Orient Express Racing Team, the French challenger for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, revealed their new AC75 race boat Sunday 26 May with a 06:30 rollout in Barcelona.
The French project will represent the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez and be driven by Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois.
First sight of the hull as it was eased from the shed revealed the French boat to be very much a sister ship to the Kiwi’s latest generation AC75 ‘Taihoro’.
Liveried in royal blue and with a stylish thin gold stripe weaving its way from the bow to the stern, the new French boat sported white logo-ed foil arms with all black foil stocks and blades.
Perhaps because of the single colour finish, it was hard to see if the bow included the slight step near the waterline which is so noticeable on the Kiwi boat – although comments from the team suggested that it does.
As seen previously on the Kiwi AC75 the French boat has a pronounced full-length bustle that appeared to match its New Zealand sistership.
The 90-degree starboard side view did not give much indication of the stern profile in the initial images.
The deck is apparently painted all white for the purpose of heat reflection from the Mediterranean summer sun.
The port foil stock, and wing were confirmed by the team as being legacy components from Emirates Team New Zealand.
An elliptical wing with turned-up tips was mounted aft of a long large-form-factor bulb.
As well as a narrower foil stock, an all-new elliptical foil on the starboard side (with turned up tips) was mounted aft on a short, small form-factor bulb with very little protrusion forward of the foil stock.
After roll out the mast was craned onto the boat with the rigging attached using pronounced rake.
After further testing and calibration, it was finally removed and the boat rolled back in the hangar by 14:00 hrs.
It’s all happening for Orient Express Racing Team at the moment with their christening ceremony being held on Wednesday 29 May being live-streamed to the world on YouTube, before their first scheduled sailing day on Tuesday 4 June.
France last challenged for the America’s Cup in 2017 at AC35, led by Franck Cammas in the AC50 multihull class, hosted in Bermuda.
Orient Express Racing Team also announced that they have laid down foundations for their team that reach beyond the 37th America’s Cup, signing a long-term alliance with one of France’s most dynamic and technological sailing regions, Lorient Agglomération.
The agreement will see the team based at the heart of the new ‘Péristyle’ eco-neighbourhood in Lorient from 2025.
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