Ultim: Winter days in Lorient - La Base never sleeps, Gitana about to be unveiled
Two years and 200,000 working hours went into the construction of the "Gitana 18", 50,000 hours into the design. On 3 December, the successor to the Ultim giant "Gitana 17" will be unveiled in Lorient's La Base. The number 18 is ready for its first public. At 32 metres long and 23 metres wide, the new record-breaker is set to come up with many technical surprises. She will be the Gitana racing stable's 28th boat in its rich maritime history, which has its roots in the passion of the Rothschild family and began 150 years ago with Edmond de Rothschild on Lake Geneva.
Boris Herrmann's first Vendée Globe boat for sale
Before Wednesday afternoon arrived, a reconnaissance tour showed that La Base never sleeps, even in winter. Work was going on everywhere in the team camps and on the docks. Whether on the Ultim "Sodebo", on the Imoca "Initiatives Cœur" or on board the "Fortinet - Best Western", which skipper Romain Attanasio and a team member were sprucing up. The boat is Boris Herrmann's former Imoca, with which Germany's best-known sea sailor sailed to fifth place in his first Vendée Globe in 2020/2021.
Now the VPLP/Verdier design from 2015 is up for sale for 2.5 million euros, as Romain Attanasio's current project is finished. The hangar of Boris Herrmann's Malizia team was also a hive of activity on 3 December. Here, after Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris' formidable third place at the Transat Café L'Or 11th Hour Racing" (Es-"Malizia - Seaexplorer" is already back in the stable. The Imoca, with which Boris Herrmann competed in his second Vendée Globe, is parked in Team Malizia's hangar. Here she receives her new design and further updates.
Boris Herrmann's own new boat is already under construction. It is due to be completed in summer 2026 and will inspire the Hamburg native on his course to a third Vendée Globe participation. His team is also looking after the predecessor, which is now being operated by 11th Hour Racing's skipper Francesca Clapcich for her Vendée Globe premiere in 2028/2029.
Lorient's La Base: "Maison des Skippers" opens
No matter where you look on these cold winter days in the sunny harbour of La Base: familiar faces everywhere, busy work everywhere. This was also true on board a snow-white 50-foot catamaran with a clear performance focus. One of the three men there preparing the boat to hoist the mast is none other than top designer Martin Fischer. He is the co-owner of the "Espadon nomad", which he designed in 2017/2018 and which was launched in 2019.
Martin Fischer is still in Brittany until the weekend. On Saturday, another exciting opening ceremony will take place in the heart of La Base: The "Maison des Skippers" will be inaugurated directly opposite Team Malizia's hangar. The modern, light-coloured building provides another interesting counterpoint to the old submarine bunkers that give La Base its very own character. The new building is dedicated to the protagonists of offshore sailing, the sailors and their teams. It will provide racing teams with facilities and services and strengthen the international importance of the location.
The imposing new building in the centre of La Base is financed entirely by the Lorient Agglomération. The recently completed facility is intended to serve the racing stables with offices, sports and event rooms. It also offers communal, modular hangars for boats of different sizes. The harbour office, the Capitainerie of La Base, will also be located here in future.
On 3 December: the unveiling of the most innovative trimaran of its time
But first, all eyes were on the Gitana racing stable in La Base on Wednesday. The new "Maxi Edmond de Rothschild" was unveiled there in the late afternoon. Here's a look at how it was built before we take a closer look at the new queen of the seas after her unveiling:
