French confirm America’s Cup squad

Orient Express Racing Team — the French Challenger for the 37th America’s Cup — has selected its sailing squad in advance of the team’s AC40 foiling monohull arrival at the event venue in Barcelona, Spain.

Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet will be the helmsmen for both the AC40 Orient Express and AC75, with François Morvan, Matthieu Vandame, and Jason Saunders as trimmers. Between them the quintet bring vast experience at an Olympic and international level, with their skills forged more recently in the intense heat of the SailGP racing circuit.

At the same time the squad of ‘cyclors’ — the literal powerhouse who provide the energy needed to operate the AC75’s controls — were named as Germain Chardin, Maxime Guyon, Olivier Herlédant, Tim Lapauw, Antoine Nougarede, and brothers Rémi and Thibaut Verhoeven. The group comes from backgrounds in sailing, rowing, cycling, and crossfit, all also with international and Olympic credentials.

“There is no doubt that importing the mutual experience and teamwork honed on the SailGP circuit of Quentin, François, Matthieu, and myself to the Orient Express Racing Team is a logical move,” said Peponnet.

“Add to that the experienced technical and shore teams, and the depth of talent we have to call on throughout the build-up to the America’s Cup, and we are quietly confident that we will be in a position to climb the mountain ahead of us and be fully in contention in September next year.

“We have had great and ongoing high value training on the simulator thanks to the excellent work by our chief designer Benjamin Muyl and his team, and now we are eager to add real time experience on the AC40 on the Barcelona race course from mid-August.”

Using design plans bought from defender Team New Zealand, construction of the team’s AC75 is ongoing at Multiplast, Vannes in the Morbihan region of France. French technical expertise is developing the sailing simulators, electronics, mechatronics and IT, with delivery expected next May.

“The technological challenge at the heart of the America’s Cup will enhance knowledge and generate economic spin-offs for the French maritime industry, and that is very important to us,” notes Stephan Kandler, co-director of Orient Express Racing Team alongside Bruno Dubois.

Franck Cammas, as Head of Performance, will be the link between sailors and the design and technical teams.

“To be competitive, you need a well-designed boat and a crew who know how to use it and understand how it works,” explained Cammas. “To achieve this, there needs to be good communication between the departments, so that we can refine and adjust the way we use the boat, going beyond the models and taking into account how the sailors feel about it.”

The Orient Express Racing Team will be in Barcelona in August to start sailing aboard the AC40 Orient Express.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup will be held in September/October 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40) – Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 3 (AC40) – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 2024 (AC75) – Barcelona, Spain

Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home

Source: ACE