Team France has participated in two meetings of America’s Cup challengers with the defender, Oracle Team USA. The first meeting, on 12 July in Los Angeles, was called by then Challenger of Record Team Australia (Hamilton Island Yacht Club). Within a week Team Australia withdrew. A second meeting was held in London on 29 July, only the four European challengers attended, Team France, Ben Ainslie Racing (GBR), Luna Rossa (ITA) and Artemis Racing (SWE). Oracle Team USA boss Russell Coutts, who called the meeting, told Emirates Team New Zealand not to attend, after he hear from another team that the Kiwis were unlikely to be cooperative at the meeting.
While there have been no updates from Team France about their America’s Cup challenge, skipper Franck Cammas was quoted in a joint announcement:
“We believe that the format of the next America’s Cup will bring a friendly but fierce competition between the best sailors on the most spectacular machines the America’s Cup has ever seen. The 35th America’s Cup will confirm a new era for sailing, but also for the sport in general and the related technologies, with the most intense competition possible and Team France will be proud to be part of it !”