Photo © Nicolas Touze / La Roche-Posay Racing Team
Naples, October 19, 2026—The La Roche-Posay Racing Team kicks off the 38th America’s Cup in Naples. As the first team to launch its AC75 in the bay that will host the competition in 2027, the French Challenger marks a major milestone in its campaign. Following an initial sailing phase in Lorient this summer, the team is continuing its preparations with its AC75, adapted to the regulations of the 38th America’s Cup, and a strengthened team. A new era of competition and technological advancement is beginning for La Roche-Posay Racing Team, which is determined to elevate the French challenge to the ranks of the world’s best teams.
The first AC75 hits the water in Naples: a highlight for the French challenger
This Monday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m., in front of partners, guests, and media gathered for the occasion, the La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s AC75 returned to its element. Moments later, the flying monohull set off on its maiden voyage in the Bay of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius as a backdrop. A spectacular setting, but above all a symbol: it is on these very waters that the races of the 38th America’s Cup will take place in 2027.
For the French challenge, this first launch in Naples is much more than just a ceremony. It caps off several months of preparation and marks the start of a new phase in the competition. As the first team to set up its AC75 at the future competition venue, the La Roche-Posay Racing Team is getting down to business.
Adorned with the colors of La Roche-Posay, its title sponsor, the nearly 23-meter AC75 has been adapted to meet the requirements of the 2027 regulations. Having already been in Naples, the team will now be able to conduct a series of test runs, put technical developments to the test in real-world conditions, and accelerate its progress.
Quentin Delapierre, skipper of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
“Seeing our AC75 on the water here in Naples is a very special moment for the whole team. We’re on the race course where the America’s Cup will be held in a few months, and everything suddenly feels much more real. A tremendous amount of work went into this launch—many people have dedicated themselves to making it possible for us to be here today. As skipper, I feel a real sense of pride in leading this French challenge. Now, we have one main goal: to sail, to make this boat fly, and to fully embrace this adventure all the way through 2027.”
The countdown has begun: six months to reach a milestone
On the water, the challenge is immense. The America’s Cup is a unique competition, where the sailors’ skills, technological expertise, and ability to improve quickly make all the difference. Every day of sailing counts.
Under the sporting direction of Philippe Presti, a two-time America’s Cup champion, the French team has been bolstered by two Olympic champions, Diego Botín and Florian Trittel, who have joined Quentin Delapierre and the team’s other talented sailors.
The preparation is based on three complementary areas: navigation, performance analysis and development, and simulation. In addition, there is specific work on match racing and identifying the best crew combinations. The goal is to turn every outing at sea into measurable progress, in a race against the clock leading up to the 2027 event.
Philippe Presti, sporting director of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
“We’ve shown in the AC40 that we’re capable of competing with the best on equal footing, and that’s very encouraging. But the America’s Cup is also a technological competition, in which boat development plays a decisive role. The next six months will be crucial for fully realizing the potential of our AC75 and continuing our progress. We’ve strengthened our team and have real room for improvement. Our goal is to take a significant step forward compared to Barcelona and compete for a spot in the semifinals, which would be historic for a French challenger.”
Maelenn Lemaître, strategist aboard the La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s AC75:
“What drives me the most is the desire to get better every day and make rapid progress. This is my very first America’s Cup: I’m discovering new things and learning a tremendous amount every day. There are many challenges, both technological and athletic, but the biggest challenge remains time. It’s a real race against the clock. My personal challenge is to quickly absorb all this new knowledge so I can apply my skills as a match-racing tactician and engineer, and perform well in the America’s Cup.”
Diego Botín, helmsman for the La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
“The America’s Cup has always appealed to us. When the opportunity arose to join the French Challenger, we were immediately drawn to the people behind this project and the way it’s structured. It’s a team on a human scale, where everyone is fully committed and moving in the same direction. This cohesion and collective energy are real strengths. We have a boat with tremendous potential, and we can’t wait to discover everything it has to offer.”
La Roche-Posay: When Competition Becomes an Open-Air Laboratory
This launch also marks the first appearance of the French AC75 in Naples under the colors of La Roche-Posay, the team’s title sponsor.
In addition to its presence on the boat, the brand has launched a scientific program with the sailors of the French Challenger. Launched last August at the Chevilly laboratory, this medical protocol provides the athletes with dermatological care throughout the campaign, leading up to Naples 2027.
Alexandra Reni-Catherine, CEO of La Roche-Posay:
“Seeing the French AC75 sail under the La Roche-Posay colors in Naples marks the beginning of an adventure we’ve been preparing for with the entire team. The America’s Cup is the ultimate test—for the men and women racing as if their lives depended on it, with their skin exposed to UV rays, salt, wind, and temperature shocks. That’s why we’re here: to turn it into a real-life open-air laboratory. Through the medical protocol launched with the sailors of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team, we’re monitoring their skin throughout the campaign, under extreme conditions. Our shared ambition for this 38th America’s Cup is twofold: to support the team in achieving peak performance, and to transform what we learn on the water into protection and skincare solutions that benefit each and every one of us, beyond the competition.”
From Barcelona to Naples, the French challenge takes on a whole new dimension
This launch also tells another story: that of a French Challenger that, for the first time, can build on the achievements of a previous campaign.
After Barcelona 2024, K-Challenge retained its AC75, its infrastructure, and part of its team. This continuity is essential in a competition where years of experience and development constitute a considerable advantage.
This ambition is accompanied by a historic milestone off the water. K-Challenge, led by Stephan Kandler, is now one of the seven founding members of the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP), alongside Emirates Team New Zealand, Athena Racing, Luna Rossa, Tudor Team Alinghi, Arc Team USA Challenge, and Team Australia. For the first time, the French Challenger is directly involved in the governance and decision-making that will shape the future of the competition, with the goal of building a more stable, more attractive, and economically sustainable model—notably featuring two-year cycles.
Stephan Kandler, CEO of K-Challenge / La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
“With this new campaign, we are taking an important step forward in France’s history in the world’s oldest sporting competition. For the first time, we’ve been able to build on a previous campaign, retaining our expertise, tools, and experience to create a stronger project. Seeing our AC75 in Naples today is a highlight, but above all, it marks the beginning of a new phase in our quest. We want to firmly establish France among the world’s top teams and build a platform capable, one day, of winning the America’s Cup.”
2027 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
The Louis Vuitton Cup will kick off on May 22 and 23, 2027, with an unprecedented series of six fleet races featuring the AC75s, before returning to match racing to determine the Challenger.
The round-robin races and the repechage will continue through June 14, followed by the semifinals from June 16 to 20 and the Louis Vuitton Cup final, scheduled for June 26 through July 4.
Meanwhile, the next generation will also be heading to Naples. The dates for the Youth America’s Cup have just been officially announced: it will take place from June 2 to 6, 2027, with a final consisting of a single decisive race. While the exact dates for the Women’s America’s Cup have not yet been announced, the races are expected to take place in July. Finally, the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Match will begin on July 10, 2027. The Challenger that emerges victorious from the Louis Vuitton Cup will then face Emirates Team New Zealand, the Defender of the trophy, in a best-of-thirteen series—the first team to win seven races will claim the America’s Cup. The schedule calls for the series to conclude on July 19, weather permitting.
About the La Roche-Posay Racing Team:
The La Roche-Posay Racing Team is the French challenger competing in the America’s Cup, whose next edition—the 38th—will take place in Naples in 2027. Backed by an experienced team, both on the water and ashore, Quentin Delapierre, skipper and helmsman, leads a renowned crew that embodies the excellence and daring of French sailing on the international stage. The team is operated by K-Challenge, France’s leading sports-tech company dedicated to high-level sailing performance, led by Stéphan Kandler and Bruno Dubois. With a forward-looking vision, the team is actively committed to gender diversity, the advancement of female athletes in competitive sailing, and the development of young talent. This sporting and social initiative is supported by an exceptional title sponsor, La Roche-Posay—a brand of the L’Oréal Group—as well as by the strong commitment of a group of official partners and supporters.
About the America’s Cup:
Established in 1851, the America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in international sports and remains one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. At the intersection of sailing, technology, engineering, and strategy, it pits the world’s best crews against each other aboard high-speed boats capable of reaching spectacular speeds. Since its inception, the America’s Cup has consistently evolved, reinvented itself, and pushed the boundaries of its time, making each edition a new chapter in the history of maritime performance. More than just a regatta, it is a laboratory of innovation where every detail counts: the design of a foil, the reliability of a system, the precision of a maneuver, and the cohesion of a team. The America’s Cup is a comprehensive sporting ecosystem, punctuated by several key events: the preliminary regattas, the qualifying rounds among challengers, the semifinals, and finally the championship race that will determine which team will face the Defender. The winner of this competition will then challenge Emirates Team New Zealand, the current trophy holder, in the America’s Cup Match, scheduled to begin on July 10, 2027, in Naples. At the same time, the Youth America’s Cup and the Women’s America’s Cup provide a major platform for the next generation and for female talent in international sailing. To date, the teams entered in the 38th America’s Cup are: Emirates Team New Zealand, the Cup Defender; GB1, the Challenger of Record; Luna Rossa; Tudor Team Alinghi; La Roche-Posay Racing Team; and American Racing Challenger Team.
