Lee-boards are cool again - Gitana Mono 60
Who would have thought that lee-boards would see a comeback in competitive sailing? The brand new Gitana Mono 60 "Edmond De Rothschild" has just been launched, and quite literally blew itself out of the water. Ok, so they're not lee-boards as we knew them, the state-of-the-art ocean racer Gitana has angled hydrofoils sticking out each side of its hull, which provide lift, but don't exactly lift it out of the water like a Moth or the Americas cup boats. They do reduce drag however, to almost non-existent levels!
"It was really interesting to get a chance to sail in these boisterous conditions on what was only our 3rd outing!" Said skipper, S?bastien Josse. "Our current phase is all about discovering and breaking-in the boat. Even though this type of sailing is giving us some positive signs as to how the boat handles, these outings are just sprints for now so they're much too short to draw any real conclusions from them."
Check out the video below to see Gitana's Edmond De Rothschild honking along downwind during sea trials off Lorient. While their conclusions might not be 'real', you can be sure they know it's fast!
With a couple of reefs in the main, and the crew hunkered down behind specially designed bubbles in cabin to protect them from the 30+ knot water blasts. It's a wet ride for sure, but with nothing but the last meter or two of the hull in the water, it's an eye-opening development in the keelboat division, that's for sure!
