New country, new approach

We speak to China Team boss Xavier de Lesquen

They may be sailing fancy new version five boats with inflatable battens in their headsails and taking the America's Cup to ever increasing levels of competitiveness, but one of the most significant developments for the 32nd America's Cup is the participation of the three new countries: South Africa, Germany and China.

Most exciting of these is China, where the exploding economy within what in population terms is the world's largest country - in 2003 there were 1.3 billion Chinese, representing 20.7% of the world's population - makes it a ripe candidate for involvement in yachting's premier event.

The seed for China's involvement in the America's Cup came when America's Cup Management wisely invited Chaoyong Wang of China Equity Investment, one of China's leading venture capital companies, to attend last year's Act in Marseilles. While Wang is said to have left Marseilles swearing that China would be involved, it was not until December last year that Wang finally hooked up with Le Defi's Pierre Mas, Luc Gellusseau and Xavier de Lesquen.

Lesquen (right) takes up the story: "At the time Chaoyong Wang had made a new step and had become convinced that the only way to create a China Team was to have an association with an existing team. So we discussed this very quickly with him because we were very interested in this process. We established a partnership in March and after that we have been working a lot to put everything together to be able to make the inscription." China Team formally challenged for the 32nd America's Cup on the last possible date, 29 April 2005.

While it is tempting to think that a cash rich venture capital company is merely funding China's entire entry into the America's Cup, inevitably this is far from the case. Like Emirates Team New Zealand, China Team is not tacking sponsorship deals on to some philanthopist's private pot of gold.

"We are looking for 100% of the budget - it is a full sponsorship project. There is no private money," insists Xavier de Lesquen, now China Team's Executive Director. "Part of the sponsorship is in place thanks to the existing sponsors, but it is a small part of what we want to achieve. Our goal is 33 million Euros - a middle-sized budget but enough to be competitive in this Cup and to have a good platform for the future. We are very used to managing this kind of budget. Last time Le Defi had a 22 million budget for the whole campaign."

So, in a deal which is believed to be similar to that which the Volvo Ocean Race have set up with Pirates of the Caribbean, the America's Cup's link with China is really an enticing sponsorship platform.

"Our idea is to get sponsors from China as well from the western countries," continues Lesquen. For Chinese companies there is the opportunity to sponsor the team to help give them international exposure outside of their home market, while the number of western companies wishing to break into the soon-to-boom Chinese market are legion.

"For TAG Heuer, their association with China Team is not only about the America’s Cup but to get into China," says Lesquen. "It is the same for Lladro, the Spanish company who’s sponsorship was announced last week. They are interested in developing their business in China and they see their association with China Team as a promotion in China and very strong link with Chinese people who are at the core of the modernisation of this new Chinese economy which is so powerful and efficient.

"Then there is one Chinese company, Silver Marine, a very successful boat builder with good technical skills based in Shanghai and they want develop in Europe, which is their first market and they want to get involved in the America’s Cup to boost this market," says Lesquen. When China Team despatched Team Shosholoza to claim their only point in Act 4 last week they got 8-12 minutes of coverage on national television in China - previewed potentially by 350 million households.



The same get-into-China ploy was used recently by Formula 1 when they held a Grand Prix in Shanghai. "It was a huge success, beyond all expectation in Chinese and it was popular because people love this kind of sport, it is modern, technological," says Lesquen. "We know we have to work a lot because sailing is a new sport and China is entering for the first time but I think the leverage will be huge, so we want to achieve some good interest quite quickly."

There is no financial support of the campaign from the Chinese government but Mr Hu Jintao's government have endorsed the project and Lesquen says it would not be possible to call themselves China Team and have the Chinese flag on the boat, plus the assistance of various government bodies in China, without their support.

Chinese sportsmen competing internationally has also become less ununusal over the last decade. 7ft 5in tall Yao Ming, plays in the NBA in the US for the Houston Rockets while British football clubs include players such as Sun Jihai (Manchester City) Li Tie (Everton) and Dong Fangzhuo (Manchester United).

At present China Team is almost entirely French save for some characters on the side of the boat and the crew gear. However here in Valencia the team were this week joined by three young Chinese sailors from the Finn and 470 classes. To date Fei Zhoa, Guangyi Liu and Peirui Wang have sailed on board the team's ACC boat, but not during racing. This will happen with the advent of today's Act 5 fleet racing. "It will be the first time in the history of the America’s Cup and of China that there will be a Chinese crewmember on board one of the boats," says Lesquen.



Due to the tight time scale between formally challenging and the start of Act IV, Lesquen says they left choosing their three strong Chinese squad to the Chinese Yachting Federation and all three are products of the Chinese Olympic sailing squad.

"We have just spent a little time learning about each other, but we are very astonished by the ability of these young Chinese sailors," says Lesquen. "They are very fit, almost ready to sail an America’s Cup boat from this point of view. Their technical skill - we will learn a little more about that, but it is very good. They are great sailors, used to dinghies, so there is a lot of work for them to adapt to big boats but they arrive with very good knowledge and very good team spirit. Two of them don’t speak a word of English and in a few hours they were able to integrate in the team, communicate with the crew and understand what was going on. It was a very great experience and that’s why one is coming on board for the first time on the race course."

In the future China Team want to work together with the Chinese Yachting Federation to establish a more formalised structure for choosing the best crew to join the China Team crew. "We will organise some sailing camps," says Lesquen. "The first one will be in October. With the Chinese Yachting Association we will select a group of people, sail with them in China, observe the people to try to figure out who would be good for China Team. The people selected will train in China and then come to Europe to sail on the America’s Cup boats."

Lesquen says that they are not anticipating China Team ultimately have a 100% Chinese crew. Perhaps one third of their squad is more realistic, he feels. "You never know, but from what we have seen so far one third will not be aproblem. In this kind of program the objective is to have a good group of sailors of 30-32 people and in this group there will be a good number of Chinese and after it is a question of self-achievement. When you have four grinders and you decide which will be in the A-team, you just look at the guy not his nationality."

Aside from the sailing team, Lesquen says they are also investigating other Chinese talent who can help them in other aspects of the campaign, such as the design and engineering side. They also have some fantastic tank test and wind tunnel facilities in China. "In July we will look at what exists in China. They have huge facilities there but we need to ensure those facilities can handle what we do, which is very specific. Maybe 50% of the teams are working in the UK because the UK have not the most fantastic facilities in the world, but the skill of the people is there. So we will maybe go to the UK or China."

The new Team China boats are expected to be built in China.

To assist in developing awareness of the America's Cup in China, an America's Cup class exhibition race along the lines of the ones held between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in San Francisco and Newport, although possibly including more than just two boats, is being planned. This may take place in September 2006. "We are pretty sure that after the China Regatta some America’s Cup boats will stay there and will become a tool for China Team and for the public," says Lesquen.

At present Pierre Mas is on the helm for China Team and Lesquen acknowledges that this year the boat is not going to be competitive. Apart from some rough keel modifications FRA-69 is still in Version 4 trim. "The goal is to make a very competitive Chinese team in the near future. We don’t want to wait two or three editions to be competitive. We want to be competitive next year. All the choices we will make will be to have a competitive team."

In the short term there is the communication issue to resolve. As Lesquen says: "Our first idea was English. Our second idea was Chinese because everyone has to make an effort. The French guys are used to the boat and they have to learn 40 words to communicate in Chinese and the Chinese will learn the boat. But the third idea, which has been working, has been gesture. We are working on the glossary now. Very quickly everyone on the boat will know the words in French, English and Chinese. Everyone on the base is learning two or three words a day. So I think it will be a multi-lingual team."