Please select your home edition
Edition

Foil & Rafale: French navy jets buzz newly launched foiling multihull Gitana 18

by Sail-World NZ 17 Jun 15:47 PDT
French designed and built Gitana 18 © Eloi Stichelbaut

French maritime excellence meets in the skies over the Atlantic in this video featuring the offshore foiling maxi multihull, Gitana 18, hooking up with two Rafale fighter jets of the French Navy.

The session features a unique perspective on the magnificent Gitana 18, skippered by Charles Caudrelier, as it is buzzed by jets from the French Navy in fast foiling mode.

Caudrelier, one of France's top trans-oceanic skippers, is currently preparing the radical, Guillaume Verdier-designed Ultim for its first major competitive outing at the 2026 Route du Rhum, where he will be looking to defend his title

Related Articles

Route du Rhum Video Preview
115 solo skippers, a huge race village, 2 favourites 115 solo sailors will be starting the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe on Sunday 1st November from St. Malo, France. Posted on 29 Oct
At the helm of an experimental giant
Charles Caudrelier is preparing to take a leap into the unknown The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe was on the programme for the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild before the first layers of carbon fibre had even been laid for its construction. Posted on 29 Oct
Ultims in the Route du Rhum: Land of the giants
The defending champion Charles Caudrelier has a revolutionary, brand new machine It's a full house! All of the world's eight giant 32 metre long Ultim-class trimarans will gather on the same starting line Sunday off Saint Malor for the classic ocean sprint, the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. Posted on 28 Oct
Who is maintaining the boat?
I was fascinated by John Curnow's recent editorial 'Who is sailing the boat?' I was fascinated by John Curnow's recent editorial 'Who is sailing the boat?' where he asked the question about whether sailing is becoming a purely technological battle, replacing the skills needed by a human to helm a yacht at the best speed. Posted on 27 Oct
Class40 in the Route du Rhum
The biggest class has sailors with ambitions at every level With 49 solo skippers set to line up Sunday off Saint-Malo, Class40s make up the biggest fleet in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2026. Posted on 26 Oct
Charles Caudrelier, the defending champion
Winner of the 2022 Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe Winner of the 2022 Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17, and holder of the race record of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds, Charles Caudrelier is preparing to defend his title. Posted on 26 Oct
Vintage multis in the Route du Rhum
A long lasting love affair A love for multihulls isn't always easy to explain. It's often a case of love at first sight—intense, sometimes heart-wrenching, with breakups that sting—yet here we some pairings reconcile, staying together for a lifetime! Posted on 25 Oct
Ocean Fifty: A battle between the generations?
The Ocean Fifty Route du Rhum fleet features fast, light multihulls designed to a 'box rule' Next Sunday, November 1st, when the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe solo race between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe gets under way, 115 skippers will set sail, divided into six boat classes. Posted on 24 Oct
Everything to know about the Route du Rhum fleet
The final races held this summer and early autumn have delivered valuable lessons and insights Moored in the basins of Saint-Malo since the beginning of the week, the 115 solo skippers are now fully immersed in the latest edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. Posted on 23 Oct
Gitana and the Route du Rhum
A story of two resounding victories for the five-arrow team The relationship between Gitana and the Route du Rhum is a longstanding love affair dating back to the early 2000s, with the legendary transatlantic race helping to shape the construction and major optimisation programmes of the racing yachts. Posted on 23 Oct