#AC38 : K-Challenge launches the French campaign for the 38th America’s Cup, to be held in Naples in 2027
As a founding member – alongside K-Challenge – of the new governing structure overseeing the organisation of the America’s Cup, the company founded by Stephan Kandler and co-managed with Bruno Dubois has officially registered the French Challenger for the 38th edition of the America’s Cup.
Scheduled to take place in Naples in 2027, this edition will mark the first time the event is hosted in the city. Backed by its wealth of experience and, in keeping with America’s Cup tradition, supported by the Société Nautique de Saint Tropez as itsyacht club, the French team is back on the offensive, marking France’s 15th participation in the world’s oldest sporting event, founded in 1851.
A tricolour history continues
In the America’s Cup, history is not written through a single campaign, but through a succession of commitments that forge identity and legacy.
K-Challenge — previously involved in 2007 with Areva Challenge and in 2024 with Orient Express Racing Team — is once again embarking on a new chapter, with renewed maturity and ambition.
As a founding member of the new America’s Cup organisation, K-Challenge reaffirms its central role in structuring France’s presence at the highest level of international sailing. Now based in Lorient, the team has established itself as a recognised Sport-Tech player in elite competition. Fully committed to the evolution of the America’s Cup, it continues to champion a contest where technological innovation, sporting performance and human excellence have remained inseparable for more than 170 years !
A new era for the America’s Cup: K-Challenge co-founder of this new format
The America’s Cup is undergoing a historic transformation. For the first time in its 175-year history, the teams have united within a shared governing structure — the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP)* — to collectively oversee the event and support its long-term global development.
This organisation is built on a model of shared governance, granting each founding team an equal voice and marking a decisive shift away from a system centred solely on the Defender.
This new framework seeks to preserve the technical and historical heritage of the America’s Cup while projecting it into an era defined by stability, innovation and expanded global reach.
A new Challenge, driven by French expertise.
From a sporting perspective, K-Challenge intends to fully harness France’s depth of sailing expertise. France is a true sailing nation, home to a rich talent pool — from established figures to the sport’s emerging generation.
The coming months will focus on building a strong Challenger crew around team leader Quentin Delapierre, while remaining open to international talent, whether sailors, engineers, designers or athletes drawn from the K-Challenge Akademy.
The 38th America’s Cup in Naples in 2027: France is a challenger to watch!
In just under two years’ time, in the Bay of Naples, K-Challenge will no longer be an outsider, but a challenger to watch, with momentum, a clear vision and a tenfold ambition to bring France back to the forefront of the fight for the America’s Cup and to one day bring the Silver Ewer home!
Verbatim
Pierre Roinson, President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
“The America’s Cup remains a collective adventure driven by committed yacht clubs and passionate teams. By taking on this new challenge, we are seeking to place France in a dynamic that combines sporting excellence, innovation and cohesion. The French team can be assured of the support of all the members of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.”
Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois CEO K-Challenge
‘This campaign is part of a long-term vision. Involved from the outset in the development of the new America’s Cup format, we want to capitalise on talent, combine experience and youth, and make the French Challenger a sustainable and successful project, capable of competing in Naples in 2027.’
* Everything you need to know about the America’s Cup Partnership
