After a 10-month build at the Multiplast yard and a launching at the end of June in Vannes, the trimaran Gitana 10 has sailed for the first time in the bay of La Trinité-sur-Mer?

Barely out of the Gulf of Morbihan, home of the Multiplast yard, even though night had fallen, the Gitana Team could not resist hoisting sail. In 13 knots of wind, with the daggerboard partly raised and no foil, Gitana 10 immediately announced her colours, with a peak at 24.8 knots (46 kph).

Following this nocturnal limber-up, Sunday afternoon was fully devoted to discovering the boat, with a crew of 13 aboard including three of the yacht’s architects: Gilles Ollier (F), Yann Penfornis (F) and Duncan MacLane (Usa). Despite lighter winds than the day before (10 knots), the team tested the staysail and the different appendage mechanisms. This second sailing was a validation outing.

Gitana 10 gives a real impression of ease, probably because of the design choices with the heavily curved real X-shaped beams and the inclined floats with pronounced rocker, whose bows rise higher than the level of the central hull. Sailing on a flat sea, this configuration appeared to be effective, the boat leaving a very clean wake astern, with the three bows well clear.

Gitana 10’s other very apparent particularity is the position of her mast well aft, with an impressively rounded roach to the mainsail. An option that will be put to the test during sea trials that will now follow on intensively.

At the end of the week, Gitana 10 will set sail for Zeebrugge (Belgium) where from 11 to 14 July she’ll compete at the second Grand Prix of the Orma Multihull World Championship.