Gitana 16

Gitana 16

Development
Designer	VPLP Design, Guillaume Verdier
Year	7 August 2015
Builder(s)	Multiplast
Boat
Displacement	8,000 kg (18,000 lb)
Draft	4.5 m (15 ft)
Hull
Hull weight	Carbon Nomex Sandwich
Beam	5.70 m (18.7 ft)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	Canting Keel
Ballast	Water Ballast
Rudder(s)	Twin Rudders
Rig
Rig type	Rotating Mast with Deck Spreaders
Racing
Class association	IMOCA 60

Gitana 16, her name when launched, is an IMOCA 60 monohull sailing yacht, designed by VPLP and Guillaume Verdier and constructed by Multiplast in France.[1][2] She was later known as Malizia II. The yacht's hull has a tumblehome shape and is equipped with foils, which were upgraded in 2016 and again in 2020. The boat was commissioned for the Gitana Sailing Team founded by French banker Benjamin de Rothschild. Her first skipper was Sébastien Josse who was later replaced by Boris Herrmann. The yacht does not use any fossil fuel for power. In 2019, solar panels with an output of 1.3kW were installed,[3] and power is also generated by two hydro-electric generators at the stern that can be raised and lowered as needed.

Ownership

2015–2017 - Gitana 16, FRA 16

The yacht was commissioned for the Gitana Sailing Team, founded by Benjamin de Rothschild. She competed in the 2016–2017 Vendée Globe with French Skipper Sébastien Josse but did not finish the race, due to a foil shaft problem.

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2017–2021 - Malizia II, MON 10

In 2016, Pierre Casiraghi, Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco, worked with his friend Boris Herrmann of Germany and others to create Team Malizia. The yacht was renamed and competed for the team under the name Malizia II, with the sail number MON 10, flagged by Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco for the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe.

2021 to date: Fortinet-Best Western, FRA 10

In March 2020, Romain Attanasio of France bought the yacht, following a repair and refit, with the intention of competing in the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe.[4]

Voyages

Racing History

Pos	Year	Race	Class	Boat Name	Skipper	Notes	Ref
Round the World Races
5/33	2020	2020–2021 Vendée Globe	IMOCA 60	Seaexplorer YCM	Boris Herrmann (GER)
RET	2016	2016–2017 Vendée Globe	IMOCA 60	Gitana 16	Sébastien Josse (FRA)	foil shaft issue
Transatlantic Races
7	2021	Transat Jacques Vabre	IMOCA 60	Fortinet - Best Western	Romain Attanasio (FRA)  Seb Marsset (FRA)
15	2019	Transat Jacques Vabre	IMOCA 60	Malizia II	Boris Herrmann (GER)  Will Harris (GBR)
4	2017	Transat Jacques Vabre	IMOCA 60	Edmond de Rothschild	Boris Herrmann (GER)  Thomas Ruyant (FRA)
RET	2015	Transat Jacques Vabre	IMOCA 60	Edmond de Rothschild	Sébastien Josse (FRA)  Charles Caudrelier (FRA)
RET	2016	The Transat	IMOCA 60		Sébastien Josse (FRA)
10	2018	Route du Rhum	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)
	2016	Transat Arctique New-York – Vendée	IMOCA 60
Other Races
6 / 12	2021	Rolex Fastnet Race	IMOCA 60	Fortinet - Best Western	Romain Attanasio (FRA) +Crew
8 / 20	2019	Rolex Fastnet Race	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER) +Crew
3 / 9	2017	Rolex Fastnet Race	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)  Pierre Casiraghi (MON) +Crew
	2020	Le Défi Azimut race	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)
	2020	Vendee Arctique race	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)
	2019	Bermudes 1000 race	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)
	2018	Monaco Globe Series Portimao to Bermudes	IMOCA 60		Boris Herrmann (GER)
	2016	Défi Azimut

2020–2021 Vendée Globe

With skipper Boris Herrmann the boat competed in the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe[5] finishing 5th after having to reduce its speed close to Les Sables due to a collision with a fishing vessel which caused extensive damage to the starboard foil and side. Herrmann helped with the rescue of Kevin Escoffier after his boat sank.[6]

Greta Thunberg Transatlantic Voyage

In August 2019, the Malizia II took Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg across the North Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth to New York City without producing any carbon dioxide during the voyage; however, France 24 reported that several crew flew to New York to sail the yacht back to Europe.[7] The trip was led by Boris Herrmann. Thunberg's crossing of the Atlantic started on 14 August 2019 and she arrived on 28 August.[8]

See also

• 2019 UN Climate Action Summit
• Transatlantic Voyages of Greta Thunberg

References

1. "Malizia II - Yacht Club de Monaco". IMOCO. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
2. "A34 Gitana 16, FRA 16". Retrieved 16 January 2021.
3. "The new SOLBIAN solar system on board Malizia". 28 August 2019.
4. A34 Gitana 16, FRA 16, histoiredeshalfs.com, accessed 22 August 2022
5. "The Yacht". Boris Herrmann Racing. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
6. "News - Time Compensations To Skippers Involved In the Rescue of Kevin Escoffier - Vendée Globe - En". www.vendeeglobe.org. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
7. "Greta Thunberg's yacht due in New York on Tuesday". France 24. AFP. 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
8. Justine Calma (28 August 2019). "Greta Thunberg wraps up 15-day carbon-free voyage to New York City". The Verge.

External links

• Team Malizia II, official website
• Live-tracking During Greta Thunberg's crossing of the Atlantic, August 2019