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NZL-32
to arrive in France Monday
(06/11/01)
(source
: ledefi.com)
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The Black Magic rented by Le
Défi Français are due to arrive in Lorient
(France) on the morning of monday 18 June. NZL-32 will serve
as partner of training to FRA-46 in Lorient's from July.
The syndicate shore team is currently preparing the yard
for the boats' arrival and the refurbishment of areas of
the site that will see the necessary facilities installed.
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FRA-46
to test Dressed in Orange (06/11/01)
(source
: ledefi.com)
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Elegant new graphic design
to represent French's challenger to the yacht-racing. Today,
FRA-46 (former Sixième Sens) is presented with her
new colors, totally repainted in orange, keel, hull and
bridge. Exit so the blue strip on the hull.
After the painting operation, the internal and external
accastillage is going to have gone back up, as well as the
electronics and the hydraulics. Launch is foreseen on June
26. Will follow the delivery in place of the mast and the
keel so that the boat is ready to navigate about fifteen
July.
This summer, the reengineered French yacht will slip into
the waters of Lorient (Britanny) with is new friend, NZL-32.
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A
Busy Summer Is Coming Up For Destremau (05/17/01)
(source
: sailsail.com)
|
Sebastien Destremau, an Australian
professional yachtsman supported by British Airways will
be competing on the old continent from June until the end
of the year 2001 as a member of the French America's Cup
team.
Le Defi is starting a campaign to compete in the America's
Cup to be held in Auckland (NZ) during summer 2002/03.
First destination, is Italy where after two days of practice
Sebastien and Philippe Presti will be representing the French
America's Cup Challenge 'Le Defi' in the Pedrini Cup 2001
that will be held on the Garda Lake from the 13th to the
17th June. Six other America's Cup syndicates have been
invited to compete in this event including Mascalzone Latino
Team (ITA); Illbruck AC Challenge (GER); Prada (ITA); Swiss
AC Challenge (SWI); Team One World (USA) and Oracle Racing
(USA).
The second stage of the tour will be in Spain in July and
August. Sebastien will try to conquer the World IMS Championship
to be held in Palma de Mallorca from 1st to 10th August
as tactician on board the Krazy K Yote 2, a revolutionary
50 footer that is sailed by the French America's Cup syndicate.
The preparation for this World championship will include
three regattas in Spain during the month of July 2001 (Valencia
and Palma).
The third stage of the Tour will be in Denmark. Sebastien
is one of the only 16 invited skippers to participate in
the Danish Open 2001 to be held in Copenhagen from 14th
to 19th August. The French team will be facing an impressive
line up of their future America's Cup teams including Victory
Challenge (SWE); Illbruck AC Challenge (GER); GBR Challenge
(GBR); Prada (ITA); Team New Zealand (NZL); Swiss AC Challenge
(SWI); Team One World (USA) and Oracle Racing (USA).
The final stage of this campaign 2001 will be even harder.
From the end of August until November, Sebastien will be
heading off to the French America's Cup training camp based
in Lorient (Brittany). This three months training and testing
period will be followed by a short but well deserved summer
break back in Perth.
"Although to spend all this time on the road will be tough
, I am really looking forward to the next six months. Sailing
is a job that I love doing and this program is an interesting
combination of fleet racing, match racing and hard training.
To alternate these disciplines at the highest level is the
best preparation the French Team can have for the America's
Cup 2002/03." Sebastien commented.
"The French syndicate has now selected a group of people
that will compose of the afterguard in the America's Cup
boat. No positions have been definitively secured yet and
with my team mates we now have to go out there, practice
and learn to work together as a team" Sebastien concluded.
.
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Introducing
French Sailing Team (05/07/01)
(source
: ledefi.com)
|
Le Défi
Français will training at full regime from its operations
base in Lorient (France). The french crew will sailing every
day, subject to the weather conditions, on the IACC yachts
Sixième Sens and NZL-32.
The Sailing team of the Challenge 2003 is outlined gradually.
Eventually, the french crew should include 26 persons officially
appointed by the end of the year.
Besides a dozen of new members which should be chosen among
30 preselected, this new Team should include : |
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The five present in Long Beach
for the Congressional Cup (Sébastien Destremau,
Sébastien Col, Thierry Fouchier, Gilles Favennec,
Philippe Mourniac and Jean Marie Dauris),
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Philippe Presti (Finn, double
Finn World champion),
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The German Tim Kröger (see below),
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At least 14 former members of
the Team 2000 (Luc Gelluseau and Pierre Mas should
be active on board of the IACC).
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Between
June 2001 and September 2002, the Challenge foresees 1680
h. of navigation on the two IACC (against 180 over the same
period during the last campaign 2000).
During May and June, Philippe Presti will be competing in
the Lake Constance Match Race in Germany (May 31 - June
4, 2001), in the Pedrini Open on the Lake Garda and in the
Cap Gemini Match in Sweden. Sébastien Destremau will
be present in Italy and in Sweden. |
News
from the french challenge
(04/19/01)
(source
: sail-online.fr)
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Friday, FRA-46 enters the shipyard. Not for important
modifications but rather for renovation before its first
session this summer to Lorient. " We are going to test
specific systems, small ideas which we wanted to try"
explains Luc Gellusseau, one of three directors of the
French challenge.
" One is also going to redo her a beauty " Xavier de Lesquen
enjoys himself. But to discover the new dress of the french
Class America, it will be necessary to wait for June.
It would not be surprising to see a boat in the three-coloured
colours going out of the DCN, the blue, the red and the
white being the new colours of the challenge.
The first trainings in two boats should take place only
at the beginning of July because the base will not be
finished before this date. Big works in fact, with a technical
zone of 4000 m ², 180 metres of pontoon, a darse, a hangar
of 400 m2 being able to to welcome 6ème Sens and
Black Magic NZL 32. The trainings in two boats should
last all summer.
During this time, le Défi français is set
to compete on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.
The french Team is building a competitive crew
(Sébastien Destremau, Sebastien Col and Philippe Presti)
with his entry into both the upcoming Congressional Cup.
The Design Team began testing models in the towing tank
and already projects of hulls which take out drawing boards.
"From the technological point, we advanced incredibly
with regard to the previous edition. Very interesting
things are going out of our studies and we are very satisfied
with the way it takes place within the team design. A
big work was begun on appendixes, our ideas evolved a
lot, and the results seem to us excellent ", pursues Xavier
de Lesquen.
Of these studies will be born one or two new boats, it
will depend on the definitive budget. At least, the construction
of it or these Class America should begin in November
or next December.
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Luc
Pillot doesn't integrate Le Défi (03/29/01)
(source
: Sail-online)
|
After Bertrand Pacé
accepted a position as a trial horse skipper for TNZ, names
such as Phillipe Presti, Luc Pillot, Sebastien Col and former
tactician Thierry Peponnet have been circulated.
Intervewed by Sail-online just after He ended Australia
Cup to Perth in the fifth place, Luc Pillot said "I
send a proposition (to the Yaka Team) and I received a negative
answer. I planned to begin to navigate on April for two
years. I received no precise reasons of this choice but
in every case I am fixed now. |
Tim
Kröger joins le Défi Français (03/22/01)
(source
: yacht.de)
|
Winner of the '94 and '95 Mumm
36 World Championship aboard "Corum" (with Bertrand
Pacé, Pierre Masse and Luc Gelluseau), the german
skipper joins the French America's Cup team. He will be
member of Sailing Team as "Fallenmanns einnehmen"
(?) but will also have responsibilities within the Design
programme.
Main sailing Achievements :
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1983 : Member of the
german Team winner of the Admiral's Cup aboard "Sabina"
; |
| > |
1986 : 3rd in the Soling
European Championship ;
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1992/93 : Second in the
Whitbread Round the World Race, as bowman aboard "Intrum
Justitia" ;
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1994 : Winner of the
Mumm 36 World Championship with the Corum Team ;
|
| > |
1995 : Winner of the Mumm
36 World Championship with the Corum Team ; |
| > |
3rd in the Volvo Ocean Race, as bowman
aboard "Swedish Match" ;
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1999/2000 : member of
the Illbrück Racing for the next Volvo Ocean
Race ;
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2000 : aboard Steve Fossett's
Maxi Catamaran PlayStation wich is failed to break
the Atlantic Record.
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Le
Défi Français deposits roll in (02/22/01)
(source
: ledefi.com
& NZHerald)
|
| Le Défi Français,
in association with its yacht club the UNCL (Union Nationale
pour la Course au large), sent this night its file to Auckland,
to become official challenger for the 31st America's Cup
The 'notice of challenge for the match', the necessary papers
and a bankers draft for the $US 150,000 entry fee for the
America's Cup entry have been delivered to Peter Taylor,
Commodore of the RNZYS.
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