The Rothschild family’s sailing story was driven by a single obsession: speed. That pursuit has set new nautical benchmarks across generations, beginning in late 19th century with The Gitana. On one memorable run, Baroness Julie de Rothschild took the helm of the 80-foot Thornycroft-built steamboat on Lake Geneva and pushed it to 20.5 knots. While modest by today’s standards, the figure was record-breaking then and enough to earn her recognition as the fastest woman in yachting. Competition on the water has been a staple of the Rothschild lineage ever since.
Gitana Sixty was the Baron’s elegant inshore racer.
Courtesy of Gitana SA
The Gitana name became more defined in the postwar decades under Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who insisted that each new boat reflect the most advanced thinking of its time. Launched in 1962, Gitana IV marked a return to sail and tradition, though it was hardly nostalgic. The 90.5-foot wooden yawl was intended to race, and it proved its mettle on the Mediterranean circuit. Its greatest triumph came in 1965, when the Baron and his crew won the 625-nautical-mile Fastnet Race, setting a record that stood for nearly two decades.
Gitana Sixty.
Courtesy of Gitana SA
By 1975, wood gave way to metal with Gitana VI, which featured an aluminum hull designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Royal Huisman. The 65-foot sloop was more technical than its predecessors and was campaigned heavily in Europe, with winters spent in the Caribbean. It reflected the Baron’s preference for race boats that could still deliver the pleasures of cruising.
Left to right: Gitana VI fits the bill as both racer and cruiser; Baron Edmond de Rothschild at the helm.
Courtesy of Gitana SA
The pace quickened again with Gitana VIII in 1984. Designed by Germán Frers, the 71-foot mini-maxi embraced carbon, titanium, and a pared-down interior to shed weight and optimize speed. It became the first maxi in the Gitana line, and its radical design prompted the Baron to establish the Maxi Class itself, helping to formalize big-boat racing in the Mediterranean.
A custom-designed Gitana folding hand fan.
Courtesy of Gitana SA
Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s run of sailing yachts continued until 1990, when his son, Benjamin, turned his attention to even more-competitive multihulls and oversaw the rise of the Gitana Team. From steam to wood and aluminum to early composites, every Gitana has been built with one fundamental mandate: The next boat must be faster than the last.
Top: Gitana VIII, a mini-maxi built from advanced materials
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