Energy Team official Challenger for the 34th Americas Cup

Launched and run by Loïck and Bruno Peyron, this challenge is backed by the prestigious Yacht Club de France. The construction of the first AC72 multihull will begin at the Multiplast yard in Vannes on the 1st September.

Within a month of the official announcement last September that the America’s Cup was to be raced aboard multihulls, the Peyron brothers announced that they wanted to bring French know-how together to set up a Challenge to attempt to win the prestigious trophy. That is exactly what they have now achieved.

Energy Team, the new French challenge set up around Bruno and Loïck Peyron, has been officially registered for the 34th America’s Cup since 27th January 2011. It has become the sixth Challenger aiming to grab the silver ewer.

Energy Team backed by the Yacht Club de France

The America’s Cup has always been a challenge between yacht clubs. Loïck and Bruno Peyron will be benefiting from some prestigious support, as it is the Yacht Club de France, which is taking the Energy Team challenge to the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco. Energy Team will have everything going for them to defend French hopes, and aims to be one of the most competitive Challengers starting at the Louis Vuitton Cup events. Energy Team’s ambition is to do all it can to take part in the next two editions and to win the America’s Cup. Bruno Peyron is the project’s general manager, Loïck the official skipper of the boats, will also be in charge of the Design Team.

The AC72 to be built at Multiplast

To fulfil this ambition, Energy Team has signed an exclusive partnership with Multiplast, the boatyard based in Vannes (Brittany), which is one of the international references in the world of multihull construction (Orange I and II, Groupama 3). The Multiplast yard will be reserved for Energy Team. The construction of the first AC72 catamaran will begin on 1st September with her launch planned for April 2012. Yann Penfornis, managing director of the yard, will be coordinating the AC 72 design and construction teams, under the supervision of Loïck Peyron.

The first AC 45, the little sister to the AC 72, will be delivered to Energy Team in March 2011, so they may begin training in Auckland.

19 multihulls training

To train and then to race, Energy Team will have at its disposal an impressive fleet of multihulls of all sizes, with seventeen in all available to them: four Class A boats, four F18s, a D35, an X40, a G-Class (the former Orange II), two AC45s and two AC72s... plus four "F25s", which are a 1/3 scale model of the AC72s, which will be used for the America's Cup.

The Energy Team base, the nerve centre of the project, will be set up on the Atlantic coast of France. It will include three centres: one in Vannes, the Multiplast yard, which will be the construction and technological development base; one in Lorient, which will be dedicated to the AC72 and G-Class catamarans; and finally one in La Baule, which will both be the main training centre for the squad and the operations centre for all the work with partners and the media.

Core members of the team

The core members of the Racing Team are already in place and bring together a wealth of experience in four major areas that are vital for performance. The core members so far appointed include the following:

Loïck Peyron, skipper of the AC45 and AC72: 6 times F60 world champion, 8 times F28 Trophy Champion winner,

Bruno Peyron: 8 times world ocean records champion, skipper of the G Class, which will be the ambassador for Energy Team,

Yann Guichard, helmsman with Loïck Peyron: Extreme 40 world number 2, Member of the French Olympic team,

Thierry Fouchier: performance team, the only Frenchman to have won the America’s Cup with BMW Oracle Racing aboard which he was the wing sail trimmer.

Jean-Christophe Mourniac: performance team, member of the French Olympic team, one of the world’s top 5 Tornado and F18 racers over the past ten years.

Yves Loday: coach for young talent. Former member of the French Olympic team, he was Tornado gold medallist in Barcelona in 1992. He will be joining the team to prepare the "Youth America's Cup" that the American Defender is launching.

The executive committee in place

Within the executive committee of Energy Team set up around Loïck and Bruno Peyron, we can find such influential members as Philippe Court, President and Gérard Petipas, Vice-President of the Yacht Club de France, but also various personalities, whose expertise and skills can only be beneficial, from a strategic as well as a marketing, business and legal perspective. François Château, President of the Salans international law firm (in charge of the legal aspects of the project), Erik Maris, from the Messier Maris consulting agency and Thierry Reboul, President of the event management agency Ubibene, which will be taking care of the marketing strategy and partnership packages.

Key dates

• 26th October 2010 : 1st announcement made by Loïck and Bruno Peyron
• 27th January 2011 : The Yacht Club de France becomes the official Yacht Club for the ENERGY TEAM challenge
• 27th January 2011 : ENERGY TEAM, 6th official challenger
• March 2011 : Official closing date for registrations
• March 2011 : Launch of the first Energy Team AC45
• June 2011 : Start of the AC World Series
• April 2012 : Launch of the first Energy Team AC72
• 13th July to 1st September 2013 : San Francisco, Louis Vuitton Cup.
• 7th to 22nd September 2013 : San Francisco, final match

Quotes

Philippe Court, President of the Yacht Club de France: “…after attempting without success to bring together the two potential teams that have declared themselves, it seemed to us not just the normal thing to do, but a necessity that the YCF and its board support Bruno and Loick Peyron’s project to take a challenge to the Golden Gate Yacht Club by becoming Official Challenger for the 34th America’s Cup. It was normal because with the new format for the America’s Cup, Bruno and Loick’s list of achievements in multihull racing, a real French speciality, confirms their place, as well as their technical and managerial skills, making these two exceptional sailors the best candidates for a French attempt in the Cup. It is a necessity as it fits in perfectly with the mission of the YCF to take part in any attempt, where France (finally) has a serious chance of seizing victory in the America’s Cup, after taking part in every edition since 1970.”

Russell Coutts: “It’s fantastic that we’ve got another team in the America’s Cup and what should be a very competitive one. Obviously Loïck and Bruno Peyron have a lot of multihull experience and they know how to campaign these boats and Loïck was very involved in the last America’s Cup. So I think it’s fantastic that they are in this. I know they have been wanting to get into this and it’s great to see they have lodged their entry.”

Richard Worth, CEO America’s Cup Race Management: “The America’s Cup will be presenting the world’s best sailors on the fastest boats and that is why, we are pleased to welcome the Yacht Club de France and the strong Energy Team, which is well-known for its huge experience of multihull sailing.”

The Yacht Club de France

Founded on 15th June 1867 under the patronage of Emperor Napoleon III, it is one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in France. Among its members, it has included such famous people as Jules Verne, Virginie Hériot, Alain Gerbault, Commander Charcot, Marin-Marie and more recently Eric Tabarly.