“There have been some important decisions still being made on certain aspects over the past few days,” reveals David Boileau, Gitana 18’s boat captain. It’s going to be intense right to the last! That said, there is no sense of panic. We’ve completed the optimised version 1 of the boat so that Charles, who is very eager to get under way, can set sail with peace of mind.” To get to this stage, the whole of Gitana Team is working flat out. “The work carried out over the past three months has been phenomenal, continues David. And it is this teamwork, which fills the director of the five-arrow racing stable, Cyril Dardashti, with pride. “It’s been a huge challenge for everyone involved. Nobody is counting their hours as they work weekends and evenings to ensure we can get in some training, go sailing and fine-tune this incredibly complex machine. We’ve all been working towards the same objective with a level of cohesion that I’ve rarely had the chance to witness before.” “We overcame obstacles that seemed insurmountable back in August. The team has done an admirable job and that has given us the strength and inspiration to pay tribute to all the energy they’ve expended to ensure we are ready in Saint Malo,” confirms Charles Caudrelier.
29.10.2026
An experienced man at the helm of an experimental giant.
The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe formed part of the racing schedule for the all-new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild before the first layers of carbon were even laid during her construction. To be at the start of the most famous transatlantic race less than eight months on from this highly innovative trimaran’s first test sail is already an achievement in itself. Now, taking the helm of this polymorphous giant, reigning champion Charles Caudrelier is preparing to take a leap into the unknown.
Significant progress in a short space of time
The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s first sea trial on 10 March 2026 triggered a countdown of less than 8 months to test, get to grips with and fine-tune this latest bold addition to the Gitana lineage. “This machine is amazingly complex! We’ve really pushed the envelope in every domain with considerable risk-taking involved. We’ve ended up with a lot of different elements that all need addressing,” explains Cyril Dardashti. These elements included the foils and the team very quickly saw that various parts needed to be replaced, a setback that upset the discovery and learning phase.
Despite all that, the progress made in this short space of time has been significant. During the twenty-or-so days in refit in mid-September, just after Charles Caudrelier completed his solo qualifier, enabled further optimisation of the foils, the erasing of some of the teething issues, switching over of part of the rigging, enhancement of the aerodynamics by adding a new fairing under the boom and the refining of the interior fit-out to improve comfort for the skipper, and so on. The recent week of sailing and speed tests alongside Sodebo Ultim and Actual (former Gitana 17) also provided a wealth of insight about sail choices and tweaking. “Between the very first and the most recent sea trial, which have seen Charles Caudrelier rack up over 40 days at sea, the boat’s behaviour has utterly transformed, admits Erwan Israël, head of performance and weather router. At certain points of sail, we’ve even gained several knots.” A vital ingredient in this mix is the ‘home-made’ autopilot developed specially for Gitana 18 in house, which is performing brilliantly. “All in all, Cyril Dardashti concludes, we’ve put together a fantastic package for the start of this Route du Rhum.”
“We have some but not all the weapons at our disposal”
Playing an integral part in the technical development of the boat, Charles Caudrelier has not taken long to get his bearings. Nevertheless, he is well aware that this first clash on the racecourse will also be an opportunity to continue getting to grips with Gitana 18. “We’re going to test the reliability of the boat, her appendages and the way she handles when sailed solo, he says, I’m going to continue to familiarise myself with her and get her performing well during the transatlantic, and that’s an incredibly interesting challenge. However, I’m expecting it to be physically demanding, especially during the manoeuvres, as not everything is instinctive to me yet.” The true potential and possible flaws of the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild are yet to be explored, particularly when pitted against rivals who have raised their game and in sailing conditions never previously encountered. In his favour, Charles Caudrelier has a massive amount of experience, a real talent for single-handed sailing, real tenacity and a desire to express his winning ways. “We have some but not all the weapons at our disposal. That means that rather than being favourites, we are outsiders with a lot of potential.” The forecast for the start of the course, namely downwind conditions as far as the Azores, should prove favourable for this solo baptism of fire aboard the most complex and innovative multihull of the fleet.