New line-up for K-Challenge

Crucial new additions trialling for the French team in Valencia

After having taking part in the Louis Vuitton Act 1 in Marseille in September, K-Challenge, the French Challenger for the 32nd America's Cup, is now settled in Valencia and has been undergoing intensive training prior to Louis Vuitton Acts 2 & 3 that begin next week. The team has been training since 20 September for two weeks in order to improve their performance from Act 1.

A new line-up has been put in place for the sailing team to test new team members as planned. These mainly include Anglo-Saxons who are experts in their field such as Peter Merrington (grinder, America's Cup and Volvo Ocean race), Glenn Atrill (mast), Paul Murray (spinnaker trimmer, four America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race in 2001-2002), Rob Myles (America's Cup with Stars & Stripes in 2003), Mikkel Rossberg (America's Cup in 2003 with the Swedish team Victory Challenge).

K-Challenge skipper Thierry Peponnet is already very enthusiastic about the first results the team gets on the official race course of the 32nd America's Cup, coming directly from what he started only four days before the Marseille Louis Vuitton Act 1:

"The training with the new sailing team has been very positive, despite winds of 6-8 knots at the beginning of the week, which was the first time the wind was so light since 20 September that we started the training. However the team did really well, with the new grinders we went up in power on the winches. At the beginning we focussed on coordination work between my way of steering the boat and the main sail, genoa and spinnaker trimmers. But this was also to see how communication between French and Anglo-Saxons was working. And everything's going fine... Now we will have to keep the same communication level during the hardest moments, stay calm and maintain clear communication between us. Generally speaking, I'm very confident about Act 2 - we have had more time to get ready, to train and work on optimising our boat."

A crucial team member for Act 2 will be Cameron Appleton (2 America's Cup, former reserve helmsman and tactician for Team New Zealand) because he has a great knowledge of K-Challenge former Team New Zealand boat, now called FRA 57. Aside from Appleton will be Sebastien Col (Melges 24 world champion this year) and one of the top French tacticians, plus Meg Gaillard (the USA's Europe dinghy representative in Athens).

Also new to the team is Jean Galfione (gold medallist in pole-vaulting at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 as a grinder on board. Galfione is also the fitness coach of the team and is integrating well: "It's really a great adventure where team spirit is very crucial. For my first experience as a grinder, I have been helped by Teva Plichart and Albert Jacobsoone, my 'teachers' on board. I think I've got up to speed quickly even if at the start I felt a little lost regarding the manoeuvres. They are repetitive, so I get to know them step by step, but going around the buoys is still difficult for me. The hardest part is to maintain concentration, which is beyond the physical efforts to do. But I'm very happy and honoured to be on board an ACC boat, for the first time!"

K-Challenge will take part to the official training race on Sunday 3 September with the seven other teams registered for the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 2, before the official competition starts on the morning of Tuesday 5 September.

Crew line

Helmsman/skipper	Thierry Peponnet
Tactician	Sebastien Col
Navigator	Simon Fisher
Strategist	Cameron Appleton
Pit assist	Dawn Riley
Traveller	Meg Gaillard
Main Trimmer	Benoit Briand
Grinder	Teva Plichart
Trimmer spinnaker	Paul Murray
Trimmer genoa	Mikkel Rossberg
Grinder	Jean Galfione
Grinder	Peter Merrington
Pit/ Piano	Albert Jacobsoone
Mast	Glenn Atrill
Mid Bow	Rob Myles
Bow	Sean "Doogie" Couvreux
Runner	Olivier Douillard