It was one of the less well kept secrets in sailing, but yesterday it was confirmed that – fresh from their biggest success in the event in 90 years –…
America’s Cup Team: Orient Express Team France
Orient Express Team France is a long-rumoured French America’s Cup team and was the last team to enter the 2024 America’s Cup, with their entry finally officially announced in early January 2023.
Team Name: France K-Challenge Racing
Yacht club: Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
Skipper: France Quentin Delapierre (FRA)
The Accor hotel group has officially committed to the French challenge for the 37th America’s Cup naming its Orient Express brand as title partner.
With this sponsor onboard, the French challenge was named Orient Express Team, having previously taken the name K-Challenge when their entry was initially announced.
The Orient Express Team will be sailing under the flag of the Société nautique de Saint-Tropez and the for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024 will be led by Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois.
The French challenge will pick up the option of a latest generation technology package provided by the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, which should allow Orient Express Team to catch up on some of the time lost while other entrants are well down their design process.
France has an on-off history in the America’s Cup with French teams competing in a number of America’s Cup events, the most recent being Groupama Team France in the 2017 America’s Cup.
Officially, though, this group known as K-Challenge last challenged for the America’s Cup for the 32nd edition in Valencia in 2007.
How to watch the America’s Cup live streams
The 37th America’s Cup is due to start on Saturday 12 October and will see America’s Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand taking on the first British challenger in 60…
Ainslie and INEOS win Louis Vuitton Round Robin, while the French are sent home
Today saw the final three races of the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin get underway after the cancellation of racing yesterday. Once again today…
Ainslie and INEOS step up to the plate: What we learned from the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 7
Having seen most of the Louis Vuitton Cup racing (the America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series) taking place in light winds, the penultimate day of Round Robin racing saw decent winds…
American weakness, shock Alinghi win and more: What we learned from Louis Vuitton Cup Day 6
With racing abandoned after two races due to a lightning storm on Tuesday 3 September and cancelled altogether due to storm conditions on Wednesday 4 September, racing in the America’s…
Lightning near-miss forces Louis Vuitton Cup Day 5 racing to be abandoned
With the first Round Robin of the America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup concluded, teams moved onto the second Round Robin today, Tuesday 3 September. This second…
What we learned from a cracking day 4 of Louis Vuitton Cup racing
The fourth day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup – the challenger selection series for the America’s Cup proper – took place today. Sunday 1 September in Barcelona, with…
Super Saturday? What we learnt from bumper race day on Louis Vuitton Cup Day 3
After the upset to the schedule caused by Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand’s dramatic crash of its boat down onto the cradle during lift-out after racing on Day 1, and…
A drift-off and a ‘pointless’ race: Wind doesn’t play ball for the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 2
The second day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robbin series – the America’s Cup challenger selection series – took place today Friday 30 August in Barcelona, but it was…
Unexpected winners: what we learned from the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 1
It was not the start that anyone hoped for, for the opening day of racing at the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup. Racing was due to…
New Zealand win thrilling America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Final + what we learned from the racing
The fourth and final day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 saw very tricky conditions for the foiling AC75 monohulls today, Sunday 25 August. It wasn’t…
One win, one loss for British on Day 3 of America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta
The third day of racing for the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 11 knots today in Barcelona providing solid foiling conditions for the AC75 monohulls that…
What we learned from the second day of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta
The second day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 10 knots with flat water today in Barcelona providing near-perfect conditions for the foiling…
America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Day 1 report: Lessons for teams and organisers alike
Nearly four years after we last saw AC75s fighting it out on the water, today, Thursday 22nd August 2024 saw the foiling monohulls back on the water. The six teams…
Who will win the 37th America’s Cup?
We admit it, we’re excited. The 37th America’s Cup has all the signs of being a good one. At six teams in total, it may not match the entry numbers…
America’s Cup: What do we know about the teams with 1 year to go
There is now just 1 year to go until the America’s Cup proper kicks off in Barcelona, where Emirates Team New Zealand will take on the winner of the challengers…
American Magic win first AC40 showdown at America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta
The second day of racing for the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta was something of a mixed bag. Three solid fleet races in full foiling conditions were followed by an attempted…
First America’s Cup AC40 races: France and New Zealand share wins
It was a day of firsts in Villanova, some 30 miles along the coast from Barcelona today: the first races in the 37th America’s Cup cycle, the first ‘proper’ races…
America’s Cup: what have the teams been up to?
Several years after Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defended the America’s Cup back in 2021, we are about to see racing in this cycle for the first time. But what…
French America’s Cup entry to be named Orient Express Team
A long-rumoured French team was finally announced as an entry to the next America’s Cup in 2024 in early January 2023. Details at the time were thin on the ground…