America’s Cup: the French team La Roche Posay’s AC75 yacht has been launched
The first boat to arrive in the Gulf and moor at Bagnoli, where the work carried out has enabled the team to open its own base
The La Roche-Posay Racing Team has launched its first AC75, the boat with which it will compete in the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup, to be held in the Gulf of Naples in 2027. The French team is therefore the first to launch an AC75 and to sail in the Gulf of Naples, with 215 days to go until the start of the regatta.
The La Roche-Posay Racing Team, competing on behalf of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, having trained throughout the summer in Lorient, in north-western France, transported its AC75 by road to Naples via a “Convoi Exceptionnel” to the port of Sète, on the southern coast of France, before being transferred by barge to Naples.
The French team’s AC75, the sister boat to Emirates Team New Zealand’s ‘Taihoro’ – winner of the 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup – arrived in Bagnoli shortly before the preliminary race and was hoisted onto the new base by a crane. There, it was fitted out and rigged to ensure optimal conditions for the race; the team plans to train throughout the winter in preparation for the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is due to begin on 22 May 2027.
In Bagnoli, La Roche-Posay Racing Team opened its base to the world, welcoming officials – including Under-Secretary Luigi Sbarra and the Mayor of Naples and Commissioner for Bagnoli, Gaetano Manfredi – as well as the wider America’s Cup community, who witnessed the launch and the boat’s maiden voyage. The entire sailing team was also introduced in Bagnoli: skipper Quentin Delapierre, co-helmsman Diego Botìn, and trimmers Jason Saunders, Leigh McMillan, Florian Trittel and Maëlenn Lemaitre. Among those present were the team’s coach, Philippe Presti, Amélie Grassi, Enzo Balanger and Timothé Lapauw.
“I am extremely proud to be here,” said Philippe Presti. “When you look at this boat, you see a beautiful paint job, you see a splendid sponsor, you see a carbon fibre hull. But what we all see – all the lads in the shed, in the hangar – are the thousands of hours of hard work it took to build it. And we know the road to the America’s Cup will be a long one. We have eight months to work flat out to ensure this boat sails as fast as possible. We were the last to arrive in Barcelona. We’re the first to be here in Naples, and we want to make the most of every hour to make a difference in the end.”
