The French America's Cup Orient Express Racing Team made AC history on Tuesday, August 23rd) with the maiden sail of their new AC40 sailing boat.
The team launched their boat with its stunning blue and gold livery to match the sailing talent onboard, at the western end of the Port Vell in Barcelona.
The anniversary of the first running of the America’s Cup in 1851 was the perfect day to launch, and the team was supported by a round of applause from the shore crew, management, and supporters as they familiarized themselves with the launch protocols and rig settings.
Despite the current weather pattern causing sub-normal breezes, the team was undeterred and splashed and locked in sails this morning. Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet took charge of the AC40, supported by trimmers/Flight Controllers Matthieu Vandamme and Jason Saunders. The team sailed on auto-pilot and began learning the nuances, dialling in a smidge of windward heel at times and playing with ride height. France is back at the top table and the significance of this moment is huge.
Straight out of the box, the French sailors looked comfortable and had just enough breeze to maintain flight on the one-design set-up once released from the RIB. One Design sails were raised with the biggest J1 up front, and a fast tow out of the port and along the Barceloneta gave the crew plenty of time to dial into the foil settings before the tow line was spiked. The team's base at the Port Vell became an operational sailing base today, and this is only the beginning of a whole new chapter in French sailing.
