America’s Cup : les dernières infos Tip & Shaft

The Louis Vuitton Cup came to an end on Monday for Orient Express Racing Team with a final defeat by Ineos Britannia, which denied them a place in the semi-finals. It was a disappointment for the French challenge, but a logical one given its late start to this America’s Cup campaign. Tip & Shaft takes a first look at the situation, with the challenger’s executives and a few outside experts.  

At 58, Thierry Fouchier is one of the most experienced French sailors when it comes to the America’s Cup, with six participations to his name, including victory in 2010 with the Americans on BMW Oracle. Now back as a consultant for the Canal + group, which is broadcasting the 37th edition, the sailor from Marseilles talks to Tip & Shaft about the forces at play as the Louis Vuitton Cup, the elimination round between the five challengers.

The sixth and final AC75 built for the 37th America’s Cup, that of the Orient Express Racing Team, was christened on Wednesday in Barcelona. In anticipation of the first official confrontation during the preliminary regatta in Barcelona (22-25 August), Tip & Shaft sought to find out more about the design of this third generation, with four French architects and engineers involved in the teams.

Lorient Agglomération and K-Challenge formalized a partnership on Tuesday that includes support for the French Orient Express Racing Team challenge in the 37th America’s Cup, as well as the hosting, from early 2025, of both K-Challenge entities (Racing and Lab) in the Péristyle district. Tip & Shaft spoke to Stephan Kandler, co-founder of K-Challenge, to find out more. 

OnThursday December 14, the Orient Express Racing Team unveiled the composition of its youth and women’s crews who, in October 2024, will defend the French colors in the Youth and Puig Women’s America’s Cup. Tip & Shaft took the opportunity to take a look at this dual project, supported by Orient Express and L’Oréal.

Recently crowned male World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby and the US challenger American Magic, winners in September of the first preliminary regatta of the 37th Americas’ Cup in Vilanova, finished fourth of the second regatta last weekend in Jeddah. Meantime Slingsby is the winning, driving force of the SailGP Australia team which is on target to win Season 4 – even if he is missing the Dubai GP looking forward to the birth of he and his wife Helen’s first baby. Time to catch up with Tom before practice sailing this week in Barcelona.

Continuation of our interview with Franck Cammas. After looking back last week at Charal’s fourth place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the sailor from Aix-en-Provence talks about the Orient Express Racing Team challenge, which is taking part from Thursday to Saturday in the second preliminary regatta of the 37th America’s Cup in Jeddah.

From Monday May 29 to June 3, Lake Molveno, in northern Italy, hosts Grand Prix 2, the second event of the 2023 season of the Algebris 69F Cup Europe. This is an opportunity for Tip & Shaft to take stock of the increasingly popular 69F class and in particular how it is appealing to teams preparing for the 2024 Women and Youth America’s Cup.

Officially unveiled back on February 2 in Paris, Orient Express Racing Team, the French challenger for the 37th America’s Cup, is now very much in working order with two main priorities being fulfilled, recruitment and the launch of the build of their new AC75. Tip & Shaft gets up to date with several leading names on the French challenger.

The beautiful people convened last Thursday at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris for a press conference to present the Orient Express Team challenge which will represent France at the 37th America’s Cup in September 2024 in Barcelona. Tip & Shaft tells us the story of how this project which has been initiated by Stéphane Kandler and Bruno Dubois and supported by the Accor group, has achieved lift off.