SMILES & CHAMPAGNE ON HISTORIC DAY FOR FRANCE
The very fact that the French are back competing in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is wonderful news not only for the event but for the wider sport and today, in sunny Barcelona, they put on a christening party with all the elan and flair that only the French can bring. Class from top to bottom, this was a day to celebrate and savour for fans of this charismatic team as well as for the wider Cup community.
The AC75 emerged from her shed to pumping clouds of white smoke, juxtaposed against her elegant livery and form – truly with one of the best visual presentations of all the boats in this cycle. At long last we got to see the stern and, as expected, it’s a direct almost exact render of the Emirates Team New Zealand boat ‘Taihoro’ – the minute detailing though is where the differences will lie.
Emerging to the haunting sounds of M83’s ‘Outro’ with the lyrics “Facing tempests of dust, I’ll fight until the end...now and forever” – perhaps apt for a challenger team that is more than happy to take on the task of beating the clock, it was all smiles at the base as Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois introduced key sponsors and then allowed the sailors from the senior team, Youth and Women’s teams, to take centre stage. Class.
And of course there was champagne, a French boat without champagne would be unfathomable and Quentin Delapierre was on hand to crack the bottle over the legacy Emirates Team New Zealand port foil with Grant Dalton, CEO of the Kiwi team no doubt looking on with trepidation. No damage done, except to the bottle, and a glorious new chapter in French sailing was officially begun.
Quentin Delapierre, the figurehead and darling now of French sailing addressed the shore team and spoke on behalf of all his crew, saying: “I think you can be proud now of what you have in front of you, I hope you will have a really good surprise at the end of August and through October, I can’t wait to sail with it, and I am really proud of what you guys achieved. Thank you.” Class.
Some 400 guests, sponsors’ representatives, dignitaries and notable friends of the team thronged to the base and it was certainly one of the great moments so far of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. The team will be eyeing sailing at the beginning of June with the key sailors jetting out tonight for the SailGP regatta in Canada, knowing that the really hard work begins on their return. (Magnus Wheatley)
Dockside report – Orient Express Racing Team: Orient Express Racing Team held the Christening ceremony for their new AC75 today at the French team base in Barcelona.
At 1140, watched by an audience of around 400 well-wishers, team members, and a contingent from the international media, the blue-hulled boat was wheeled slowly out of the boat shed shrouded in smoke.
With the boat positioned diagonally across the French forecourt, attention turned to the stage where a Q&A session with team bosses Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois was followed by addresses from Sebastien Bazin (CEO of Accor) and Christophe Babule (CEO of L’Oreal Group).
Following that, both the French Women’s and Youth crews were invited up on stage, before Orient Express Racing Team skipper Quentin Delapierre thanked the entire French team and went on to introduce each of the Orient Express Racing Team sailing line-up.
With the speeches complete Quentin had the honour of Christening the boat by breaking a bottle of champagne on the leading edge of the port foil.
The French boat’s first sailing day is likely to be next week when Delapierre and other key members of the crew return from this weekend’s Canadian SailGP event. Justin Chisholm - America's Cup Recon