Yacht Club : Cercle de la Voile de Paris
Sail Nos : FRA 57, FRA 60
Syndicate: K-Challenge Areva Challenge
Syndicate Head: Stephane Kandler
Team Leader:Dawn Riley
Helmsman:Thierry Peponnet, Sebastian Col,
K-Challenge:
see also Areva Challenge. The founder and
CEO Stephane Kandler managed the
leasing of the AC 2000 winner NZL-60
and its sister NZL-57 as training boats.
Besides Dan Riley the challenger yet
won the top sailor Thierry Peponnet
and the designers D. Nicolopoulos and
B.Nivet.
Kandler founded together with the
German sailing ace Jochen Schuemann
the ALL4ONE Challenge and acquired
FRA-93.
FRA-57, FRA-60 K-Challenge / Areva Challenge
Yacht / Country: Le Defi / France
Sailnumber:
FRA-93
Syndicate/Team: AREVA Challenge
CEO:
Stephane Kandler
Yacht Club:
Union Nationale pour la Course au Large
Design:
Boat Builder:
Skipper:
Areva Challenge (formerly K-Challenge)
has a confusing history. Founded as K-
Challenge, it switched with the sponsor
in Areva Challenge, and has been
renamed after the end of the LVC 2007
as a Franco-German cooperation in
ALL4ONE Challenge
As K-Challenge they sailed in the Louis
Vuitton Acts 1-3, as Areva Challenge in
the LVC and as ALL4ONE Challenge in
the LV-Pacific Series, the LV-Trophy and
other races.
Technical Director of the team became
the American sailing icon Mrs. Dawn
Riley (AC 95, 2000, etc).
With FRA-93 the team sailed on the 6th
Place of the LVC 2007.
FRA-93 Areva Challenge Challenger for the LVC 2007
has a confusing history. Founded as K-Challenge,
it switched with the sponsor to AREVA Challenge
Yacht Club: Circolo Vela Gargnano
Country: Italy (ITA)
Syndicate: +39 Challenge
Sail Number: ITA 85
Syndicate Head: Lorenzo Rizzardi
Team Leader: Luca Devoti
Designer: Giovanni Ciccarelli
iHelmsman: Iain Percy
+39 (Piu Trentanove)
Why the team chose the telephone country
code for Italy as name is not clear. One
explanation could be that they wanted to
get the telephone company Telecom Italia
(TIM) as a sponsor on board.
This sponsor changed however from
Mascalzone Latino to Luna Rossa
Challenge. The original plan was that the
team trains with 2 newly acquired boats
on the Lake Garda
But they switched to Valencia and bought
from Alinghi SUI-59 (the former be Happy/
FAST 2000)
With the new Version5 yacht ITA-85, the
team reached the 9th place of 11 with 5
wins and 15 losses.
But they switched to Valencia and bought
from Alinghi SUI-59 (the former be Happy/
FAST 2000)
ITA 85, ITA 59 +39 Challenge challenger of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007
Sail Nos : GER 72, GER 89
Syndicate: United Internet Team Germany
CEO : Uwe Sasse
Yacht Club : Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club
Designers :
Boat Builder : Knieriem Jachtbau, Kiel
Skipper : Jesper Bank
UIT Germany
In recent decades there have been a handful of
projects on a German participation in the AC.
Most advanced was the challenge of Michael
Illbruck with the registration of GER-68 in 2003.
This yacht was drawn by the designer Michel
Richardson (2007 now at Alinghi). After the
premature cancellation of the challenge the
unfinished yacht was sold in 2007 to the Team
New Zealand.
As training boats UIT acquired from the Tourist
charter company Sunsail the earlier ITA-72
(Mascal. Lat.) operating at that time on the Lake
Constance. As second training boat they acquired
Alinghi's SUI-91.
The management was severely divided which
reflected down to the team.
The V5 yacht GER-89 reached the 9th and second
last place of the LVC 2007.
GER 89, GER 72 United Internet Team Germany challenger
for the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007
The V5 yacht GER-89 reached the 9th and second
last place of the LVC 2007.
Yacht / Country: China Team / China
Sailnumber: CHN-95
Syndicate/Team: China Team
CEO:
Chaoyong WANG
Co-investor and Project Advisor Mdm. Yifei LI
Co-Executive Director: Xavier de LESQUEN
Co- director – Sailor: Pierre MAS
General Coordinator: Luc GELLUSSEAU
Project advisor: Nicolas AJACQUES
In addition to K-Challenge Le Defi was the 2nd French
team on a long search for sponsors. After Le Defi had
lost the sponsor of 2003, Areva, it merged with the
new challenger China Team. (The first challenge of
China in an AC)
Chaoyong WANG is the chairman of China Equity
Investment Group, one of the leading Chinese venture
capital firm. Former he was head of Morgan Stanley,
Beijing.
Yifei Li was a martial art champion, Now she is the
managing director of MTV China and one of Fortune's
25 global rising female business stars
FRA-69 and FRA-79 have been transferred to the new
team. The first one was dismantled and a part of the
hardware was used for CHN-95.
The hull of CHN-95 has been painted from bow to stern
totally yellow. The dragon changed to red from its nose
to the tail tip.
The mainsail head was cut horizontally, like all the
competitors mainsails.
The team reached with CHN-95 the 11th and last place
of the LVC 2007.
CHN-95 China team reached the 11th and last ranking in the LVC 2007
After Le Defi had lost the sponsor of 2003, Areva,
it merged with the new challenger China Team.
Picture shows the first painting of Le Defi’s FRA-69
after the merger with China Team.
CHN-69 the former FRA-69
The founder and CEO Stephane Kandler managed
the lease of the AC 2000 winner NZL-60
Louis Vuitton Cup 2007
part 2
AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013
