America's Cup - Groupama Team France launch their AC45S in Lorient

by Sail-World.com NZL on 12 Jul 2016 Groupama Team France launched their AC45S (Surrogate) test boat in Lorient, France on Monday July, 11, 2016.

The launch was attended by a very large crowd of team, family, friends and supporters including Groupama Team France principals Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux, Olivier de Kersauson, with Thierry Martel, Directeur Général de Groupama, and Norbert Métairie, Président de lorient Agglomération, Maire de Lorient.

From the images the AC45S appears reasonably standard, mimicking the 5ft longer AC50 One Design of which the team is believed to have started their build in France. The only deviation is in the bow with a stepped chine to introduce more buoyancy in the case of a potential nosedive and the addition of a bulbous forward deck section. Her rudders appear to be conventionally placed indicating that her geometry is not that of an AC50. The wingsail is a standard AC50 wingsail profile as most teams are now using.

As with the Emirates Team NZ AC45S launch, the event was largely ceremonial, and the test boat is expected to go back into the shed before starting sailing in the late European summer/early Autumn.