The Defender of the 37th America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, have made a welcome addition to the skyline of Barcelona, becoming the fourth team to launch and sail at the Cup venue. The team became operational a day ahead of schedule to launch their AC75 ‘Te Rehutai’ – the America’s Cup winning boat from AC36 – into a favourable weather window and began the process of re-commissioning the AC75 after its three-and-a-half-week boat journey up from Auckland.

The Emirates Team New Zealand’s base is now operational ahead of the arrival of the team’s One-Design AC40 that the sailors will train on ahead of the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú from 14-17th September. The new base sited along the World Trade Centre promontory and within sight of the famous statue of Christopher Columbus pointing out to sea at the start of Las Ramblas, features a stunning decal of the Barcelona skyline on the water-facing structure.

First impressions of Barcelona have been overwhelmingly positive with helmsman Peter Burling commenting: “Much has been made of the Barcelona conditions and swell so it was good to get a first taste of the water where we will battle out the next Americas Cup. We have plenty to learn and a range of different conditions to get out into and experience plus how we need to change the way we sail the boat or how we configure things. It’s going to be a busy time here.”

Co-helm onboard ‘Te Rehutai’ Nathan Outteridge, was clearly pleased to be in Barcelona for this training block saying: “For us one of the biggest things that we really want to find out here is how the conditions are compared to what we've sailed in a lot, and that will affect the ultimate design of the race boat. So being up here in the AC75 that the team’s done a lot of sailing in previously, sailing in these conditions and learning the sea states and the wind that's kind of what we really want to get out of being up here and just getting used to the environment.”

And Nathan further added: “So far with the sea breezes we've had, we've had a lot of conditions where the wind’s been quite stable so it's been good for us to really concentrate on sailing the boat as accurately as we can and it's a good venue here to validate the VPP performance of the boat because when you have stable wind you can get a really good feel for how it’s performing.”

Emirates Team New Zealand is now into an intense four-month training period that will combine sailing the AC75 and the One-Design AC40 before returning to Auckland at the end of October for more testing and analysis work on their AC40 in LEQ12 mode in the New Zealand summer.

Sailing in Barcelona at the venue for the 37th America’s Cup will see the team train through the crucial October period when the actual racing for the Cup will take place in 2024 and Ray Davies, the Team Coach, is looking forward to sailing through the Mediterranean summer and into the early Autumn, saying: “We'll certainly be looking to see what we learn over the next few weeks, obviously we're running out of time to change too much on the new boat, we're getting pretty locked in with the design, but certainly there's plenty to do with sails and foils and rudders and elevators so yeah a lot to still learn about, but it's going to be really, really, interesting to see over the next few months how the conditions change.”

Orient Express Racing Team — the French Challenger for the 37th America's Cup — has reached another significant milestone en route to next year’s showdown in Barcelona with the unveiling of the sailing squad.

The announcement on Thursday (6 July) precedes the imminent arrival of the team’s AC40 foiling monohull at the Spanish venue, a vital component in their training trajectory ahead of the delivery of the AC75 America’s Cup race boat next year.

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 the 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 come 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.”

The new developments follow on from the May announcement of the Women and Youth squads following a selection process entrusted to Team France Association in collaboration with the French Sailing Federation, with the third Official Challenger element now taking its place in what Orient Express regards as a single team.

At the same time, construction of the AC75 at Multiplast, Vannes in the Morbihan region of France is ongoing, with French technical expertise front and centre in the development of the sailing simulators, electronics, mechatronics and IT — with the large foiling monohull set for delivery next May. Also in build is the team’s base in Barcelona, under the watchful eye of Louis Viat, which will accommodate first the AC40 along with part of the team and then the AC75.

Stephan Kandler, co-director of Orient Express Racing Team alongside Bruno Dubois, said: “The collaboration we have evolved already with French service providers, who bring world-class levels of skill and know-how to the project, has been great. 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.”

The imperative to create a seamless integration between the state-of-the-art technology and the crew has led to the involvement of the highly experienced Franck Cammas as head of performance within the team.

"My role with Orient Express Racing Team is to act as a link between the sailors and the design and technical teams, in the interests of performance,” said Cammas.

“To be competitive, you need a well-designed boat and a crew who know how to use it and understand how it works. 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.”

With so much achieved in the short time since the Orient Express Racing Team announced its America’s Cup challenge back in February, the project has also received the support of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, France's Minister of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We are proud to have come so far in such a short space of time,” said Bruno Dubois. “We started with a group of sailors who already knew each other from the top level of international competition, like team coach Thierry Douillard, sports coach Killian Philippe, and performance coach Thomas Sammut, and the whole team has grown together.

“There is still a long way to go to the America's Cup and we are not closing any doors on the possibility of adding other talented sailors to the group.”

The Orient Express Racing Team will be in Barcelona in August when the team settles into V1 of their base in the Catalan capital, and they start sailing aboard the AC40 Orient Express.

INEOS Britannia have suffered a setback in their America’s Cup preparations after their T6 test boat capsized twice and caught fire on the water in Mallorca on Wednesday afternoon (8 February).

According to Marine Industry News, the boat got loose with a leeward heel and went bow up, capsizing seconds later. But as the team attempted to right the vessel, it flipped to the other side and turned turtle in the water.

Seawater ingress flooding the boat’s lithium batteries then caused a fire on board, though this was swiftly dealt with.

“We’ve got the boat back in probably the best shape we could considering it went turtle and we’ll re-group and have a look at what the issues are and what caused it,” said skipper and team CEO Sir Ben Ainslie.

“The only positive was that we were about to go into an upgrade window so if this was going to happen, it’s not a bad time.”

The T6 prototype had only had new sails installed last month as part of the team’s winter testing and data-gathering regimen in Palma, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

America’s Cup defender Emirates Team New Zealand began its two-boat testing programme on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour last Thursday (2 February) in ideal 12-15 knots northeasterly winds.

It was the first opportunity the team has had to sail in the past week in the wake of the unprecedented weather event in the city over the Auckland Anniversary weekend.

Onboard the AC40’s for the three-and-a-half-hour session was the now familiar crew of Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge helming with Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney trimming on AC40.1.

Liv MacKay swapped port-side driving duties with Leonard Takahashi while Josh Junior was on the starboard helm on the second AC40 with Sam Meech and Marcus Hansen in the trimming seats.

The benefits of the two boats squaring off were quick to appear for coach Ray Davies: “The boats were engaging so well from the outset and as a result you could definitely see some instant gains in communication between the guys and girls onboard, obviously keeping check on the other boat’s performance and moves which is really important as far as match racing goes.”

Thursday’s session, which included a number of match race scenarios and line-ups, created an instant increase in intensity for the on-water programme for not only the sailors but the entire on-water operations, the team says.

In campaigns long past, the sight of two boats testing was a common occurrence, especially in the days of the IACC class used between 1992-2007. But not since 2012 has Emirates Team New Zealand had two boats together when a couple of SL33s were used to verify the significance of foiling versus non-foiling in the America’s Cup.

K-Challenge Racing is now Orient Express Team, after the ACCOR hotel group’s commitment to backing their challenge for the 37th America’s Cup.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, K-Challenge — who previously contested for the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007 as Areva Challenge — threw their hat among the already announced challengers earlier this year.

Now the team and their AC75 boat will promote ACCOR’s prestigious Orient Express brand, which is extending its legacy from the rails to the sea with the inclusion of two luxury cruise liners in its offering by 2027.

The team, led by Stéphan Kandler and Bruno Dubois — and including talented French specialists such as naval architect Benjamin Muyl, skipper Quentin Delapierre, head of performance Franck Cammas and technical director Antoine Carraz — will face four other challengers at the Challenger Selection Series in September 2024.

Its supporting club Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (SNST) will challenge its British (Royal Yacht Squadron), Italian (Circollo de la Vella), Swiss (Société Nautique de Genève), and American (New York Yacht Club) counterparts for the right to race against the current defender, the Royal New-Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Sébastien Bazin, chair and CEO of ACCOR said: “All of us at ACCOR are motivated by passion, adventure, and team spirit, which is why sailing resonates so strongly with us.

“At 172 years old, the America’s Cup is an icon of the sailing world. Legendary in terms of its history and its unrelenting pursuit of excellence, it is the natural choice for the first ever Orient Express-sponsored competitive boat!”

The French team has also signed a technology agreement with the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, which will nullify the time lost in being a late entry and put the French on an equal footing with their talented competitors.

Kandler said: “Our starting point was to ensure that the French team was competitive. Beyond the budget that we had to put together, we very quickly entered discussions with the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, with whom we have had a very good relationship since the first K-Challenge campaign in 2003.

“The resulting technological partnership includes a latest generation design package to work from and we will build our own AC75 Made in France. This partnership allows us to compete on equal terms with the other challengers. This is a great precedent in the history of a French challenge.”

The AC75 Orient Express is scheduled to launch in spring 2024. In the meantime, the team base in Barcelona will be operational from this summer, and the sailing team will train on an AC40, a smaller but equally powerful monohull that will also be used as the platform for the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup, as well as get more elite international racing experience on the SailGP circuit.

The 37th America’s Cup has welcomed the Société nautique de Saint-Tropez and their representative team K-Challenge Racing as a challenger in Barcelona in 2024 and led by Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois.

Their Challenge was previously accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and they have now chosen to formally announce their entry and confirm they are ready to proceed with their campaign.

CEO of K-Challenge Racing, Stephane Kandler said, “Bruno and I are very excited to join the other Challengers. We have been working behind the scenes for almost a year now and we are going to announce great things by the end of this month.”

CEO of AC37 Event Limited Grant Dalton said, “It is great to have the French now back in the America’s Cup as the 5th Challenger, and one that will no doubt bring a lot of typical character and flair to what is lining up to be a stunning event in Barcelona.

France is such a prominent sailing nation but despite this, it is not a small undertaking to get an America’s Cup team up and running so I congratulate Stephane, Bruno and the Société nautique de Saint-Tropez who have been working away tirelessly to get to this point.”

K-Challenge last challenged for the America’s Cup for the 32nd edition in Valencia in 2007 and will announce more details later in January.

The race for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona is well and truly underway and this week saw no less than four teams on the water with Alinghi Red Bull Racing continuing its training in Barcelona, Emirates Team New Zealand proceeding with commissioning the world’s first AC40 in Auckland, New York Yacht Club American Magic taking Patriot, their AC75, for its first sail since AC36 and the exciting launch of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s LEQ12 in Cagliari.

Around the world, teams are assembling with sailors jetting in from foreign climes, shore teams getting re-acquainted, and communications going into overdrive.

THE LAUNCH OF LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI’S LEQ12 IN CAGLIARI

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli broke cover with the launch of their LEQ12, their prototype vessel

In one of the most anticipated moments of this America’s Cup cycle, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli broke cover with the launch of their LEQ12, their prototype vessel created specifically for the purpose of being a test-bed for the design of their AC75, on Thursday. With typical Italian elan and flair, the boat was launched by Miuccia Prada, wife of syndicate head Patrizio Bertelli and streamed across the world, free-to-air on all the major social media channels. And it didn’t disappoint.

ALINGHI RED BULL RACING ON 'BOAT ZERO'

 Alinghi Red Bull Racing's BoatZero

The impressive, youthful, and determined Swiss team have continued their training schedule in Barcelona aboard BoatZero, the world’s first AC75 that was originally Emirates Team New Zealand’s ‘Te Aihe’ – the first boat built for AC36. However, to look at the boat now, it almost feels like a new-build such is the testament to the Alinghi Red Bull Racing shore team who have quickly gelled and are putting out the boat in an A1 condition on a daily basis.

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND COMMISSION WORLD'S FIRST AC40

The world’s first AC40 at speed in Auckland

The current holders of the America’s Cup representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, ETNZ have been busy commissioning the world’s first AC40, testing her out in a variety of conditions in the variable Spring conditions of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. The process has been wildly successful with the AC40 performing straight out of the box and the speed with which the shore team and sailors got the boat performing so well is a credit to the whole programme.

NEW YORK YACHT CLUB AMERICAN MAGIC LAUNCH PATRIOT

NYYC American Magic are back on familiar home waters with the team launching Patriot 

Based out of their home waters of Pensacola, the most western city on the Florida Panhandle, NYYC American Magic are back on familiar home waters with the team launching Patriot, their AC75 race-boat from the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland. With decorated Olympian Tom Slingsby confirmed as helmsman (but not in town this week) and Paul Goodison, Gold medallist from Beijing 2008 back in the afterguard, the Americans are a team to watch in this cycle as the inherent speed of Patriot – one of only two boats to take a race win off the Cup winning Kiwi boat ‘Te Rehutai’ – means that they have an excellent, proven platform to build from.

INEOS BRITANNIA LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER

Sir Ben Ainslie leads INEOS Britannia that is expected to launch later this month

The only team not to be active this week, INEOS Britannia are eyeing the latter part of October for the launch and first sail of their LEQ12 that has been in build in Britain under a great deal of secrecy. Little is known about what the British team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie and backed by INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will unveil but anticipation is growing, particularly after the launch of the Luna Rossa LEQ12 this week.

There were highs and lows for Alinghi Red Bull Racing in Barcelona on Wednesday (31 August) as after a successful first day of sailing in the America’s Cup venue, their AC75 capsized in a violent rain squall, as Marine Industry News reports.

The team explained on social media that while towing back with sails down, the boat bounced into the wind and was pushed on to her side.

Some of the crew members were knocked overboard but were promptly recovered by the support team and everyone returned safe and sound to the team base, the team added.

Silvio Arrivabene, co-general manager of Alinghi Red Bull Racing later confirmed that Boat Zero had “suffered minor damage to the port foil arm and to the hull” but added: “We will be back on the water soon, carrying on with our preparation for the 37th America’s Cup.”

Alinghi Red Bull Racing will represent the Société Nautique de Genève as a Challenger for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024.

Marine Industry News has more on the story HERE.

Tom Slingsby has signed with New York Yacht Club American Magic for the 37th America’s Cup in 2024.

Slingsby, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and multi-class world champion, previously helped an American team win the 'Auld Mug' in 2013.

“I’m extremely excited to return to the America’s Cup arena,” says Slingsby, 37. “The AC75s are remarkable craft, and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help our team in their quest to bring the trophy back to the United States and the New York Yacht Club. We’ve got world-class talent on board the boat and backing us on the shore, I’m proud and excited to be a part of it.”

New York Yacht Club American Magic was formed in 2018 by principals Hap Fauth, Roger Penske, and Doug DeVos. The team competed in the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Australia SailGP Team helmed by Tom Slingsby, during the Australia Sail Grand Prix in December 2021. Photo courtesy of Phil Hillyard for SailGP

Tom Slingsby was a latecomer to competitive sailing, after being inspired while watching the 2000 Olympic Regatta on Sydney Harbour. But he went on to win multiple world championships and an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. In the last decade, he’s won major championships in everything from 100-foot supermaxis to singlehanded foiling Moths. He was named 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year. He sailed with Oracle Team USA in the 2013 and 2017 America’s Cup matches and won the first two seasons of SailGP as the driver of the Australian Team. Slingsby will continue with his role on the Australia SailGP Team.

“People are the most valuable resource for any America’s Cup challenge, and we’re excited to have Tom on our team,” says Terry Hutchinson, skipper and president of sailing operations for NYYC American Magic. “As a previous winner of the America’s Cup, Tom knows what it takes to climb that mountain. He has shown incredible ability in foiling yachts, and his skill and experience will be a tremendous asset for American Magic going forward.”

“Having Tom and Paul Goodison, both Olympic Gold Medalists and world champions, driving our AC75 gives us a great competitive position,” says Hap Fauth. “They are fierce competitors who win at the highest level of sailing. Combine this with the world-class team we are building, and I am thrilled with our prospects.”

Slingsby will look to join the team later this summer in Pensacola, Florida, where American Magic has set up its training base in the build-up to AC37, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in September and October 2024

It's emerged that Minister of Sport Catherine Martin was not told about proposals to host the America's Cup in Cork Harbour for three months.

According to Saturday's Irish Times, an unpublished Government report also reveals that ministers were warned the plans were "overly optimistic and laden with risk".

Last month the bid was officially withdrawn hours before Barcelona were selected as the preferred bidders to host the next edition of the Auld Mug.

Foreign Affairs Minister and Cork TD Simon Coveney confirmed last summer that a bid had been in the works since January 2021. But it's now emerged that the Department of Sport was not informed of the plans until three momnths later.

Subsequent reports and discussions revealed concerns with the event contract and the "very significant costs" involved in staging the event, including related capital projects in Cork Haerbour and environs.

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.