Energy Decides Not to Challenge This Time, Looks Toward 35th Defense
French Team Will Still Compete in ACWS and Youth Series: Press Release
August 1, 2012
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| Image:©2011 Energy
Team |
Bruno and Loïck Peyron have made their mind up. In less
than a year, Energy Team has managed to raise themselves up to join the
best teams in the world in the preparatory circuit for the America’s Cup.
Sharing a place on the podium at the end of the first season in the
America’s Cup World Series with Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New
Zealand, the team led by Bruno and Loïck Peyron have decided to commit
themselves to a second season of racing with some new ambitions, but in
order to ensure their future, they have decided not to go ahead with the
idea of starting work on the construction of an AC72 with a limited
budget. Energy Team will also be entering a youth team, comprising a
number of young talented sailors, the selection of which is underway, in
order to compete in the Youth America’s Cup in September 2013 in San
Francisco.
In spite of the quality of the arrangements that have been put in place (race team, logistics and technical teams, a design agreement with Oracle Team USA, a yard that was prepared,…), and even if they have made significant progress over the past few weeks, enabling them to bring together almost two-thirds of the required budget, Bruno and Loïck Peyron consider that the risk of beginning work on building an AC72 is too high and that it is their responsibility to protect the work done and the good results already achieved this season and have therefore had to take a painful, yet responsible decision. Bruno Peyron: “We have always said that we would not be competing just for the sake of it. This decision is a logical one, if we look at the goals we gave ourselves with the Yacht Club de France, which are still the same: to set up a team that is able to compete at the highest level and bring back the America’s Cup. Our fine results this season should prove useful in the future and allow us to continue to build a real Challenger for the America’s Cup. We can all be proud of the work that has been accomplished in such a short space of time, but we must not take a big gamble with the risk of losing everything. Whilst the final phase of our project is beyond our grasp this year, let us now look ahead to the 35th America’s Cup…”
The Same Ambition And A New
Start
The foundations are solid and the goals clear. Energy Team wants to
continue to progress alongside the best teams in the world in order to
prepare for the future and to secure a return on the investment for their
partners, including in particular the Swiss watchmaker Corum, which was the
first partner to come alongside Energy Team. The start of the second
season of the AC World Series in San Francisco will take place with a team
that can clearly state its ambitions: they wish to beat the best teams in
the world. Yann Guichard will be back at the helm in San Francisco at the
end of August and will be rejoining the group for what looks like being a
hotly contested season with the arrival of new challengers aiming for
victory and no fewer than 11 teams lining up for the start. Loïck Peyron:
“Continuing with our strategy of changing over and making the most of our
complementary skills, I’m pleased to be able to hand over the helm of the
Energy Team AC45 to Yann Guichard. The whole team is more motivated than
ever with this unique opportunity to continue to compete alongside the best
on these exceptional boats.”
The 35th America’s Cup Begins
Now
While clearly time is running out for the 34th America’s Cup, Bruno and
Loïck Peyron want now to protect their long term future and make the most
of the time available to start to prepare a new campaign, where realism and
serenity will be the watchwords. Bruno Peyron: “We’re already working on a
new commercial proposal, which is better suited to the current economic
situation. There is a certain consensus amongst the Challengers to see
changes made to the economic model of the America’s Cup in order to be more
realistic and move towards sensible budgets that can be kept under
control. With annual budgets of around €10 million, the proposal will
begin to look much more interesting, including in the French market, and it
is with this latest idea in mind that we will be preparing for the 35th
America’s Cup”
---- From Energy Team