32 meters long, 23 meters wide, over 60,000 hours of study and design, and 200,000 hours of construction, the Gitana 18 will be launched in December. One year after Gitana 17’s victory at the Arkea Ultim Challenge, it continues the saga of the Gitanas of the de Rothschild dynasty. Above all, it continues the project of Benjamin de Rothschild, who passed away at just 58 in 2021 and since then carried on by his wife Ariane de Rothschild, CEO of the Edmond de Rothschild Group and owner of the team.
Verdier and CDK Technologies for a revolutionary Ultim
The design of a new foiling Ultim could only come from Guillaume Verdier, the designer whose foils, starting with the 2007 IMOCA Safran, revolutionized the world of ocean-going monohulls and then, including the America’s Cup, large multihulls. The builder is the French shipyard CDK Technologies of Lorient, which, in addition to a long series of Gitanas, has also produced – to remain current – the Ultim SVR-Lazartigue, which, with Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas, won last week the Transat Café l’Or, the two-handed transatlantic race from the French port of Le Havre to Fort-de-France in Martinique. Another boat built by CDK Technologies, Charal, owned by Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagraviére, repeated their victory in the Imoca class.
Gitana 18 also boasts Made in Italy
The construction of the Gitana 18 also includes Made in Italy. The foils and appendages are made by Eligio Re Fraschini (www.refraschini.it) and Sangiorgio Marine (sangiorgiomarine.it), while Gottifredi Maffioli (www.gottifredimaffioli.com) supplies the bouts. This isn’t Re Fraschini’s first collaboration with the Gitana team. He also designed the foils for the Gitana 17.
Gitana 18 will be 100% foiling
“The boat will fly 100% of the time. We didn’t just adapt an existing concept; we reinvented it” said Sébastien Sainson, head of the Gitana team’s design office. He entrusted the new Gitana 18 to Charles Caudrelier, who, after his victories in the Volvo Ocean Race, led Gitana 17 to victory in the 2024 Arkéa Ultim Challenge round-the-world race for Ultim. “To race around the world at 40 knots, you need complete trust in your machine”. The launch of Gitana 18, originally scheduled for early 2025, has been postponed to ensure the boat meets the team’s high standards. She will be launched in December. “Taking extra months to perfect Gitana 18 isn’t a delay, but a commitment. What we’ll unveil in December isn’t just a boat, but a finely tuned ecosystem, designed for speed, resilience, and victory,” Caudrelier explained.
Not only sport but also Art
Beyond her performance, Gitana 18 is also a true canvas for contemporary art. In collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo, artists Florian and Michael Quistrebert have created a bold artistic vision, presented on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild by Jean-Baptiste Epron. Over nearly 2,000 square meters of hull and sails, five faces emerge from the sea.
The dedication of Ariane de Rothschild
“For nearly 150 years, every boat in the Gitana saga has had her own unique story to tell” explained Ariane de Rothschild. “For a long time, I wanted to invite a contemporary artist to express themselves on one of our multihulls. My ambition went beyond the aesthetic gesture: I wanted to bring about a merging of worlds. When I decided to launch another large trimaran, Gitana 18, it was only natural to continue the collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo. For the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, they’ve created an expanding wave of faces. A wave which, like an intimate echo, reveals the features of my daughters. To whom I dedicate this new boat.”
150 Years of Passion on the Seas
Gitana 18 is the 28th vessel in the Rothschild family’s maritime saga, which in 2026 will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the launch of its first Gitana.
Emilio Martinelli
