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In September 1967, Baron Marcel Bich lodged the first French America's Cup challenge for the 1970 series.
The New York Yacht Club responded that it was necessary for to him to wait until 1973 because the Australians had entered a challenge before him.
Irritated, Bich answered immediately: "Nobody is immortal. Who can say what he will do in six years? It's today I want to challenge. You just need to organise a challenger selection series!"
Contrary to all expectations, the Baron made the defending club see reason and accept the need for selection trials between challengers.
This historic decision would revolutionise the America's Cup, and end the American hegemony, resulting in the creation of the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1983.
Bich only discovered yachting in 1958, when he acquired the cruiser Lak (1938 Mauric design) for the purpose of holidaying in the Med. This was replaced in 1965 by an English 12-metre, Sovereign and joined some months later by an American twelve, Constellation.
A visit to the NYYC in 1966 persuaded the French Baron to challenge for the Cup. He created the AFCA (French Association for the America's Cup). The bet was enormous a 12-metre had never been built in France and nobody practised match-racing, or were initiated in the ways of the America's Cup, but to the Baron this didn't matter!
Bich added Kurrewa to his fleet, and the American designer Britton Chance drew up a trial twelve built by Swiss Hermann Egger, Chancegger (1969). The Marseilles born naval architect André Mauric could then design France I, built in Pontarlier (France) by Egger. Swiss Louis Noverraz and Frenchman Pierre " Poppy " Delfour selected the sailors and formed the crews.
Regrettably, this immense effort was not successful. During the selection trials at Newport in August 1970, the Australian candidate Gretel II beat France I. Noverraz failed in the first and the third race, Delfour in the second, and Bich, assisted by Eric Tabarly, got lost in the Newport mists during the fourth race. Facing inevitable criticism from the French press, Bich decided to pursue the adventure further!
The manufacturer of the well-known ball-point pen (1953), lighter (1973) and razor (1975), Bich would remain for many years a key figure in the America's Cup. "We got a good slap, but we are going to try again," he said.
Dane Paul Elvström was contacted to helm the future challenger, an aluminum bulb stem twelve designed by Jan Kjaerulff, however, its building was abandoned in October 1973 following a disagreement between Bich and Elvström.
In 1974, Jean-Marie Le Guillou skippered France I and was beaten by the Australian twelve, Southern Cross. Bich announced a new challenge for 1977. Mauric then designed France II, built by Hermann Egger during the 1976-1977 winter.
Regrettably, it was less competitive than France I, which sailed for its third selection trials, against three other candidates: Australia, Gretel II and Sverige. During the preliminary trials, Bruno Troublé, Pierre Delfour and Marcel Bich alternated at the France I helm, according to the tack, but none of them could match Australia.
Baron Bich announced a last challenge for 1980. Skippered by Bruno Troublé, France III (Johan Valentijn design) reached the challenger final having eliminated the English Lionheart, but was beaten by Australia, by four races to one.
Bich went back to Newport as a spectator in 1983. The man who had "invented" the challenger selections followed the Australia II victory with great emotion.
He went to San Diego in 1992, at the invitation of Raul Gardini. The man who had set the French on the America's Cup road and who, in a certain way, had set the conditions for the eventual NYYC defeat, died two years later.
J.T.
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