The French America’s Team, La Roche-Posay Racing Team, unveiled the new livery of their 2023 AC75 hull on Monday in Lorient.
This is the third AC75 to be relaunched by a team competing in the 38th America’s Cup, the La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s boat – now resplendent in the azure blue and white colours of its title sponsor – returned to the water on Monday for its first sail since leaving Barcelona.
As the 2023 hull is largely unchanged, the challenge was not to build a new AC75, but to adapt the existing hull within a radically revised technical framework. The technical competition shifts to areas that are sometimes less visible to the public: the foils, the rudder, the sails, the control systems and the aerodynamics of the deck and cockpits.
The main hull remains, but much of what enables the foiler to sail, fly and be controlled has had to be redesigned. The deck plan, cockpits, weight distribution, control systems, electrical and hydraulic circuits, as well as crew ergonomics, have all been revised to comply with the new rules.
The most visible change is with the crew. In Naples, there will be just five crew, with a requirement to include at least one woman in the crew.
The bridge and cockpits have therefore been extensively redesigned.
Each crew member must have instant access to the information needed for steering, sail trim, and flight control. The foils, in particular, will play a central role.
The configuration revealed during this first sea trial does not necessarily foreshadow the one that will be used in Naples, as development will continue throughout the campaign.
Antoine Carraz, Technical Director of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
“During the first few sorties, we won’t be aiming for top speed straight away. We’re taking it step by step. We need to check that all systems are performing as expected, then gradually increase the load and intensity. Performance can only be achieved once the boat is reliable and fully understood by those who sail it.”
La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s 2026 Programme
- 29 June to 17 July: Training in Lorient
- 1–14 August: Training in Lorient
- Mid-August to end of September: Move to Naples
- 24–27 September: Naples Preliminary Regatta in the AC40 class
- October: Start of sailing in Naples, host city of the 38th America’s Cup