Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series - Big Apple, here we are!

by Groupama Team France on 5 May 2016 2016 America’s Cup World Series - Two months on from the first event of the 2016 season of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, the preliminary circuit for the America’s Cup, the defender and challengers are back together for a fresh series of on-the-water battles, this time in New York.

Fourth in the overall ranking in Oman last February, an event won by the English team on BAR ahead of the Americans on Oracle, Groupama Team France finished with a deficit of just two points in relation to Team New Zealand thanks to a superb victory in the last race. It proved to be a very promising performance for the French team, which is targeting a podium finish this weekend in New York.

Two days of competition at the foot of Manhattan’s skyscrapers

On the programme for the coming weekend, six races on the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey. There are likely to be a few complications, notably as a result of the current and what is forecast to be a fairly strong breeze on Sunday.

Bertrand Pacé, coach to Groupama Team France: “The AC45 will be making headway on a stretch of water situated in the middle of the Hudson River and subject to strong currents, which could reach four knots at certain times. In that instance, it might cause a few difficulties… Measurements made over recent days confirm this trend, but there aren’t really any hard and fast rules; it’s variable. With regards to the wind, there are three possible configurations: a south-easterly wind: this is a fairly violent wind, which comes from the skyscrapers if you position yourself on the course. A thermal south-westerly breeze. This is usually more stable, but with elements such as buildings, it may become more random. And finally, a westerly wind. David Lanier, who’s giving us a hand with the weather, has finely modelled the area, but with all the variables that I’ve just explained, analysis of the true situation remains complicated. As a result, the crew of Groupama Team France will simply have to adapt their game accordingly.”

In the Big Apple, Groupama Team France has hooked back up with its appointed skipper Franck Cammas, who is keen to get back in the saddle: “After six months without being able to compete, New York, its skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty herald my big comeback. Despite this grandiose context, we’re going to have to be fully focused on trimming our Groupama Team France as our rivals aren’t going to wait around for us and the race zone isn’t that extensive. In general, sailing on the Hudson is not easy at this time of year: the wind and current may give us a hard time… I do feel a little apprehensive. However, my reflex actions as a racer have soon kicked back in and the crew and I did a lot of sailing in March and April, a lot more than last year in any case. By Sunday we’ll be able to see if all that’s paid off. However, our objective is clear: we want to finish in the middle of the table. In Oman, we toyed with the podium. In New York, it’s clearly in our sights!'

The work of an orchestra at every leg of the Louis Vuitton Americas Cup World Series

Though the public access race village and the various entertainment on offer is set up at the heart of Manhattan’s business district, in North Cove Marina, the crews competing in the 35th America’s Cup have set up their respective bases on the New Jersey side, away from the glare of publicity. Everyone beavers away with millimeter precision prior to each act of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. Groupama Team France’s shore crew has already been working flat out for some eight days. Management of the arrival of containers, assembly of the base, which measures nearly 500m2 and assembly of the AC45 Series, which are dismantled during the journey aboard the cargo ship, take up the bulk of the work in the run-up to the competition. Next up is the start of the week that precedes the matches themselves, where sailors and coaches get back in the zone: sport, weather analysis and the drawing up of the strategy are all on the programme to ensure the team is confident and ready to go on the big day. Two intense days punctuate the calendar with six 20-minute races preceded by a showstopper of an introduction to proceedings for the public and culminating with a compulsory passage through the mixed zone to respond to the media interviews.

Bruno Dubois, Team Manager: “In an LVACWS event, there are nearly 20 people involved in operations that range from logistics to sailors, shore crew and coaches and to teams related to communication, public relations and management. Everyone has a defined role and sticks to it. It’s a bit like a big orchestra, where each instrument has its moment in the spotlight. The aim is not to play a duff note so that all the respective parties fulfil their objective at the allotted moment! The success of an event like a competition requires a great deal of precision in the preparation and in the organisation. The wording may appear rather rigid but it is necessary and, ultimately, facilitates the life of the teams, whilst keeping the public, fans and guests happy.”

The crew of Groupama Team France in New York from 5 to 8 May 2016

• Helmsman / skipper: Franck Cammas
• Wing trimmer: Thierry Fouchier
• Tactics: Thomas Le Breton
• Headsail trimmer: Hervé Cunningham
• Bowman: Devan Le Bihan
• Replacement: Olivier Herledant