proved to be a tricky and rather strategic affair with various options on the cards. Whilst the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild passed to the south of the island yesterday evening, Armel Le Cléac'h opted to pass to the north of the Portuguese archipelago. And though the wind struggled to get moving again this morning, Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël were preparing to very quickly latch back onto the right conditions to slip along at high speed.

Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël have known since last Sunday’s start in Le Havre that the transition southward would require a great deal of patience as they try to negotiate an area of light winds. Indeed, following an intense start to the race in some difficult and boisterous conditions for both the men and their machines, as they close on the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira this morning the ambiance is flat calm on the deck of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. In reality, a ridge of high pressure is sprawled across the ULTIMs’ route, causing their progress towards the trade wind to slow dramatically. Synonymous with a windless zone, as well as a general bunching up of the fleet, this section has the air of a restart and it could be an important turning point in this 16th Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre.

Whilst Brittany and more broadly France’s Atlantic coast prepare to be battered by storm Ciaran, at the head of the ULTIM fleet, which is approaching the archipelago of Madeira, it is flat calm. This windless section has heralded a bunching up of the leader board. Charles Caudrelier shares this pond-like’ yet tense atmosphere.

Setting sail from Le Havre shortly after 12:00 UTC on Sunday, the fleet of giants has just completed two testing days on the water for both the men and the machines. With the start of the race marked by breeze and heavy seas more than 50 knots reported in the English Channel and nearly 5-metre waves offshore yesterday the leaders are due to stumble up against a wide ridge of high pressure in the coming hours. A genuine meteorological barrier across the road to the trade wind and the next course mark of Porto Santo, in the Madeira archipelago, will translate as an abrupt change to the pace set by the duos since the start. It is a scenario which Charles Caudrelier described in detail at this morning’s radio link-up.

At 12:05 UTC yesterday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her adversaries were the first to take the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre. In a SSW’ly wind of around thirty knots and heavy seas, the five duos signed up for the ULTIM class were able to show off the potential of their fantastic giants of the seas, powered up at over 35 knots as they responded to the call of the open ocean… For the reigning champion, this rather full-on start phase was synonymous with stress with two spectacular bear aways, which the photographers and cameramen close to the action are unlikely to forget any time soon. More scared than hurt, once the helm issue was identified and resolved, the five-arrow giant moved back up to the head of the fleet. After 24 hours at sea, punctuated by some relatively boisterous and shifty conditions and a long beat westwards to hunt down a front to the south of Ireland, the ULTIMs are now all barrelling southwards towards Cape Finisterre, which they’re set to reach this evening.

This 2023 start will go down in Transat Jacques Vabre history. Not only for the epic spectacle offshore of Cap de la Hève with a SSW’ly wind of around thirty knots and the sailors eager to stretch their steeds’ legs’, but also because the fleet making for Martinique has been split apart. Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the skipper Charles Caudrelier, this year supported by Erwan Israël, made no secret of his delight at finally rediscovering the open ocean and competition. Right now, it’s over to the sport and the battle is already raging at the front of the pack.

For this late October showdown, Europe is being swept up in a succession of powerful autumnal depressions. It is in these boisterous conditions that the 16th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre will set sail this Sunday 29 October.

Moored in the Bassin de l’Eure at the heart of Le Havre in north-east France since last Thursday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is patiently awaiting the green light alongside four more ULTIMs, which make up the fleet of giants in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023. For its 30th anniversary, tickets to compete in the Coffee Route are all sold out with more than ninety-five duos entered into four classes, which equates to nearly two hundred sailors setting sail for Martinique, where the finish of this major transatlantic race is now decided. A triple event champion since his notable victory in ULTIM in 2021 alongside Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier is defending his title at the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. This year, he’ll be accompanied by Erwan Israël, Gitana Team’s talented navigator and router, who will make his double-handed transatlantic debut in a few days.

The second edition of the 24h Ultim has been playing out in Lorient since last Friday. Following Sodebo’s withdrawal due to damage to her daggerboard on the eve of the competition, the remaining four maxi-trimarans initially got embroiled in some speed runs before facing off in a 340-mile offshore course off the tip of Brittany. In preparation for the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre, the teams set sail double-handed at noon yesterday, accompanied by an on-board reporter. Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, this was the first race meet for the Charles Caudrelier / Erwan Israël pairing. Securing a second place this Sunday, just three minutes shy of winner Banque Populaire, the crew on the five-arrow giant were pleased with the work carried out during the spring refit and confirmed that they are very much on the pace for the major sports challenges which await the men of Gitana Team. Indeed, in one month’s time, the fleet of giants will be in Le Havre for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, which promises to be just as thrilling as the showstopping spectacle offered up this weekend.

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is back racing and the weekend's results are promising, although Banque Populaire took the honours at the finish line this morning for three minutes. The 2nd edition of the 24h Ultim was particularly hotly contested. This bodes well for the Transat Jacques Vabre, the start of which is less than a month away.

The second edition of the 24h Ultim has been playing out in Lorient since last Friday. Following Sodebo’s withdrawal due to damage to her daggerboard on the eve of the competition, the remaining four maxi-trimarans initially got embroiled in some speed runs before facing off in a 340-mile offshore course off the tip of Brittany. In preparation for the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre, the teams set sail double-handed at noon yesterday, accompanied by an on-board reporter. Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, this was the first race meet for the Charles Caudrelier / Erwan Israël pairing. Securing a second place this Sunday, just three minutes shy of winner Banque Populaire, the crew on the five-arrow giant were pleased with the work carried out during the spring refit and confirmed that they are very much on the pace for the major sports challenges which await the men of Gitana Team. Indeed, in one month’s time, the fleet of giants will be in Le Havre for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, which promises to be just as thrilling as the showstopping spectacle offered up this weekend.

Mid-April is typically a period synonymous with the relaunching of offshore race boats after a lengthy winter refit tucked safely away in yards. This year though, due to a Jules Verne Trophy attempt, the upcoming programme for Gitana Team and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is not following the traditional route. Hauled out late last week, on Thursday 13 April, the flying maxi-trimaran is finally ready for her spring refit! For the next three months then, the recent winner of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe will be examined in great detail by the members of the five-arrow team. Amidst maintenance, development and making her reliable, the jobs list is both substantial and ambitious, and the same is true of Charles Caudrelier’s sports programme for the second half of the season.

Having cast off from Lorient in the early hours of this Sunday morning, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the start line off the island of Ushant at 13h 9 min 30s UTC in her attempt to secure the Jules Verne Trophy. At the helm of the 32-metre giant, Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew are taking on the prestigious round the world race against the clock. The aim: to beat the record of 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and the men of IDEC. To achieve this, Gitana Team will have to make it back to Brest and the Le Créac’h lighthouse before 25 March 2023 at 12h 38min 59s UTC. Though rather unique, the weather window on offer to the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is certainly worth a go, as there might well be a series of great opportunities for the five-arrow crew to snap up along the way.

Currently awaiting favourable weather conditions to set sail on the quest for the Jules Verne Trophy with the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Charles Caudrelier is closely monitoring progress in another round the world: The Ocean Race. For eight years, the race formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race was part of his life and saw him secure two wins out of three participations. He discusses his memories and his take on the new formula and the skippers who dream of succeeding him on the winners’ list.

One week ago to the day, in the pitch black of a night in Guadeloupe after 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds of intense effort, Charles Caudrelier realised a childhood dream by securing victory in the 12th Route du Rhum- Destination Guadeloupe. At the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the first maxi-trimaran of her generation to pave the way forward for oceanic flight, the sailor from north-west France scored a double victory. Not only did he outdo his rivals to take the win, he also improved on the 2018 event record by nearly a day.

It’s already been a week since Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line in the 12th Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe as champions. To relive this momentous occasion and the fabulous transatlantic passage that culminated in victory, we are treating you to 6 minutes of on-board footage and private moments from

He’d dreamed about it… and now it’s a done deal! Charles Caudrelier has become part of the Route du Rhum legend by securing a masterful win in the 12th edition of the most famous of France’s singlehanded transatlantic races. Indeed, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild led the way from beginning to end, only relinquishing the top spot on the very odd occasion. The solo sailor crossed the finish line in the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre on Wednesday 16 November 2022 at 5h02 (local time), 9h02 UTC, completing the theoretical 3,542-mile course between Saint Malo and Guadeloupe in 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds. It was by posting an average speed of 21,6 knots along the direct course, or 26,9 knots over the ground that Charles Caudrelier and the flying maxi-trimaran made butterfly island.

He’d dreamed about it… and now it’s a done deal! Charles Caudrelier has become part of the Route du Rhum legend by securing a masterful win in the 12th edition of the most famous of France’s singlehanded transatlantic races. Indeed, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild led the way from beginning to end, only relinquishing the top spot on the very odd occasion.

Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Charles Caudrelier is beginning his final day at sea in this Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. Indeed, according to the latest estimates from his routing cell, the leader of the Ultims is expected to make landfall at the Tête à l’anglais, to the north of the island, this evening local time, which equates to the middle of the night in Europe. However, that won’t be the end of the race for the solo sailor, quite the contrary in fact. A tough and much dreaded exercise will commence at that point as he launches onto the circuit around the island of Guadeloupe. Over these last few miles, around fifty nautical miles in all, the hierarchy was completely turned on its head four years ago, offering Francis Joyon a memorable victory. Taking the competitors along the west coast of butterfly island to hunt down a mark at Basse-Terre, the course then snakes around the southern tip of the island and into the Canal des Saintes, with the finish line set in the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre.

The start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe was a long time coming, but this Wednesday, at 14:15 hours, the 138 sailors competing in the 2022 edition set off at quite a lick. Upwind in a WSW’ly breeze of around twenty knots, Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild powered off at the front, immediately taking control of the fleet of Ultims.

The start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe was a long time coming, but this Wednesday, at 14:15 hours, the 138 sailors competing in the 2022 edition set off at quite a lick. Upwind in a WSW’ly breeze of around twenty knots, Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild powered off at the front, immediately taking control of the fleet of Ultims. After a tack offshore and a little over an hour’s racing, the skipper of Gitana Team treated himself to first honours at Cap Fréhel, some eight minutes or so ahead of second placed Armel Le Cléac’h. A single sour note still hangs over this very fine start to the race by the five-arrow maxi-trimaran. Indeed, the Race Committee believes that the sailor was too early on the line. This mistake, which incurs a severe 4-hour time penalty according to the Sailing Instructions, is currently being contested by the skipper, who may request a redress. Watch this space…

Flying Offshore has coloured the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s signature since it was created, on 17 July 2017. Indeed, from the outset, the ambition of Ariane, Benjamin de Rothschild and the Gitana Team through this project has been to construct and fine-tune the first flying maxi-trimaran for offshore racing capable of pulling off the incredible technological challenge of circumnavigating the planet. This title came about fairly naturally as a way to embody Gitana Team’s documentary series.

In the early hours of this Sunday 2 October, guided by the light of the Pen-Men lighthouse at the western tip of Groix Island off Lorient, Charles Caudrelier treated Gitana Team to another victory. This is his seventh win in a row since he joined the team in 2019, but his first singlehanded at the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild! Leading the fleet out of the starting blocks some twenty hours or so earlier, the skipper of the five-arrow racing stable demonstrated great mastery out on the racetrack, never letting his rivals catch up with the flying maxi-trimaran. Beyond the result, this course spanning five-hundred nautical miles and the race format were the perfect preparation with one month until the start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. It’s all systems go now then, and Charles Caudrelier is eager to get down to action on 6 November.

On Friday 1 July, at 11:00 UTC, the Finistère Atlantique Challenge Action Enfance fleet, made up of four Ultims, set sail from Concarneau in Brittany. Six days 5 hours 28 minutes and 38 seconds later, the men aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild were first across the finish line to take outright victory. This latest win had a rather special flavour with the sailors of Gitana Team embroiled in an incredibly intense duel with the crew of Banque Populaire XI led by Armel Le Cléac’h. This first place is the fourth consecutive win for this crew and the sixth for the Caudrelier Cammas pairing.

FINISH NEWSFLASH - After a stunning finale, which kept enthusiasts spellbound, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild secures victory in the Finistère Atlantique - Challenge Action Enfance. The five-arrow giant took line honours this Thursday 7 July at 16:28 UTC after 6 days 5 hours and 28 minutes of racing. The crew of Gitana team covered 4 132.48 miles at an average speed of 27,65 knots. Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas, Morgan Lagraviere, Erwan Israel, David Boileau and Yann Riou outpaced the men on Banque Populaire XI, who are expected across the line in a few minutes.

They waited for the sun to shine over Martinique before lining the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild up with Diamond Rock and taking full advantage of their crushing victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre. At 10 hours 16 minutes et 16 seconds locale (14 hours 16 minutes et 16 seconds UTC), Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier crossed the finish line set between the Trois Ilets and Fort-de-France marina. Sailing a masterful race, the skippers of Gitana Team win the star category in the Coffee Route, utterly dominating play in the Ultime fleet to leave their competitors trailing some 100 miles in the wake of the five-arrow flying maxi-trimaran.

Boats are making faster and faster headway...Offshore flight, through its ability to release boats from friction and contact with the water, has undoubtedly contributed to acceleration in the quest for speed on the oceans. However, speed also brings with it technical constraints and limits, which teams like Gitana team are striving to free themselves of on a daily basis. Cavitation of the appendages is one of the key topics for the five-arrow racing stable right now. Through this new video mini-series, we hand you over the keys to a greater understanding of this phenomenon.