Areva get their sail number

Construction well under way for the French America's Cup team's FRA93

Long awaited by the team members of Areva Challenge, the future boat of the French Team for the 32nd America’s Cup has been allocated its sail number: FRA93.

Now the new boat the team has imagined and dreamed about for a long time is finally under construction, a just reward for the team members of AREVA Challenge who have worked so hard to evolve their current boat, FRA60 (winner of the 2000 America’s Cup with Team New Zealand) they have race against all their opponents in 2005 and 2006.

Dimitri Nicolopoulos, Coordinator of the Design Team, recounts some of the developments they have carried out with FRA93: “We took our first steps in 2003...choosing the team and preparing the tools (computation software, the mould, etc.) Then in 2004, we got right into it with the arrival of FRA57 and then FRA60 (ex-NZL57 and NZL60), and the design package of Team New Zealand which accompanied them. This design package was then used like a starting block to build our knowledge. That enabled us to start a step higher rather than from scratch. Team New Zealand was a finallist in the three last America’s Cups and they have had very good boats since 1992.

He continued: "Throughout 2005, we focused on the creative aspects of the design. During the 2005-2006 winter, we had a difficult period of time when the team sought a principal sponsor. During this time, the Design Team never stopped working, continuing to calculate, test, and prepare the final plans.

The assignment of the new sail number means our dream has come true. We are really impatient to see the new boat arrive in Valencia at the end of October, and then to develop it for the sailing team. We thus have four months of development in front of us, which leaves us time to make any necessary modifications.”

Stephan Kandler, CEO of Areva Challenge, gave his views: “Receiving the new sail number is an important event for our team because it enables us to materialise the construction of our new boat. For our team, who have sailed since 2004 with a boat built in 1999, it is an additional source of motivation while waiting for the final arrival of our new boat. Meanwhile, we will continue to test new things on FRA60 which will be useful to us on the new boat.

In French, the word for 93 (quatre-vingt-treize), includes the number 13, which I am certain, will bring us good luck. I want to thank all those on the team who have worked on the design and construction of FRA93, and in particular the Shore Team, who has planned and managed the construction perfectly.”

While waiting for the new boat to arrive from France (according to the rules, all ACC boats must be built in the home country of the yacht club that the team represents, Le Cercle de la Voile de Paris for AREVA Challenge), the team will again train off the coast of Valencia in FRA60 beginning in September.