This new boat was first thought about in 2013, construction started in October 2015 and the launch took place in the middle of last July. This brand-new boat, 32m long and 23 wide, carries 650m² of sail downwind, for a displacement of 15.5 tonnes. Innovative planing hulls, T-shaped rudders, L-shaped foils, very carefully-designed platform aerodynamics – the vocation of everything aboard Gitana 17 is flying, and the team hopes that they have the tool to be the first flying ocean-racing boat.
The boat’s first race will be the Transat Jacques Vabre in October, with Sébastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel, but the n°1 aim remains the 2018 Route du Rhum.
Information: www.gitana-team.com