Quentin Delapierre: skipper and pilot

One of many pieces of great news of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup was the announcement that France would once again be challenging for the most famous trophy in international sports. Their history stretches back to the late 1960’s with some of the most mercurial French sailors competing backed by the most colourful and enigmatic owners.

The Orient Express Racing Team pays tribute to the past with the visionary backing of Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois who have created something so much more than just a singular challenge for the America’s Cup. This is a challenge with deep roots to encourage the next generations of French sailing superstars onto the world stage and their campaign has been full of elan and Gallic flair and sees them very much as the team that everyone wants to see do well. 

To cut down the design time and ensure entry, Orient Express Racing Team bought an incredible design package off the board of the Emirates Team New Zealand Design Office and to the naked eye, their new AC75 looks a carbon copy of the Defenders’ yacht ‘Taihoro.’ Early commissioning has been very interesting with the French getting to grips with the AC75 and embarking on the most vertical of learning curves.