Gitana 13 Scrapbook

Guide/Book Page

Gitana 13 Scrapbook

This is the front page of the Gitana 13 Scrapbook. Photos and information about the Gitana 13.

Gitana 13

The Gitana 13, a 33-metre maxi-catamaran, was launched in 2000 under the name of Innovation Explorer. In 2000, she lined up at the start of The Race skippered by Loick Peyron and was guided around the world by a 12-man crew. At the finish, the boat took an excellent second place behind Grant Dalton's Club Med.

In 2002, it was Bruno Peyron, Loick's elder brother, who took the helm of the catamaran, now sailing under Orange's colours. He proceeded to win the Jules Verne Trophy, a round-the-world non-stop crewed event via the 3 capes, bettering the previous record set by Olivier de Kersauson by more than a week.

After being sold to the Offshore Challenge team, the boat embarked upon another Trophée Jules Verne attempt skippered by Ellen MacArthur in 2003, but after dismasting in the Indian Ocean, the crew was forced to abandon.

In 2006, the boat was purchased by the Gitana Team and brought back to Vannes for a complete refit:
The main modifications concern the rigging, with a new 41-metre mast that is higher than the original, the installation of a hook system on the gennaker, staysail and mainsail halyards and a brand-new set of sails made from Cuben Fiber in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Levaillant from Voilerie Incidences at La Rochelle.
The platform has also undergone a few changes. The fore beam has been raised 30 cm to lessen frontal impact and the bows have been re-profiled to give a sharper and more aggressive shape. The internal living quarters have been remodelled and the boat has also been equipped with all the latest security systems (man overboard, spotting, etc…)

Gitana 13 was relaunched on 30 January this year at Vannes. For the 2007 season, she will be skippered by Lionel Lemonchois, who knows her intimately after sailing on her sistership, Team Adventure, in The Race. Dedicated to initiation and discovery, she will start the season by attempting two symbolic records: The Route de la Découverte (Cadix/San Salvador) in March and the Miami / New York in May.

Loick Peyron, Gitana Team general manager, knows Gitana 13 well after having skippered her right around the world in The Race 2001! “Like her two younger siblings (ed's note: Club Med and Team Adventure), she's a well-made boat that's most at home sailing before the wind. If she's got any faults, it would be against the wind but she's not the kind of vessel you can turn between three markers as she's a real ocean-goer, very easy to sail on as a crew and really comfortable. Despite her size, she's very easy to get used to and handles well. But for crews used to trimarans, the difficulty of a catamaran lies in the fact that nothing happens in the middle but rather at the sides, so you have to learn to communicate well as, on manoeuvres, half of the crew is on each hull! We've tried to simplify the deck layout and the manoeuvres even more. For example, we've installed a solent furler, which might seem like a concession in terms of racing weight but it's an important strategic choice given the boat's programme!”

Gitana 13 - Photo by Gitana S.A.