The 37th America's Cup is one of three major sailing events in 2024 alongside the Olympic sailing regatta in Marseille and the solo round-the-world race Vendée Globe. For a long time, it seemed as if only four challengers would decide among themselves who would be allowed to challenge the America's Cup defenders from Emirates Team New Zealand to a duel. Sir Ben Ainslie's Team Ineos Britannia, American Magic from the New York Yacht Club, Patrizio Bertelli's Team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Ernesto Bertarelli's comeback campaign Alinghi Red Bull Racing have been designing, testing and training for the monumental task for years. They are currently all using smaller AC40 or LEQ12 training boats.
The well-known quartet of challengers from Great Britain, America, Italy and Switzerland has now become a quintet. Sailing nation France has thrown down the gauntlet in the Cup arena for the 13th time in the Cup's history. The K-Challenge, founded by Stéphan Kandler, was successful in its search for sponsors and has formed Team Orient Express with its new partners from the Accor hotel group.
"Orient Express" is being developed with expertise from New Zealand
The team starting the challenger round in the name of the Société Nautique de St.-Tropez will be led by the German-Frenchman Stéphan Kandler and the French-Canadian co-manager Bruno Dubois. The 52-year-old Stéphan Kandler is the son of former Aero-Sail co-founder and German Airbus manager Ortwin Kandler.
As a passionate Cup chaser, Stéphan Kandler is entering his third Cup campaign with a wealth of experience. His team partner Bruno Dubois took part in the 1989/1990 Whitbread Round the World Race, was Director of North Sails in France for 20 years and was victorious as manager with Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team in the last Ocean Race. Thanks to a design partnership with the New Zealand defenders, the "Orient Express", which has just been launched, should quickly get underway in Barcelona next year.
France has never been able to reach an America's Cup final since the Cup première in 1851. However, with the "French Kiss" in 1987, the brothers Marc and Yves Pajot on two different challenger yachts in the same year and most recently with the fast creative design "Groupama" in 2017, France has repeatedly set strong America's Cup accents.
YACHT: Stéphan, you're late with the Cup campaign, other challengers have a big head start. Are you just cannon fodder?
Stéphan Kandler:No. We started to set up and work with a small group of designers and engineers in spring 2022. It's important for success in the America's Cup that you get the right machine. It's very difficult to develop the AC75 boats yourself. Large teams also felt this in the last Cup. They were not very competitive despite their high budgets. With the design package from Team New Zealand, we are under less pressure than the others. We have a strong basis and the opportunity to build a really competitive boat that has a real chance. We've been working on a lot of details in the background for six months. The design package is a huge advantage for us and was my main motivation to build a Cup team again.
You buy all the design information from the New Zealanders. When can there no longer be any technology transfer between the teams?
With the start of construction of the boat. After that, we can no longer exchange data. Then each team has its own life and we are on our own when it comes to further development and optimisation.
Where will you build your AC75 "Orient Express"?
We are fortunate to have exceptional expertise in France, which we will utilise to the full. We will be working with Multiplast in Vannes, CDK in Lorient and Port-La-Forêt as well as numerous subcontractors. Some of these shipyards also co-operate with the professional shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
Why are you fascinated by the AC75 yachts?
An AC75 is like a fighter plane flying close to the water with eight pilots. It is a high-tech machine that can compete with the latest aerospace technology.
We want to be the surprise team!
When will you start building the AC75?
We start building in April. We'll train in the summer. We hope to get our AC40, which doesn't yet exist, in August.
Do you also sail privately?
I'm a kiter, but I don't have that much time. In 2019, I took over a vineyard from my parents in Avignon.
But your main job is to lead the Cup team?
Yes, with Bruno Dubois as my partner. The Cup is so complex today that a dual leadership makes a lot of sense. It's also refreshing to work with other outstanding team members who were previously less recognised in international Cup campaigns or are new to the sport. Of course, the SailGP is important for us, with Quentin Delapierre successfully leading our sailing team. We are all hugely motivated. Together, we want to be the surprise team in the 37th America's Cup.
Have you set yourself a goal?
Reaching the final of the challenger round would be a great success.
