Introducing
K-Challenge Team
members (07/07/04)
(source : K-Challenge)
K-Challenge, French challenger, introduces its
Acts 1-3 sailing team and its design team two months
before the first step of the 32nd America’s Cup
: the Louis Vuitton Act 1.
In the center of the sailing team, Sebastien Col (3
France Match Racing champion titles, America’s
Cup in 2003, France, Italy and USA champion titles
in Melges 24 in 2003 and World vice-champion in 2002)
will be Tactician with Thierry Peponnet at the helm.
« Being part of the K-Challenge is a unique
opportunity for me to increase the experience I had
during the 2003 America’s Cup. Thierry Peponnet’s
personality was a very important factor in my choice
: he’s very opened, determined and his experience
is very large, which are, to my opinion, required
qualities to manage this team.
Sebastien will be joined by other famous French sailors
: Benoit Briand (3 America’s Cup with the French
teams) and Albert Jacobsoone (has taken part in every
America’s Cup campaign since 1983 with French
teams until Prada in 2003).
On board, we will also find Nicolas Charbonnier in
the afterguard (5 World and 2 European titles with
420 and 470 dinghies), Olivier Douillard (several
titles in multihullls, America’s Cup in 2003,
part of the French Olympic team from 1995 to 2000)
and Frederic Brousse (America’s Cup in 2003 and
2000, 5 multihulls campaigns and participation in
The Race, former professional rugby player).
Finally, several international crew members (men and
women) (English, Swedish, American, Swiss, Danish
and New Zealand) as Mikkel Rossberg (who was part
of the Swedish Victory Challenge in 2003), Paul Murray,
Meg Gaillard, Sean « Doogie » Couvreux,
Peter Merrington and Justin Slaterry, will join the
team, according to an established programme for the
three Acts managed by Thierry Peponnet and Dawn Riley.
The idea is to test a maximum of crew members
in action during the first three Louis Vuitton Acts
and give the opportunity to all of them to show
what they are able to do, with the goal to win their
place in the team through 2007.
The design team is moving forward with Bernard
Nivelt joining the team as Principal Designer.
Bernard has the experience of victory in the America’s
Cup, as he won it with the American team, Stars &
Stripes with Dennis Conner in 1998.
"I am confident that we gathered a team that
mixes experience with people like Bernard Nivelt who
already won the Cup and Jacques Fauroux", explained
Dimitri Nicolopoulos, K-Challenge Design Team Coordinator.
"Young talents with Sandrine Lescaudron (VPP)
and Guillaume Verdier (designer), experience again
through North Sails and Bruno Dubois, responsible
for that part of the programme, industrial rigor with
MCube and highly talented and open eyes from Gilles
Ollier Design Team at Multiplast who not only built
5 ACCs but designed a string of highly successful
large multihulls."
Not only will the K-Challenge French America's
Cup syndicate take part in the Louis Vuitton Acts
1, 2 & 3, - it has also scheduled a press conference
to introduce its crew and its design team at the
Société Nautique de Marseille on Wednesday,
July 7th.
It was now suggested that "good news"
for K-Challenge were imminent and they would shortly
make an announcement.
According
to the Scuttlebutt of the day GBR Challenge has
signed a Design Software Technology Partnership
with UGS PLM Solutions.
UGS PLM will also be the exclusive provider of product
lifecycle management products and services to provide
planning and race configuration data for the British-based
team.
This "exclusive deal" is a little bit
surprising considering that EDS announced in July
that "K-Challenge will use its software solutions
to design and develop its watercraft to meet its
aggressive competitive goals".
K-Challenge
acquires NZL America's Cup yachts (04/18/04) (source
: K-Challenge)
K-Challenge and Team New Zealand announced that
NZL60 and NZL57 will now be part of K-Challenge,
French challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup.
The contract has been signed between the two teams
for the purchase of NZL 57 and the lease of NZL
60 by K-Challenge until the end of the 32nd America’s
Cup in 2007. At that time, NZL 60, the winning boat
of the 30th America’s Cup in 2000, will return to
her country of origin, as she belongs to the citizens
of New Zealand as a historical vessel.
"To win the America’s Cup, you need to start with
a winning training and development boat", said
Stephane Kandler, K-Challenge CEO. "Acquiring
NZL 57 and NZL 60 is a major step forward for our
team".
"We are pleased and honored to have worked
with Team New Zealand, a legendary team that we
respect and admire", he added. "K-Challenge
will take part to the first three Acts of the 32nd
America’s Cup in Marseilles in September, then in
Valencia in October, aboard NZL 57".
"NZL57 and NZL60 are still fantastic boats",
Team New Zealand Managing Director Grant Dalton
said. "They served Team New Zealand well and
will be an excellent launch platform for the K-Challenge
campaign for 2007".
This is also a superb collaboration with Team New
Zealand, as the design and technical package going
with the boats will allow the K-Challenge team to
have an access to one of the best and most innovative
technology available in the America’s Cup for 15
years.
"Having NZL57 and NZL60 is really significant
in the team’s progress", said Thierry Peponnet,
double Olympic medallist, K-Challenge Skipper and
Helmsman. "We start with a solid base as those
boats represent the best level ever reached in 2000".
The K-Challenge design team is also working with
Dimitri Nicolopoulos and his company MCube, experts
in design and analysis tools. Dimitri is now the
Design Team Coordinator and moving forward quickly.
"We have worked very hard for two and a half years
to build the best project with the best people,
who want to work together for success", Stephane
Kandler concluded. "Being in Valencia and having
seen what AC Management is preparing for the next
America’s Cup, we are more convinced than ever that
we shall be there. The next America’s Cup will be
one of the biggest and most innovative sports event
the world as seen".
Introducing
K-Challenge boat on April 23th
(04/18/04) (source
: K-Challenge)
In Paris on April 23th (at the Yacht Club de
France), Stéphane Kandler's team will meet
the journalists during a press conference where
they will outline the 2004 programme and will unveil
their first America's Cup boat recently acquired
and their skipper.
And in addition to having Thierry Peponnet, K-Challenge
Skipper and Double Olympic Medallist on hand, they
also promised to introduce "the skipper of the syndicate
which formerly owned the boat."
Coincidence? Dean Barker is in France for the 2004
Finn European European Championships which will
be organised in La Rochelle, France, from the 7th
to the 15th of May.
According the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello
Sport, the former K-Challenge skipper John Cutler
(who was also Technical Director and design team
coordinator) has now signed with Mascalzone Latino.
A good news for the Italian team if it's true. Another
bad signal from the French challenger which has
announced in June the signing of the New-Zealander.
John Cutler's career Highlights
America's Cup XXXI (Oracle BMW Racing - Louis Vuitton
Finalist) : Director of Sailing Operations - Tactician
and Strategist - Backup Helmsman
America's Cup XXX (America True Louis Vuitton Semi-finalist)
: Helmsman
America's Cup XXIX (Nippon Challenge - Louis Vuitton
Semi-finalist) : Helmsman and Skipper
America's Cup XXVIII (Nippon Challenge - Louis Vuitton
Semi-finalist) : Tactician
An
America's Cup yacht for the K-Challenge ? (03/19/04) (source
: Le
Figaro)
According to the French Newspaper Le Figaro,
the Stéphane Kandler's team could be back
in the game soon in announcing in the next few days
the purchase of an America's Cup boat.
This announcement could be linked to recent reports
of a change of policy within the former OneWorld
Challenge which seems to be ready to separately
sell their two boats (USA 65 and 67 were sold together
as a set for $12/14 million).
The
time for truth is now for the K-Challenge (02/23/04) (source
: Libération)
The K-Challenge was the first French campaign
launched for the America's Cup 2007 but, as the
team can't find the money to start, the initial
enthusiasm seems to have petered down.
But Stéphane Kandler continues to believe
and, even if he had to stop the team members contracts,
he want to maintain the hope.
"We
are discussing with a foreign partner for 10 to
15 million euros", said the K-Challenge General
Manager. "It is our last chance".
