America’s Cup: What France’s Cup contenders are doing differently this time round

​Will things be different this time? The La Roche-Posay Racing Team has set out to compete for the America’s Cup. The team behind the project have been in the game for some time, but they have now set a new course. A look back at history shows that France has been among the sailing nations competing for the Silver Cup for more than half a century. The first challenge was led by Baron Marcel Bich with ‘France’ in 1970. Further attempts by the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge team followed in 1974, 1977 and 1980. In 1983, ‘France 3’ reached the semi-finals of a challenger series.

France’s America’s Cup contenders: from Baron Bich to ‘French Kiss’ and K-Challenge

Skipper Marc Pajot and his team marked the Grande Nation’s greatest sailing achievement to date when, in 1987, they sailed “French Kiss” to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series. The Pajot team repeated this feat in 1992 with “Ville de Paris”. From 1995 onwards, the French continued to be represented, but lacked resources and continuity. To date, there have been 13 editions of the Cup with French participation. The 14th challenge is currently underway.

The driving force behind this Franco-German venture is Stephan Kandler, who began realising his dream of a successful Cup campaign in 2001. He initially set up the project with his father, Ortwin Kandler, who also became known in this country as a co-founder of the German AeroSail campaign. Between 1993 and 1996, AeroSail not only nurtured talented German sailors, but also focused intensively on high-tech development and entered its teams in major regattas.

Following a change of leadership at the Daimler-Benz Group at the time – Jürgen Schrempp succeeded Edzard Reuter, who had supported the sailing promotion initiative – and the company’s withdrawal from the sport of sailing, the project was brought to an end. The campaign’s aim of establishing a German America’s Cup campaign remained unachieved at that time.

AeroSail provided the impetus for a fresh start in the new millennium

However, this development spurred on the German-Frenchman Stephan Kandler. Having grown up in France, he and his father, Ortwin Kandler, built up a team that has been known as K-Challenge since 2004. As team manager, the young Kandler led K-Challenge in 2007, which, with sponsor Areva, competed in the 32nd America’s Cup in Valencia under the name Areva Challenge. The team gained valuable initial experience and finished eighth.

Together with two-time America’s Cup winner Jochen Schümann, Kandler founded the Franco-German team All4One in 2009, which competed in the Audi MedCup, amongst other events: the predecessor to the event held between 2005 and 2011 the 52 Super Series. Kandler thus remained active in top-level international sailing even between the major Cup campaigns.

Stephan Kandler was also involved in the preparations for the French challenge in the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. However, Groupama Team France failed to finish any higher than last place there in 2017. In 2021, Kandler then resumed work on his own project in earnest, teamed up with Bruno Dubois for the next Cup campaign and revitalised the K-Challenge with great vigour.

Last in Barcelona, first in Naples in the new America’s Cup venue

This led to the formation of the Orient Express Racing Team for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, supported by the Accor brand Orient Express. Stephan Kandler was responsible for the organisational set-up, funding and partnerships, whilst Dubois took the lead on sporting and technical matters.

Although the French team managed to beat Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the first half of the Challenger Series ahead of Barcelona, they lost to the Swiss side in a dramatic second and decisive clash in the second half of the series and were knocked out. Despite this knockout blow, Stephan Kandler says today: “That’s when we realised we were really back in the running.” Which is why the French did not take a breather after the Cup in Barcelona, but instead continued to drive their K-Challenge racing team forward in every area.

​Then, in the autumn of 2025, the realignment of the balance of power in the America’s Cup came about – moving away from the often unpredictable dictates of the winners and towards the joint management of all teams – and the decision was taken to, to allow only hulls from the last Cup to compete in the 38th America’s Cup in Naples, the French saw this as a huge opportunity for themselves.

Reaching the top faster with a design package from New Zealand

Bruno Dubois, a member of the K-Challenge board, explains: “Last time, we only got our boat at the last minute. We didn’t have time to get to grips with everything. We only had one set of sails. Now it’s different. We’ve kept at it since the last Cup, delving deeper into the systems, the foils and how everything works together. And then suddenly the rule came out that no new hulls would be built for the next Cup.”

For the K-Challenge, this decision felt like the ultimate invitation. Bruno Dubois says: “We hadn’t actually asked for it. But for us, it all fell into place. The time and effort we’ve put into data analysis will now make a difference. We’ve also brought in French experts from other Cup teams specialising in data analysis and sail design.”

"We’re not saying we’ll win the America’s Cup. But we’ll do our best." Bruno Dubois

Just as with the AC75 design in the past, Emirates Team New Zealand is now unveiling the design package for the new foils in the current Cup cycle. The French AC75 foiler is already considered fast; it was simply that, in Barcelona, it did not have an experienced team and did not have enough time to realise its full potential.

Now, the French team’s overall package for the 38th America’s Cup in Naples is strong. Team manager Stephan Kandler describes his team’s performance between 2021 and the present as follows: “As K-Challenge, together with the sailing teams in the America’s Cup and SailGP, our academy and the K-Challenge Lab, we have generated total team value of around 150 million euros within five years. Starting from scratch.”

The Olympic culture of excellence shapes the team

The La Roche-Posay Racing Team has now become the first Cup team to unveil its refitted AC75 in Naples. The first week of training in the Bay of Naples is already behind them. Here, the French team is currently building up a lead over all the other teams in its first week. This time, they are not – as they were in Barcelona in 2024 – the last team in the new Cup competition, but the first.

"We know how important it is to get involved at this early stage. And we can all see now: it’s getting underway!" Stephan Kandler

The fact that the French have also made significant changes to their crew for their new Cup challenge is likewise down to their focus on New Zealand and their long-term planning. Stephan Kandler says: “Team New Zealand brought two highly talented lads into the team back then – Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. And it went well. It’s similar for us: alongside Quentin, with his Cup experience, we’ve brought in Diego Botin, Florian Trittel and Jason Saunders.”

Stephan Kandler compares this mix to New Zealand’s team-based approach in their last three consecutive Cup victories: “It’s the same Olympic culture of performance.” Diego and Flo “They’ve already won the SailGP as well. That’s so inspiring. Those lads are so good, but they don’t go about with big egos. Quentin no longer has to shoulder all the responsibility on his own. And Diego and Flo don’t have to shoulder that responsibility straight away when they join the Cup.”

Kandler went on to say: “With Enzo Balanger and Lee McMillan, it’s a very good mix.” For the women’s position on board the AC75, as required by the regulations, two strong strategists – Amélie Grassi and up-and-coming talent Maelenn Lemaître – are in the starting blocks.

"As far as I’m concerned, we’re exactly where Team New Zealand was in 2013.” Stephan Kandler

Just how well this mixed crew – reduced to four sailors – has performed in the second pre-regatta for the America’s Cup on the small AC40 foiling yachts, shows the list of results: Despite two dramatic capsizes across eight races, the French team finished third out of nine teams, behind Italy’s top challenger, Luna Rossa, and the New Zealand Cup holders. They achieved this through outstanding speed, sound tactics and two commanding race wins.

Tackling the challenge with strong team spirit

Quite a few people wondered in September what the La Roche-Posay Racing Team might have been capable of had it not been for the capsizes (in one of which they were in the lead). “The others described us as a ‘rocket’ or even a ‘missile’.” “That was good to hear,” said Bruno Dubois in Naples, describing the boost to morale. The experienced manager has also learnt this from his new sporting director, Philippe Presti: “In the America’s Cup, it’s also about how you present yourself.”

“We’ve managed to put together a fantastic team. The team spirit really drives me on!” says Philippe Presti, sporting director of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team. On 19 October, the French team became the first of all the teams to kick off their latest America’s Cup campaign with the unveiling of their AC75: