French Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team ready for first ever Puig Women's America's Cup

by Orient Express Racing Team 2 Oct 21:40 BST

Pauline Courtois, Amélie Riou, Manon Audinet, Aloïse Retornaz and Audrey Ogereau form Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team © Orient Express Racing Team

The America's Cup is the first international sporting event to organise the three major trophies - the America's Cup, the Youth America's Cup and the Women's America's Cup - at the same venue, Barcelona, during the same period, and with the same global broadcast.

To watch all the action see youtube.com/@americascup

Some of France's most talented women racing sailors will go into action this Saturday, 5 October, in the historic inaugural edition of the Puig Women's America's Cup.

The event is being hailed as a potential gamechanger for women aiming to make their mark at the peak of world yacht racing.

Meanwhile the French women's squad has long been at the heart of the Orient Express Racing Team throughout its journey to the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, with the all-women Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team fully integrated since the team's formation.

The squad — which includes World, European and French sailing champions as well as Olympic medal winners — is led by skipper and trimmer Manon Audinet, alongside pilots Pauline Courtois and Audrey Ogereau, and trimmers Aloïse Retornaz and Amélie Riou.

A celebrated multihull specialist, Manon Audinet became a mother during the selection process before being appointed skipper of the French AC40. "I never thought the competition would one day be open to women," she said. "I dreamt about it, but I never thought I would have a place in it.

"It's the ultimate competition that every woman sailor wants to do. My aim is to lead the girls to victory in this inaugural event. That would be marvellous!"

Pilot Pauline Courtois is a recognised match-racing expert and a triple World and European Champion in the discipline, as well as being a five-times Women's World Match Racing Tour Champion.

On the helm in the opposite hull of the foiling AC40, Audrey Ogereau has been racing catamarans for many years, at one point alongside Audinet on a Hobie 16.

In the equally vital role of trimmer Aloïse Retornaz has had a fine Olympic career, culminating in a 470 Bronze Medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, followed by a further Bronze at the 470 European Championships last year.

Also with a background in the Olympic programme, the talented Amélie Riou has raced as tactician on the France SailGP Team's F50 since 2022, and will be a potentially influential substitute for the crew.

For Orient Express Racing Team and K-Challenge, the new Puig Women's America's Cup — as with the recent UniCredit Youth America's Cup — is a natural continuation of their journey which is already under way.

"We welcome this initiative, which fits perfectly with K-Challenge's DNA and track record," said CEO Stephan Kandler. "Back in 2007, during our previous campaign in Valencia, we appointed a woman, Dawn Riley, for the position of Team Principal.

"For our partners, these two events, the Youth America's Cup and the Women's America's Cup are one of the reasons for their support for the French Orient Express Racing Team," he added, also underlining some key future plans: "Alongside Nextworld, a partner who has been with us since the start of the selection process for our youth and women's squads, we are keen to put in place a real training programme, not only relating to sailing, but also in terms of sports project management, technical training, etc."

When racing gets under way on Saturday the Puig Women's America's Cup will follow the format of the UniCredit Youth America's Cup, which recently celebrated its third edition in Barcelona.

The 12-strong fleet is divided into two groups, with Group A including Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team and the five other America's Cup teams — New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy and the USA. Group B consists of the invited teams from Spain, Holland, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Australia.

At the end of the Qualification Series of eight fleet races, the top three teams in each group go into the Semi-Final Series, where four fleet races decide which two teams progress to the one-off, winner takes all Final Match Race.

The Match Race for the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup Trophy is scheduled for 13 October. France's Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team will be giving it their all to be there.

Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team Women's America's Cup squad: