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Wednesday 27 April – 0900 hours GMT
From Gitana 11 to the MOD 70 Edmond de Rothschild Group
Last week was a rich one for the skipper of the future MOD 70 Edmond de
Rothschild Group. On Monday, Gitana 11, the stable’s maxi-trimaran, left the
Saint-Philibert hangars bound for the old submarine base in Lorient, which
she safely arrived at forty-eight hours later. This launch and first sea
trial heralded the start of the crewed racing programme for the 2011 season.
As soon as the 77 foot multihull was tied up, Sébastien Josse headed to
Paris for the press conference to launch the Krys Ocean Race. Indeed it was
on Thursday 21 April, that organisers MOD SA, officially announced the name,
the dates and the course for the first transatlantic of the Multi One Design
Championship.
The MOD 70, it’s a reality
After the launch and christening of the first one-design of the series in
Lorient at the end of March, organisers MOD SA are continuing to make the
Multi One Design project a reality. Last Thursday they announced the
outlines of the first Ocean Race of the Krys Ocean Race circuit at the
“Elysées Biarritz” cinema venue in Paris. It’s a crewed transatlantic race
which adopts an historic course: New York – Brest, which equates to a 2,950
mile passage across the North Atlantic. The fleet of MOD 70s, which should
comprise the first six multihulls by then, will set off from the foot of the
Statue of Liberty on 7 July 2012 bound for Brest, where they are due to
finish a week later. This arrival will coincide with the start of the famous
maritime festival, the Tonnerres de Brest, which has gathered together old,
primarily European sailboats, large and small alike, every four years for
the past twenty years.
At the end of this presentation, Sébastien Josse gave us his impressions of
this first race and its prestigious setting: "Eastbound transatlantics are
rare in fleet racing. The course on offer to us is fairly reminiscent of the
North Atlantic crossing record. I’ve never been involved in this famous race
against the clock but the route certainly isn’t unfamiliar to me. During my
participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, back in 2006, we had a New York –
Plymouth stage. As such I’ve already had the opportunity to sail at the foot
of the Statue of Liberty, whilst we were moored in Manhattan. It was magical
and I have an incredible memory of it. The race itself promises to be
demanding as the route us takes via Newfoundland and its characteristic
banks of mist. During this period, we can also expect to negotiate some
depressions. In fact it coincides with the prime time for record hunters to
set off. After that we finish the race in Brest whilst the maritime festival
is in full swing, so we can be guaranteed of a warm, festive welcome on our
arrival, as it’s something the locals of Brest are well practiced in,”
concluded the skipper of the MOD Edmond de Rothschild Group.
Though the Gitana Team will have to wait for a few months before taking
possession of its one-design, the No.4 to be precise, Sébastien Josse and
his team have no intention of sitting idly by. Indeed they have the
fantastic machine that is the Gitana 11 at their fingertips, so they can
take the start of the various crewed races open to maxi-multihulls.
Gitana 11, a natural link to the MOD 70
Winner of the Route du Rhum 2006 in the 60 foot Orma category, Gitana 11 was
transformed into a 77 foot maxi-trimaran to participate in the last edition
of the famous transatlantic between Saint Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre, which had
been reopened to the G Class sailboats. With a very similar platform to the
future MOD 70, Gitana 11 is the perfect craft for Sébastien Josse to find
his bearings in the multihull as well as to select and train the crew, which
will accompany him in the Multi One Design adventure. On 7 May 2011, the
maxi-trimaran fitted out by the Baron Benjamin de Rothschild will take part
in the Tour de Belle-Île; a race where amateurs and professionals rub
shoulders at the heart of a fleet of over three hundred sailboats. A month
after this first official outing, the native of Nice will set off, still in
crewed configuration, on the Armen Race and then the SNSM Record (RNLI
equivalent). The Armen Race is a brand new race which will consist of a big
loop circuit starting out and finishing in La Trinité-sur-Mer, SW Brittany,
after rounding the Ar Men lighthouse situated to the West of the Pointe du
Raz and the Ile d’Yeu, off the Vendée coast. The SNSM record meantime no
longer needs an introduction. Finally, in mid-August, Gitana 11 will take
the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race. This classic of Offshore Racing, the
first edition of which took place in 1925, is very familiar to Sébastien
Josse, who’s won it three times in an Imoca monohull. Also of note is the
fact that Gitana V held the Fastnet record for nearly nineteen years.
This 2011 programme, along the theme of crewed sailing, contrasts with the
past two years of sailing on Gitana 11, which was devoted to solo sailing
with a view to preparing for the Route du Rhum. However, it’s a fabulous
link between the past and the future of the Gitana Team.
The year ahead for the Gitana 11 crew
* 7 May: Tour de Belle-Ile
* 2-5 June: Armen Race setting off from La Trinité-sur-Mer
* 19-21 June: SNSM Record setting off from Saint Nazaire
* 14 August: Rolex Fastnet Race setting off from Cowes (Isle of Wight)
Multi One Design Championship 2011-2014
* Krys Match (Exhibition with the first one-designs)
6-8 October 2011
* Krys Ocean Race (New York – Brest)
Start on 7 July 2012
* Tour of Europe in crewed configuration
September 2012
(6 to 8 stages)
* Tour of Europe in crewed configuration
June 2013
(6 to 8 stages, objective of eight boats)
* Round the World in crewed configuration
October 2013 - April 2014
(5 to 6 stages, 5 oceans, objective of twelve boats)
* Oceanic race in crewed configuration
August 2014
Find all the latest news about Gitana Team at
www.gitana-team.com
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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