During a workshop at ESSEC Business School in Paris, Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier, director of communication and spokesman for the Areva Group, said he is convinced that the Areva Group's involvement in yachting was very successful.

"Our expectations concerning our commitment to this campaign have been exceeded by far", he explained. "The international coverage of the event both on television, in the actual yachting magazines and also in the wider press was of a scale which we hadn’t foreseen".

Areva's €15m support for Le Défi Areva has angered activists in France and in the Pacific but "as a new company Areva needed to build its profile to become better known and establish an image in the industry - the sponsorship was taken to do that".

Formed by the French government in September 2001, areva's aim in teaming up with Le Défi was to make its name more familiar to people around the world. In this point of view, Areva regards its sailing commitment as a complete success.

More, sponsoring Le Défi have contribute to greater unity within the Group and help build Areva's image.

For the future, the decision to invest in the sport of yachting is not very clear even the Group is currently in the process of reviewing options for additional sailing activities.

With a budget which should turn around €60 millions, if Areva will continue its commitment to the Cup, it will have to do it fully explained Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier. A commitment wich was likely to cost more than €35 million as main sponsor.

"For the moment, the current French project does not seem enough formalized to consider a clear continuation", Mr Saulnier concluded.