The essentials on the 38th America's Cup - Naples 2027

Where?

The 38th edition of the America’s Cup — one of the oldest and most prestigious international sporting competitions in the world — will take place in Naples, Italy, on the iconic Bay of Naples, set against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Vesuvius and the Campanian coastline.

When?

The event is scheduled for summer 2027.
The America’s Cup Match will officially begin on 10 July 2027 and is expected to run for approximately two weeks.
Prior to that, a series of preliminary regattas will be staged between May and November 2026, including a confirmed event in Cagliari, Sardinia, from 21–24 May 2026.

Which teams?

The teams officially confirmed at this stage — and who are also the founding members of the new commercial structure — are:
- Emirates Team New Zealand – Defender (New Zealand)
- GB1 (Athena Racing) – Challenger of Record (Great Britain)
- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy)
- Tudor Team Alinghi (Switzerland)
- K-Challenge (France)

The entry window has been extended until 31 March 2026, leaving the door open for additional challengers to join the competition.

Competition Format

_Preliminary Regattas
A series of qualifying regattas will take place across 2026 and 2027, raced in the AC40 foiling catamaran.
Each team is permitted to campaign two AC40s: one primary boat and a second dedicated to Women’s and Youth teams.

_Louis Vuitton Cup
The Louis Vuitton Cup serves as the Challenger Selection Series.
The challengers race against one another for the right to face the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the final Match.

_America’s Cup Match
The America’s Cup Match will be a head-to-head contest between the Defender and the winning Challenger. (The number of races required to win the Cup will be confirmed by the ACP.)

What’s new compared to previous editions?

A new governance model – The America’s Cup Partnership (ACP)
For the first time in the Cup’s 175-year history, all participating teams have united within a shared governance and commercial structure known as the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP).
This new framework places the event under collective authority, rather than being led solely by the Defender.

Key innovations:
> Equal governance: each founding team holds a board seat and an equal vote, replacing the traditional Defender-centric model.
> A stable biennial cycle: the Cup will now operate on a defined and regular calendar, providing greater planning certainty for teams, sponsors and partners.
> Centralised commercial structure: the ACP manages media rights, sponsorship and the overall commercial growth of the event.
> Budget cap: for the 38th edition, a spending cap of approximately €75 million per team has been introduced, promoting greater sustainability and accessibility for new challengers.
> Greater inclusion: expanded opportunities for Women’s and Youth teams, notably through the AC40 platform.

The America’s Cup Partnership (ACP)

What is it?
The America’s Cup Partnership represents a new chapter in the history of the America’s Cup. It is a long-term governance and commercial entity that brings the competing teams together within a single strategic framework.

Its objectives are clear:
- To ensure long-term stability and visibility for the competition;
- To establish fair governance, where each team has both a voice and shared responsibility;
- To enhance the commercial and media appeal of the event through a structured, transparent and sustainable platform for partners, sponsors and investors.

Why is this such a significant turning point?
The ACP marks a historic evolution in the organisation of the America’s Cup. Traditionally driven by the Defender, the competition now adopts a collaborative and modern model built on a shared strategic vision.

This transformation strengthens the institutional credibility of the event, secures its long-term development, and creates a more stable environment for the entire ecosystem — teams, commercial partners, host venues and fans alike.

With the ACP, the America’s Cup is no longer simply the oldest trophy in international sport; it becomes a benchmark for sustainable and shared governance in elite competition.

Stephan Kandler
Founder and CEO

Stephan Kandler

Founder and CEO

Founder of the sport-tech company K-Challenge, Stephan Kandler is a leading figure in international sailing who has forged a solid background in the sport over the past three decades. After a break he is back for a second America’s Cup campaign with the same desire, but broader ambitions beyond the competition.

Born to a German father, a pioneer of the Airbus programme in the 1960s, and a French mother, Stephan left Germany for France at a very young age. After attending business school in Toulouse, he embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure creating K-Yachting International, a racing yacht import and brokerage company. Despite the scepticism of some, the visionary imported the Mumm 30 and positioned it as the future boat for the Tour de France à la Voile. His gamble paid off and the boat replaced the JOD 35 in 1999 – a success which confirmed his belief that you must always believe in your convictions.

Stephan then turned his hand to organising sailing events including the K-Yachting Pro-Am Cup, the double-handed Tour of Corsica, the Mumm 30 World and European Championships, while continuing to pursue his brokerage and sailing activities, including winning the One Ton Cup in 1999. This experience was formative as it led him to seek sponsors, and work with local authorities and sailors. During his career, he has raised over 50 million euros in sponsorship and has managed teams and companies from 10 to 80 people.

In regular touch with the sailing elite, the man whose company contributed to Juan Kouyoumdjian’s career as a naval architect, kept up his own sailing activities and his rich and varied experience led him to found K-Challenge on 4 December 2001 with a view to the 32nd America’s Cup held in Valencia, Spain, in 2007.

Bringing a pioneering spirit to everything that he touches, a quality inherited from his father Ortwin, Stephan built a young and talented team. A forerunner of diversity, he gave pride of place to women both ashore and on the water appointing Dawn Riley to the post of Team Manager. “We had the second smallest budget in the Cup, but we tried to open the game, to innovate. We finished 8th but were the 3rd best French Challenger in terms of number of wins compared to the number of races sailed," he said.

The campaign was a first for future talents such as Guillaume Verdier, Sébastien Col, Nicolas Charbonnier and Benjamin Muyl. In 2009, Stephan joined forces with three-time German Olympic champion and two-time America’s Cup winner Jochen Schümann to create ALL4ONE, which he managed. With Audi as a sponsor, the team scored three podiums and a victory in the Audi Med Cup in 2010 and 2011, won the Copa de Rey in 2012, and representing Geodis twice reached the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in 2012, an international circuit with the first stage in Nice, also organised by Stephan.

After an aborted America’s Cup campaign with Olivier de Kersauson, the withdrawal of Audi from the project, and the death of his father, Stephan put sailing on hold from 2014 until 2021. He concentrated on the family business, including Château Tourril in the Languedoc, and acquired a second vineyard, Domaine des Pentelines, in the Rhône Valley.

His passion for sailing continued unabated however, and he followed the America’s Cup in 2021 closely. Convinced of the interest of returning to the prestigious competition and of France’s performance, he approached Bruno Dubois. The two joined forces for the 37th America’s Cup, and in 2022, against all the odds, the project became reality with a real desire to support a competitive French team. Accor Group and its Orient Express brand allowed them to launch the campaign.

“The Cup is a breeding ground for innovation in the maritime sector. Several engineers created their own companies following the 2007 campaign, with major innovations. One of our goals this time is to apply what we develop for the America’s Cup to industry,” said Stephan.

The aim is to contribute to the decarbonisation of transport, and to retain the engineers once the competition is over. “Our aim is for K-Challenge, the world’s leading sport-tech, to continue after the Cup. We are currently working on several technologies, including digital simulation, which we could apply to other fields, and the hydrogen foiling boat. Our ambition is to contribute to making French industry more competitive and Accor has also invested in the subsidiary K-Challenge Labs with this in mind.”

Sailing achievements

2012: Winner of the Copa del Rey (TP52)
2010, 2011: 3x Audi Med Cup podiums (TP52)
1999 and 2001: Winner of the One Ton Cup (IC45)
1999: Trofeo Majorica 1999 (IC45)

What does the America's Cup mean to you?

“The America's Cup is a childhood dream that attracted me in the 1980s, especially with the Australian victory, which was one of the greatest sporting achievements in history. There is no more complex and uneven event, which makes it the most motivating human, sporting, and technological challenge ever.”

What do you remember most about the America's Cup?

“Australia's victory in 1983 and K-Challenge's victory over Alinghi in 2005 in Trapani.”

Your motto?

“Nothing is impossible.”

Born on 11 July 1970 in Munich, Germany
Dual nationality: French and German
Antoine Carraz
Chief Technical Officer

Antoine Carraz

Chief Technical Officer

Mer Agitée, Spindrift Racing, Mer Concept: from the outset, Antoine Carraz has worked for organisations where excellence and performance go hand in hand. He joined Orient Express Racing Team in March 2022, first as Shore Team Manager before becoming Technical Director.

Antoine grew up in the Haute-Savoie between Thônes, Annecy and La Clusaz, and while he spent his childhood far from the sea he discovered cruising at an early age with his parents during the holidays. "I must have been two or three years old when I went on my first cruise. Later I started going to sailing school in the summer on Lake Annecy, which I really enjoyed. I started double-handed racing at the age of ten as a crew member on a L’Équipe dinghy,” he said.

In parallel, Antoine was passionate about skiing. "I skied competitively between the ages of nine and 12, but at some point my sailing level became higher than my skiing level. I continued to do it as a hobby, but competing at an elite standard is very demanding. It doesn't leave much time to do anything else on the side.” So, he set his sights on sailing.

With the title of French Team Champion in the bag, he moved on to other disciplines, including the 420 and keelboats. He went on to become French Espoir Match Race Champion, French 420 Vice-Champion, and then finished 20th in the 420 World Championships. Antoine competed at home and abroad. "I've done quite a bit of match racing on the world circuit and taken part in the Tour Voile five times.”

Despite all the sport, he did not neglect his studies. Armed with a scientific baccalaureate, he studied Mechanical Engineering at a University Institute of Technology before moving to an Engineering School in Le Mans. Antoine, who had been immersed in the world of sailing since he was a child, was determined to shape a career in yachting. "When you compete in dinghies you sail every Wednesday and every weekend. I've always wanted to work in sailing, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. I chose not to go to a naval architecture school but rather a general engineering school. I didn't want to do anything too specific, especially as at the time ocean racing teams as we know them now didn't really exist apart from Mer Agitée. Places were very hard to secure and it wasn't easy to get in.”

Luck smiled on Antoine, and he did his end-of-studies work placement at Mer Agitée working on the design of Michel Desjoyeaux's IMOCA Foncia for the 2008 Vendée Globe.

After a three-year stint as an IMOCA engineer (2007 to 2010) he became Boat Captain of the Foncia D35, and after that of the team’s MOD70. He was able to combine shore-based work with sailing, mainly on the D35 and the MOD70, while continuing to match race. "This first experience with Michel Desjoyeaux, who has very high expectations and has both technical and sailing skills, formed the basis of everything. It gave me my foot in the door. I cut my teeth at Mer Agitée and I learned a lot.”

The next chapter in Antoine’s career started in 2013 with Spindrift Racing as Technical Director. During this period he did a lot of sailing on the Maxi trimaran. "This experience was different from the previous one, but just as rewarding. The Maxi had already been built and the other boats were one-design, so I sailed a lot and learned to better understand the boats at sea. That helps with the design work.”

From there, Antoine joined Mer Concept in 2018 as Design and Construction Manager for the IMOCA Apivia project. "I joined Mer Concept at the very start of Charlie Dalin's Vendée Globe project. I managed the technical side from start to finish, from design through construction to operation over four years. It was a great experience. I did less sailing, but it was a more global project. We had to build the boat, test it and run it.”

Antoine joined Orient Express Racing Team in March 2022. "The team was looking for a shore crew manager and they contacted me. I'd always worked in ocean racing in France. I started my career during the 32ndAmerica's Cup and, apart from Groupama, there hasn't been another French campaign since. This kind of opportunity doesn't come along very often in this country. And obviously when you have a background in inshore sailing and you're a technician and a sailor, it's a very attractive prospect! I'd thought about it in the past, but just had to find the right opportunity to go for it. In 2017, during Groupama's campaign, I wanted to do the Jules Verne Trophy with Spindrift.

“It was the right time to seize the opportunity because we were coming to the end of the Apivia project. When I arrived at Orient Express Racing Team, Dimitri Despierres was in this role. But the initial project didn't come to fruition when the partner withdrew, and Dimitri went back to American Magic. Bruno Dubois asked me if I felt capable of taking on this role, given that I had no Cup experience. I accepted. My experience at the heart of different projects, which are quite complementary, will help me. In particular, I ticked the design box with the Apivia project, which was an enriching experience. Many of my fellow Orient Express Racing Team colleagues have America’s Cup experience, so that will compensate," he concluded with all the humility that characterises him.

What does the America's Cup mean to you?

"The America's Cup represents excellence. At Orient Express Racing Team, we will have different resources and we will go into more detail around each parameter. As a technician, that's really interesting because we're going to be able to do things that we've never had the means or the resources to do before. And there's an international dimension. The Cup attracts a lot of foreigners. I can't wait to be able to compare my ideas and my way of seeing things and working with that of the Italians, the Anglo-Saxons and the Swiss. It's going to allow me to evolve and learn even more.”

Do you have any particular memories of the America's Cup?

"I'm from Haute-Savoie, 30 minutes from Geneva. So I'd say Alinghi's victory in 2003. I went to Geneva to see the America’s Cup. It was a remarkable event because the America's Cup seemed a long way away before that moment. Suddenly it was right next door to us, in a country where there's no sea. It just goes to show that if you weren't born by the sea, you can still have a winning campaign. You could rub shoulders with members of the team on Lake Geneva. This victory put a face and an image on the Cup.”

Your motto?

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

Results in brief

2022: Winner, Spi Ouest-France, Open 7.50 class
2017:2nd Bol d'Or Mirabaud, Spindrift
2016:Winner, Québec - Saint-Malo, Spindrift
2015:Jules Verne Trophy, Spindrift (circumnavigation completed, record not broken)
2013: Record, Route de la Découverte, Spindrift
2012: Winner, MOD70 European Tour, Foncia / 3rd Krys Ocean Race, MOD70, Foncia
2011: Winner, Vulcain Trophy, D35 class, Foncia / French Match Racing Champion
2009: 5th Tour Voile, Farr30, Val Thorens / 3rd French Match Racing Championship
2008: 4th Tour Voile

Date of birth: 1 February 1983
French
Jean-Sébastien Chénier-Proteau
Chief Financial Officer

Jean-Sébastien Chénier-Proteau

Chief Financial Officer
Philippe Presti
Sport Director

Philippe Presti

Sport Director
Philippe Mourniac
Coach

Philippe Mourniac

Coach
Quentin Delapierre
Skipper & Pilot

Quentin Delapierre

Skipper & Pilot
Diego Botín
Pilot

Diego Botín

Pilot
Enzo Balanger
Reserved Pilot

Enzo Balanger

Reserved Pilot
Jason Saunders
Trimmer

Jason Saunders

Trimmer
Florian Trittel
Trimmer

Florian Trittel

Trimmer
Timothé Lapauw
Trimmer

Timothé Lapauw

Trimmer
Amélie Grassi
Strategist & Systems

Amélie Grassi

Strategist & Systems
Maelenn Lemaitre
Strategist & Systems

Maelenn Lemaitre

Strategist & Systems

Boats

For more than a decade, foiling has been at the heart of the America’s Cup’s technological revolution. The defining moment came in 2012, when Emirates Team New Zealand propelled the competition into the flying era. In 2018, the introduction of the AC75 Class Rule confirmed that transformation: these spectacular monohulls redefined performance through radical innovation, aerodynamic mastery and extraordinary precision.

The AC75

At the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland in 2021, the AC75s captivated millions worldwide, combining speed, accuracy and intensity in equal measure. It was therefore no surprise that the Defender chose to retain the class for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, refining the boats further with lighter hulls, reduced crew numbers and enlarged foils to optimise flight and integrate next-generation technologies.

The AC75 represents cutting-edge innovation, redefining modern sailing and marking a significant leap forward in marine technology. Equipped with hydrofoils, the yachts achieve remarkable speeds by lifting the hull clear of the water to reduce drag.
Power generation has also evolved dramatically. Following the introduction of ‘cyclors’ in the 35th and 37th editions — where crew members pedalled rather than grinding manually — the boats now rely on controlled stored-energy smart battery systems, with output strictly capped at levels achievable by human power.
At the same time, an intricate network of sensors delivers millions of real-time data points to optimise performance, while revolutionary sail design maximises aerodynamic efficiency.
For the 38th America’s Cup, AC75 crews will consist of five sailors, including at least one woman. A dedicated “Guest Racer” pod will also be integrated, enabling teams to host partners, personalities, influencers or invited guests on board.
The nationality rule requires that two sailors, in addition to the female crew member, must be nationals of the challenging yacht club’s country, while permitting up to two non-nationals to race.

NB: for the first time since the era of J. P. Morgan and his Columbia syndicate in the 1899 and 1901 America’s Cups, the same physical boat will defend the trophy. Significant refinements to appendages and the aerodynamic package are nevertheless anticipated ahead of 2027.

The AC40

With a clear commitment to shaping the future of the sport, Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record introduced the AC40 class ahead of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona — a scaled-down, ultra-high-performance version of the AC75, purpose-built for Youth and Women’s competition as well as team training.
Upon its launch in Auckland in September 2022, the first AC40 immediately exceeded 40 knots, demonstrating its potential and performance from the outset.
By 2023, no fewer than ten AC40s had been delivered across the teams, with their spectacular capabilities showcased at the Preliminary Regattas, the Youth events and the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup. World Sailing named the AC40 “Boat of the Year 2023”.
As part of the 38th edition, the AC40s once again serve as training platforms for both the Challengers and the emerging generations competing in Youth and Women’s events. They will also be used in the Preliminary Regattas scheduled for 2026.

Sports program

The 38th America’s Cup Louis Vuitton, set to take place in Naples in 2027, is already taking shape through an ambitious programme combining preliminary regattas, technological innovation and the emergence of new talent.

_2026 – Building Momentum

From 2026, up to three preliminary regattas will be staged at different venues, followed by a final warm-up event in 2027.
All will be raced in the AC40 — the foiling monohull that has become central to the new generation of America’s Cup competition. These regattas will offer the first clear indication of the competitive order ahead of the main event.

The opening regatta will be held in Cagliari from 21–24 May 2026.
Further venues are due to be announced in due course.

_2027 – The Main Stage in Naples

In Naples, the spectacle will step up another level.

The Youth America’s Cup and the Women’s America’s Cup will run alongside the main event. Racing in AC40s, the next generation of international sailors will have the opportunity to compete on the global stage in front of a worldwide audience.

The Louis Vuitton Cup (the Challenger Selection Series) will determine which team earns the right to challenge the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the America’s Cup Match.

The America’s Cup Match itself is scheduled to begin with two races on 10 July 2027, with the series expected to conclude over the weekend of 17–18 July, subject to weather conditions in Naples.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Bay of Naples, the 38th America’s Cup promises to blend sporting excellence, cutting-edge design and world-class spectacle.

Heritage

The America’s Cup, dating back to 1851, 45 years before the modern Olympic Games, is the oldest sporting trophy in the world. Only four nations have won the trophy: the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. Intended as a friendly competition between national yacht clubs, the America’s Cup has always reflected the times, and motivated design innovation.

In Victorian times, the schooner America, owned by a syndicate of New York businessmen, crossed the Atlantic to represent the United States at the Great Exhibition in London and to race around the Isle of Wight for the Hundred Guinea Cup. The yacht America won spectacularly, beating a fleet of British yachts on the Solent, and soliciting the famous comment to Queen Victoria at the finish by the signal-master onboard the Victoria & Albert Royal Yacht: “Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second.” This was the start of the America’s Cup and provided the fundamental principles of the event which has since been contested as a duel between a Defender and a Challenger.

The trophy, a silver ewer commissioned by the Royal Yacht Squadron and informally known as the Auld Mug, arrived in the New York Yacht Club in September 1851 and remained there for 132 years. The New Yorkers defended the America’s Cup 24 times, the longest winning streak in any sport. Their dominance came to an end in 1983 when Australia II famously won with a winged keel. The first Challenger to win the America’s Cup in its history took the trophy and the event to Fremantle on the west coast of Australia.

In 1987, Dennis Conner, skipper of Stars and Stripes, returned the trophy to the US, this time to San Diego in California. In 1995, Peter Blake, a sailor renowned for his offshore exploits, led a team of sailors representing the New Zealand Yacht Squadron to victory, returning the America’s Cup trophy to the southern hemisphere, this time to New Zealand. The Kiwis defended the trophy in 2000 but lost it to Switzerland in 2003. Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli and his Alinghi team returned the Cup to Europe for the first time in 152 years.

The Deed of Gift, the America’s Cup governing document (created in 1857, revised and replaced in 1882, then revised and replaced again with a third Deed in 1887 that has governed all racing for the America’s Cup since) stipulates that a challenger yacht club has to have an annual regatta on the arm or an arm of the sea.
The Swiss hosted and defended the America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, in 2007, beating the New Zealanders for the second time. There followed a legal battle between Alinghi and Larry Ellison’s American Oracle Racing syndicate which went all the way to the US Supreme Court in New York and ended in a Deed of Gift match between the two teams in Valencia in 2010 raced on multihulls. The Swiss designed a maxi catamaran, Alinghi 5, while the Americans developed a futuristic trimaran, USA17, with a 72m solid wing sail, larger than the wing of an Airbus A380. BMW Oracle Racing won 2-0 for the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco where the trophy remained until 2017 after an epic defence in 2013.

In 2017, in Bermuda, the America’s Cup was raced on ultra-fast hydrofoil catamarans, the AC45. Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, won 7-1 against the USA. Monohulls made a return to the America’s Cup in 2021, in the form of the foiling AC75, and the New Zealanders repeated their success, this time against the Italian team Luna Rossa, winning the America’s Cup for a 4th time.

37^th2024

Défenseur: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Challenger: INEOS BRITANNIA - Royal Yacht Squadron Racing
Lieu: Barcelone (ESP)
Vainqueur: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
36^th2021

Defender: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Challenger: LUNA ROSSA CHALLENGE - Circolo della Vela Sicilia
Venue: Auckland (NZL)
Winner: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
35^th2017

Defender: ORACLE TEAM USA17 - Golden Gate Yacht Club
Challenger: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Venue: Bermuda (USA)
Winner: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
34^th2013

Defender: ORACLE TEAM USA17 - Golden Gate Yacht Club
Challenger: AOTEAROA - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Venue: San Francisco (USA)
Winner: ORACLE TEAM USA17
33^rd2010

Defender: ALINGHI 5 - Société Nautique de Genève
Challenger: BMW ORACLE RACING - Golden Gate Yacht Club
Venue: Valencia (ESP)
Winner: BMW ORACLE RACING
32^nd2007

Defender: ALINGHI SUI100 - Société Nautique de Genève
Challenger: NEW ZEALAND NZL-92 - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Venue: Valencia (ESP)
Winner: ALINGHI SUI100
31^st2003

Defender: NEW ZEALAND NZL-82 - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Challenger: ALINGHI SUI64 - Société Nautique de Genève
Venue: Auckland (NZL)
Winner: ALINGHI SUI64
30^th2000

Defender: NEW ZEALAND NZL-60 - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Challenger: LUNA ROSSA - Yacht Club Punta Ala
Venue: Auckland (NZL)
Winner: NEW ZEALAND NZL-60
29^th1995

Defender: YOUNG AMERICA - San Diego Yacht Club
Challenger: BLACK MAGIC - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Venue: San Diego (USA)
Winner: BLACK MAGIC
28^th1992

Defender: AMERICA3 - San Diego Yacht Club
Challenger: IL MORO DI VENEZIA - Compagnia della Vela di Venezia.
Venue: San Diego (USA)
Winner: AMERICA3
27^th1988

Defender: STARS & STRIPES US-1 - San Diego Yacht Club
Challenger: NEW ZEALAND KZ1 - Mercury Bay Boating Club
Venue: San Diego (USA)
Winner: STARS & STRIPES US-1
26^th1987

Defender: KOOKABURA III - Royal Perth Yacht Club
Challenger: STARS & STRIPES 87 - San Diego Yacht Club
Venue: Freemantle (AUS)
Winner: STARS & STRIPES 87
25^th1983

Defender: LIBERTY - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: AUSTRALIA II - Royal Perth Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: AUSTRALIA II
24^th1980

Defender: FREEDOM - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: AUSTRALIA - Royal Perth Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: FREEDOM
23^rd1977

Defender: COURAGEOUS - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: AUSTRALIA - Sun City Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: COURAGEOUS
22^nd1974

Defender: COURAGEOUS - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SOUTHERN CROSS - Royal Perth Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: COURAGEOUS
21^st1970

Defender: INTREPID - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: GRETEL II - Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: INTREPID
20^th1967

Defender: INTREPID - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: DAME PATTIE - Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: INTREPID
19^th1964

Defender: CONSTELLATION - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SOVEREIGN - Royal Thames Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: CONSTELLATION
18^th1962

Defender: WEATHERLY - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: GRETEL - Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: WEATHERLY
17^th1958

Defender: COLUMBIA - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SCEPTRE - Royal Yacht SQUADRON
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: COLUMBIA
16^th1937

Defender: RANGER - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: ENDEAVOUR II - Royal Yacht SQUADRON
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: RANGER
15^th1934

Defender: RAINBOW - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: ENDEAVOUR - Royal Yacht SQUADRON
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: RAINBOW
14^th1930

Defender: ENTERPRISE - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SHAMROCK V - Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Venue: Newport (USA)
Winner: ENTERPRISE
13^rd1920

Defender: RESOLUTE - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SHAMROCK IV - Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: RESOLUTE
12^sd1903

Defender: RELIANCE - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SHAMROCK III - Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: RELIANCE
11^st1901

Defender: COLUMBIA - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SHAMROCK II - Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: COLUMBIA
10^th1899

Defender: COLUMBIA - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: SHAMROCK - Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: COLUMBIA
9^th1895

Defender: DEFENDER - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: VALKYRIE II - Royal Yacht Squadron
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: DEFENDER
8^th1893

Defender: VIGILANT - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: VALKYRIE II - Royal Yacht Squadron
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: VIGILANT
7^th1887

Defender: VOLUNTEER - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: THISTLE - Royal Clyde Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: VOLUNTEER
6^th1886

Defender: MAYFLOWER - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: GALATEA - Royal Northern Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: MAYFLOWER
5^th1885

Defender: PURITAN - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: GENESTA - Royal Yacht Squadron
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: PURITAN
4^th1881

Defender: MISCHIEF - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: ATALANTA - Bay of Quinte Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: MISCHIEF
3^rd1876

Defender: MADELEINE - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: COUNTESS OF DUFFERIN - Royal Canadian Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: MADELEINE
2^nd1871

Defender: COLUMBIA & SAPPHO - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: LIVONIA - Royal Harwich Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: COLUMBIA & SAPPHO
1^st1870

Defender: MAGIC (USA) - New York Yacht Club
Challenger: CAMBRIA - Royal Thames Yacht Club
Venue: New-York (USA)
Winner: MAGIC
In the beginning...1851

Cent Guinées Cup : The original international regatta, organised around the Isle of Wight, by the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS), in conjunction with the London World Fair.
22 august 1851
Winner: America (USA) - New York Yacht Club
Second: Aurora (GBR) - Royal Yacht Squadron

France in The Cup

Although the French have never won the world’s oldest sporting trophy, they have shone in every campaign that they have entered. From 1970 to 2007, aside from the United States, France is the only country to have competed in every edition!
And we are back for the 37th America’s Cup.

2024

ORIENT EXPRESS RACING TEAM, led by Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, co-partners of K-Challenge, will represent France and the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. Quentin Delapierre will be at the helm of the French AC75.

©Orient Express Racing Team
2017

With a commitment from Groupama and Norauto, the French challenge returned to the America’s Cup, led by Franck Cammas and supported by Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauzon. ‘Les Bleus’ competed at the highest level and scored points but it was not enough to reach the semi-finals.

©Eloi Stichelbaut
2010

For this Deed of Gift match there was no French challenge, but the country was well represented with Joseph Ozanne inventing the rigid wing onboard the American challenger, and Thierry Fouchier a crew member.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
2007

For the 32nd America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, AREVA CHALLENGE led by Stéphan and Ortwin Kandler, was a new generation team that included women and young sailors. The challenge finished 8th in the Louis Vuitton Cup with Thierry Péponnet and then Sébastien Col at the helm.

©Franck Socha
2003

AREVA CHALLENGE, supported by the nuclear giant and led by Pierre Mas, Xavier de Lesquen and Luc Gellusseau, represented France in Auckland. The fluorescent yellow boat skippered by Philippe Presti with Luc Pillot was eliminated before the semi-finals. Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli’s team ALINGHI became the first European team to win the event.

©Franck Socha
2000

During the 30th edition of the America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, 6th SENS, financed by Bouygues Telecom and skippered by Bertrand Pacé (navigator-tactician for the three previous challenges) reached the semi-finals of an event that was once again largely dominated by the New Zealand team that included Russell Coutts.

©Franck Socha
1995

FRANCE 2-3, the French America's Cup Class team struggled in California despite a brilliant crew led by Marc Pajot and Bertrand Pacé, and was unable to repeat its performance in the previous two Louis Vuitton Cups.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1992

In San Diego, on the new, larger, and more powerful America's Cup Class boats, VILLE DE PARIS financed by Pierre Legris, and led by Marc Pajot and Marc Bouët, lost in the semi-finals after a good campaign.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1987

FRENCH KISS, financed by Serge Crasnianski – creator of the Grenoble-based Key Independent System and inventor of the first key copying machine – and skippered by Marc Pajot, made its mark in Fremantle, Australia, reaching the semi-final in what was to be the last outing for the famous 12-Metres. A second French syndicate, CHALLENGE FRANCE, was sailed by Yves Pajot, Marc's brother.

©Gilles-Martin-Raget
1983

FRANCE III, still helmed by Bruno Troublé, and bought by Yves Rousset-Rouard, producer of the film Emmanuelle, was defeated by AUSTRALIA II... the eventual winner of the America's Cup after 132 years of American dominance.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1980

Pour sa dernière campagne, le créateur du stylo Bic lance la construction de son 3^e 12 m JI, un voilier construit en aluminium. C'est encore Bruno Troublé qui est à la barre et il arrivera à se hisser en finale des challengers, mais sera battu par Australia. Après quatre campagnes successives, Marcel Bich décide de se retirer.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1977

Marcel Bich entrusted the helm of the new FRANCE II to Bruno Troublé, twice selected for the Olympics, but the new 12 M JI was not up to expectations and the tried and tested original FRANCE was first choice.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1974

This time it was 5.5 MJI world champion Jean-Marie Le Guillou who helmed Baron Bich’s 12 M JI FRANCE in Newport.

©Gilles Martin-Raget
1970

Marcel Bich dreamed of the America's Cup for over five years before launching FRANCE, which was successively helmed by Louis Noverraz, Popie Delfour, and himself with Eric Tabarly as navigator. The French enjoyed Newport, temple of the America's Cup, but lost in the qualifying rounds.

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