Caudrelier forced back

Despite a difficult start in conditions that did not particularly favour the new boat, Caudrelier had recovered ground and was back among the leading four competitors.

However, shortly before 05:00 on Tuesday 3 November, following a demanding night negotiating a cold front, he noticed the trimaran was not performing as expected.

Although conditions were favourable for foiling, Gitana 18 was unable to lift clear of the water or achieve its anticipated speeds.

In darkness, three-metre seas and northerly winds of 20–25 knots, Caudrelier inspected the yacht’s Y-shaped foils and discovered extensive damage to the port foil.

Composite material had torn away from the trailing edge of the foil shaft, taking with it hydraulic hoses connected to the system.

Cyril Dardashti, general manager of Gitana Team, says the damage was too extensive to repair at sea.

From Charles’s account and the first photographs he sent us, we quickly realised that the damage was serious,” Dardashti explains.

“Its extent and location, high up on the foil shaft, meant that there was absolutely no possibility of him carrying out repairs alone at sea, or of our technical team making a quick and effective repair along the course.”

Dardashti confirms the damage was not caused by a collision with an external object.

These appendages are innovative, and the systems that accompany them are unprecedented on this type of offshore multihull. Sometimes that’s part of innovation.”

With safety the immediate priority, Caudrelier worked inside the float to isolate the damaged foil’s hydraulics, allowing the remaining onboard systems to continue operating.

Gitana Team’s weather routers, Erwan Israël and Julien Villion, assessed two options: diverting to the Azores, approximately 400 nautical miles away, or returning to Lorient, around 1,500 nautical miles from the yacht’s position.

Following an assessment of the damage and the forecast conditions, the team elected to return to Brittany.

“After assessing the damage, securing the boat and inspecting the foil, we decided to head back towards Brittany. The weather forecast for the coming days also favoured that option,” Dardashti says.

The retirement ends Caudrelier’s hopes of securing consecutive Route du Rhum victories. In 2022, he won aboard Gitana 17, setting a race record of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds.

For Gitana Team, the setback comes at the beginning of an ambitious development programme for the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the 28th yacht in the family’s maritime history, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this month.

“It’s inevitably a huge disappointment for our owner, Ariane de Rothschild, and the entire team, but this is also part of the reality of projects like ours, which demand daily commitment and great perseverance,” Dardashti says.

“This is only the beginning of Gitana 18’s life at sea.”

An exact arrival time in Lorient remains uncertain, with the yacht’s progress dependent on its performance without the damaged foil. Gitana Team hopes Caudrelier will reach the technical base over the weekend of 7–8 November.

The team will then undertake a detailed assessment to establish the cause of the failure and determine the repairs required.

gitana-team.com