Sebastien Col leads K-Challenge crew for Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

2:23 PM Fri 26 Dec 2008 GMT

'K-Challenge logo' K-Challenge

FRA93, K-Challenge's V5 ACC boat which was built for participation in the last America's Cup, will be back to operations for training in 2009. The boat has actually been reassembled on K-Challenge's base in Valencia, Spain.

Three America's Cup Class Version 5.0 regattas are confirmed for the challengers programme in 2009: one in July and another one in October (organised by AC Management), followed by the Club N?utico Espa?ol de Vela annual regatta (organised by the Spanish Challenger of Record).

Before the European season the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 1-14 February 2009 and Helmsman Sebastien Col will arrive in Auckland on January 23, in order to start the training with the nine other competing teams. FRA93 is now ready to sail again, and a training session against other teams is now being organized for January.

Sebastien Col talks about the coming season's programme:

'2009 will be a season at the highest level, it will be a great year with K-Challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it. We will use these events with the goal to see where we are compared to the other teams, but also to work on the last details of our team's recruitment for the America's Cup.

We will also continue the work we started with the design team, with a focus on the new measurement rules and the new racing format. What I really do like is the perspective to see our strategy becoming a reality! Of course we will adapt it depending on the Court decisions and also the new Protocol.'

Stephane Kandler, K-Challenge's CEO:

'The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will be a fantastic opening for the 2009 season for K-Challenge, who will represent France for this great event, which is going to be exceptional. Sebastien Col gathered a top quality team with him: they are sailors who have a huge experience of America's Cup Class boats and of match racing, besides their impressive prize lists. Our goal will be to use the maximum out of this potential, and our leitmotiv will be to go as far as possible in the competition.'

K-Challenge Crew list :

- Bow: Jean-Marie Dauris (United Internet Team Germany 2007, Le D?fi Areva 2003)
- Mid-bow: Christophe Andr? (Areva Challenge 2007, Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col)
- Mast: Jann Neergaard (BMW Oracle Racing 2007, Alinghi 2003)
- Pit: Gilles Favennec (Areva Challenge 2007, Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col, Le D?fi Areva 2003)
- Pit Assist: Bruno Jeanjean (America's Cup with the French teams in 1992 and 1995)
- Grinder: Federico Giovanelli (Desafio Espa?ol 2007, Prada Challenge 2003)
- Grinder: Carlo Castellano (Desafio Espa?ol 2007, Mascalzone Latino 2003, Il Moro de Venezia 1992)
- Trimmer / Spinnaker: Olivier Douillard (Areva Challenge 2007, Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col, Le D?fi Areva 2003)
- Trimmer / Jib: Christian Scherrer (+39 Challenge 2007, Alinghi 2003, Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col)
- Grinder: Enrico de Maria (Alinghi 2007, 2003)
- Trimmer / Main Sail: Yann Gouniot (Alinghi 2007, France3 1995, Ville de Paris 1992, French Kiss 1987, France3 1983
- Traveller: Erwan Israel (Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col)
- Helmsman: Sebastien Col (Areva Challenge 2007, Le D?fi Areva 2003)
- Tactician: Rod Dawson (BMW Oracle Racing 2007, Oneworld 2003)
- Strategist: Fred Guilmin (Areva Challenge 2007, Equipe de France de Match Racing with Sebastien Col, Le D?fi Areva 2003)
- Grinder : Virgilio Torrecilla (Desafio Espa?ol 2007, Bravo Espa?a 2000)
- Navigator : Philippe Mourniac (United Internet Team Germany 2007, Le D?fi Areva 2003, Ville de Paris 1992)

'It is a great satisfaction to have gathered a powerful crew for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series with K-Challenge', says Sebastien Col. 'In this team, we will have seven sailors who took part to the 2008 World Match Racing Tour with me; moreover they all won at least one of the events of the circuit.

For the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, I relied on several people to build the best team by co-optation, so that each person in the group has already sailed at least once with another one. So we have a group that starts with common human bases.

It has been a lot of work, but my method was to involve a maximum of team members in the building of the team, looking at the people working together on board.'

Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the FFVoile, French Sailing Federation concludes:

'The crew looks really promising, with several young talents coming from the French Match Racing team, as for example most of the guys in the afterguard. This recruitment is the result of the work that the K-Challenge team carried out these last months. Besides, they are also the only French team competing in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Louis Vuitton for the organization of that event which will mark the beginning of the 2009 season.'