Stand by for lift-off.
If you were impressed by the speeds of the AC45s last week off Portsmouth, check this out – the MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild is almost twice the size, has an extra hull, and is sailing, sorry flying, in the open ocean…
The MOD70 (Multi One Design 70ft) is a well-proven ocean-racing trimaran that regulary hits 40 knot speeds. But what happens when you fit foiling daggerboards and T-rudders to one and try and fly it in the Atlantic? The Gitana Team are the first to find out, and, thankfully, have captured some video of their trials.
“In the space of six months the MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild has become the perfect guinea pig for Gitana Team’s design office,” the Gitanta Team explains. “After an initial research phase involving T-foil rudders, which was validated by Sébastien Josse’s third place in the Route du Rhum 2014, it’s now time for the second phase of development.”
“Equipped with asymmetric foils (L-foil to port and C-foil to starboard) and new, more substantial T-foil rudders, the 2015 version of the trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild is undergoing her first sea trials offshore of Lorient; the first flights in real conditions.”
Video of the first sea trials for the foiling MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild
The electric green MOD70 Phaedo has been smashing records all season, but in her ‘conventional’ design mode. From the looks of Gitana’s first foiling trials, and with potential maxi multihull versions of 100ft plus to come, I think we can expect existing ocean records to be truly obliterated.