K-Challenge revealed on Tuesday in Lorient the new title partner of the French challenge for the America’s Cup, La Roche Posay, as well as part of the technical and sailing team, which includes Amélie Grassi. A surprise, given that the 31-year-old sailor had until now primarily made her mark in offshore racing, and an opportunity for Sailorz to talk with her.
Can you tell us how you find yourself involved in this America’s Cup project today?
Like you, I’m still a bit surprised! A month after my return from the Globe 40 [she competed in two legs with Ian Lipinski, Editor’s note], I was at home assembling furniture and doing some renovations, thinking I was going to have a fairly quiet year, when I received a call from Bruno Dubois (co-director of the challenge). He told me that for the next Cup, there will no longer be cyclists, but a fifth spot on board for a woman, and he asked me if I was interested. At first, I was quite surprised; I wondered why me? Since it’s a completely unknown world to me, I had trouble understanding why they would come looking for a profile like mine for that job, whereas in France, we usually tend to select Olympic backgrounds for the Cup.
And did you get an answer?
During the discussion, Bruno explained to me that it was going to be a job that would require spending a lot of time on computers, data, and the simulator, because it’s likely that the fifth position, even if it’s not yet truly defined, will be quite focused on those subjects, in addition to many other small adjustments on board. And he told me that since I already fly on 32-meter boats, I should normally love flying on an AC75. Gradually, as I went through all the topics, I understood that I would be able to apply the skills I acquired in offshore racing to the world of the Cup, particularly regarding flying trimarans. As a result, it piqued my curiosity. After that, I had to go through the Women’s America’s Cup selection.
How did that go?
There were several parts, with AC40 simulator sessions on one side; it wasn’t necessarily a matter of performance, but more to see how easily we could get the hang of it and how we functioned within the group. And a motivation interview with Philippe Presti (sports director) and Philippe Mourniac (coach), which was a key moment to understand my vision, my way of working, and what I was looking for in this project. They asked me if I was aware of what I was going to lose, the unknown I was committing to, and the mountain I had to climb. We also talked about the ability to work in a team and be at the service of a project. In the end, everything went quite quickly because the selection took place at the end of last week, we reached an agreement on Monday for an announcement on Tuesday. For now, it’s just me on the AC75, but quite soon, I will be joined by another woman from among the nine who will be selected in this Women’s America’s Cup process, so that we can share this role.
“This project will require
a total commitment from me”
You are indeed leaving an offshore world in which you were thriving, for the unknown one of very high-speed inshore racing; did you nevertheless hesitate before accepting?
It’s clear that I had to weigh things up. On one hand, I told myself it was a crazy opportunity, something you barely dare to dream of in a lifetime, and on the other, there was the disappointment of telling myself that I was going to have to give up offshore projects that were close to my heart, with people I really enjoyed working with. So it wasn’t easy. At one point, I tried to imagine combining both, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t going to be possible. I’m arriving in a completely new universe, so for the first few months, I really need to be fully focused to soak it all in, and then things will move quite fast until the Cup. This project will require a total commitment from me; it will also surely help me improve my skills to come back stronger in offshore racing.
Which projects did you have to give up?
I won’t give names, because I feel sorry to have let them down, but I had planned sailing in Ultim, I was also supposed to do the Normandy Channel Race and the Round Ireland in Class 40, and then there is, of course, the dual The Ocean Race/Vendée Globe project with Paul Meilhat. The project is continuing, and Paul is working hard right now to find partners, but by committing to K-Challenge, I know I won’t be able to be on board for The Ocean Race. However, nothing prevents me from following up with the Vendée Globe afterwards; that is certainly the goal. The ideal scenario would be for me to rejoin the project in July 2027 after the Cup.
“I have a good flow!”
What does the Cup inspire in you? Is it a world that interested you until now?
I wasn’t following it 200%, but I watched all the regattas and I had been particularly interested in the Women’s project during the last edition. However, I didn’t feel like I was part of it at all. While in offshore racing, I had allowed myself for a few years to dream of the biggest possible challenges, but here, I never would have imagined that I would find myself embarked on this adventure! Now, starting to talk with the team, I see many parallels: in both cases, it’s high-level sport and therefore very demanding, with processes and ways of thinking that overlap.
You are joining a team that is now well-funded and structured; what are your ambitions?
During the last edition, we saw clearly that they lacked time; the team had launched late. Here, I felt that I was arriving in a solid and indeed well-structured universe, with a good boat, a well-staffed team, and great talent in every department. Consequently, victory isn’t necessarily the stated goal, but in any case, I feel that we are equipped to perform and that this time, we are starting on schedule. We are at work every day with the means and the timing to succeed.
In a few years, you’ve done Mini, Class40, Imoca, Ultim, and now AC75; how do you look back on this journey?
I often find myself wondering why I am here! Because there are many people who work hard and deserve it just as much, but don’t have the luck to have a journey like this. Now, I think I work a lot, that I have a fairly human side, which means that when I move from one team to another, it goes well, and with a bit of success, I have a good flow! It reminds me a bit of The Ocean Race Europe with Biotherm, that kind of period where everything follows on, where everything seems easy, you fly from victory to victory, from a great project to an other great project. You never know what life has in store for us; I know everything can stop overnight, so in the meantime, I’m loving it!
Image : Martin Keruzoré/La Roche-Posay Racing Team
