Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - Forty-eight hours ago, on Sunday, November 1st at 1:02 PM off the coast of Saint-Malo, the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild set off on its first major race, just eight months after its launch. Entering such an innovative maxi-trimaran in such a short preparation time, and moreover single-handed, was not a choice in itself but a technical and human challenge fully embraced by Charles Caudrelier and the Gitana team. Today, the reigning Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe champion, having suffered a major breakdown on the port foil of the 32-meter giant, is forced to turn back to its technical base in Lorient. This 2026 edition will not be the one of the hoped-for double victory, but these few hours on the Atlantic clearly lay the groundwork for the story to come. After a somewhat lackluster start to the race, in starting conditions that were not favorable to his new machine, Charles Caudrelier had returned to the battle with the leading quartet.
Port foil damaged
After a particularly busy night spent crossing a cold front, which had allowed him to gain some precious miles on his direct competitor, Charles Caudrelier could have hoped for a better day on the Atlantic. However, shortly before 5 a.m., the skipper noticed abnormal behavior from the maxi-trimaran. Despite conditions ideal for foiling, the latest Gitana wouldn't take off and wasn't reaching the expected speeds. In the still dark and choppy night – with 3-meter swells and a 20-25 knot northerly wind – the sailor inspected the large Y-shaped foils, and the verdict was clear. The port foil of Gitana 18 was seriously damaged. The skins on the trailing edge of the appendage (the rear part of the foil shaft) had been torn off, taking the hydraulic hoses connected to the foil with them.
“Thanks to Charles’ account and initial photos, we quickly realized the damage was serious. Its extent and location, at the top of the foil shaft, made it impossible to repair it alone at sea or quickly and effectively by our technical team on the course. What we can confirm now is that it wasn’t caused by a collision with an external object. These appendages are innovative, and the systems that accompany them are new to our type of offshore platform. Innovation sometimes takes that route. But now is not the time for detailed explanations; we need to meet with the team and Charles when he returns to shore to review the situation and better understand the sequence of events,” stated Cyril Dardashti, the managing director of the five-arrow team, before adding: “This morning, our primary concern was Charles’s safety above all else, and that of the boat.” He had to perform actions on the float to isolate the hydraulics of the damaged foil and thus continue to use the other onboard functions.
Back to Lorient and the Gitana shipyard
As always, and despite significant fatigue due to a grueling start to the race, with the pace set by the leaders being so intense, Charles Caudrelier showed composure and determination to secure the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild as quickly as possible and get it ready to return to its Breton home port.
Indeed, Erwan Israël and Julien Villion, the Gitana Team's weather routers, quickly proposed two options: head towards the Azores, then 400 miles south of Gitana 18, or turn back towards Lorient and the technical base, approximately 1,500 miles away. "After diagnosis, once the boat was secured and the foil inspected, we chose to return to Brittany. The weather forecast for the coming days encouraged us to do so ," explained Cyril Dardashti before concluding: "It's obviously a great disappointment for our owner, Ariane de Rothschild, and our entire team, but it's also part of the nature of our projects, which require daily commitment and great perseverance. Gitana 18 is only at the very beginning of its maritime life."
It is difficult at this time to give a precise ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) for his return because this will depend on the schedule of the maxi-trimaran deprived of its "wings", but the team hopes to be able to welcome its sailor next weekend.