Swiss investment house Edmond de Rothschild has unveiled a new racing trimaran under the banner of its Gitana offshore racing team.
The sailing team is described by Edmond de Rothschild as ‘one of the four pillars of the Group’s unique ecosystem’, sitting alongside its better known financial activities.
The racing yacht was unveiled to fanfare on Saturday 14 February, where a crowd gathered to watch the trimaran hit the water for the first time. Named Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the striking 32-metre racing boat is now moored at her home pontoon in Lorient, Brittany.
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The model itself is named Gitana 18 and was designed and constructed under strict secrecy after development began in January 2024. The high-performance yacht was first revealed in December 2025, however this marks the first time Gitana 18 has been shown in the open.
A flying trimaran is a high-performance sailboat characterised by its underwater wings, or hydrofoils, which lift the hull clear of the water to minimise drag and increase speed.
Amid a month of relentless Atlantic weather, the boat was unveiled in uncharacteristically calm conditions, much to the relief of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s skipper, Charles Caudrelier.
‘Everything aligned today,’ he said. ‘The weather window was almost unexpected, but it allowed us to launch the platform and step the mast straight afterwards. It all went perfectly!’
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Owner of the Gitana Fleet and CEO of Edmond de Rothschild, Ariane de Rothschild, said: ‘With the launch of Gitana 18, a new chapter opens in the Gitana lineage. For 150 years, my family has expressed its passion for the sea and sailing performance through these legendary yachts, always with a spirit of innovation.’
Contrary to what its name might suggest, Gitana 18 is the team’s 28th vessel in its long racing history. The team’s previous yacht was Gitana 17, first unveiled in July 2017.
‘We are not starting from a blank page, thanks to the experience gained with Gitana 17, but with Gitana 18 we are stepping into another dimension,’ said Caudrelier. ‘Everything in the systems that have been conceived is new.’
Based on simulator tests, Gitana 18 is expected to deliver a speed gain of 10 to 15 per cent. Other technological developments on board include retractable Y-shaped foils, known as surface-piercing foils, which lift the hull clear of the water as speed increases, and a redesigned rudder to prevent vapour-filled bubbles from slowing the vessel.
With the aim of gliding above the water’s surface – known as being fully foiling – Gitana 18 could prove to be a leading innovator in its field, should its testing phase deliver the expected results.
The coming months will be particularly busy for the Gitana team as they fine-tune their prototype in preparation for the race in Saint-Malo on 1 November. Only eight months away, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild will need to be race-ready to defend its title at the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.
‘The development phase will be demanding, as the timeframe is short ahead of our key objective of the season, the Route du Rhum,’ said Caudrelier. ‘I hope we can quickly make the yacht as performant as it is beautiful!’
