The journey has come to an end for the French youth team Orient Express-L’Oréal Racing Team racing the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona. Sixteen months of hard work have been undone, leaving a group of six young sailors and a data analyst, aged between 18 and 25, in a state of deep dismay. Powerless and betrayed by repeated technical failures on their AC40, the maintenance of which has been overseen by the event organisers since 26 August, with technicians serving all 12 competing teams. 

Despite these past seven days and this unfortunate conclusion, it is important to remember the year of learning, development, and the three superb races delivered by the team. The crew headed by skipper Enzo Balanger, with Matisse Pacaud, Théo Revil, Gaultier Tallieu, Ange Delerce, and Lou Mourniac, supported by data analyst Alexandre Kovalski, demonstrated their skill in handling the AC40 and their competence as competitive sailors, even securing a victory in the last race they were able to contest on Monday. 

This new generation of outstanding sailors, already boasting multiple world championship titles, is enriched with invaluable experience.

End of the road – but what happened?

The first qualification phase of the 3rd edition of the Youth America’s Cup consisted of eight fleet races for each of the two groups of six teams – one group comprising invited nations and the other made up of countries with a challenger entered in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. Each challenger shared an AC40 with an invited team, and a joint maintenance service was provided by the organisers. 

The AC40s, smaller versions of the AC75s, are technological marvels laden with electronics and hydraulics, requiring meticulous technical attention – which, unfortunately, was lacking. The AC40 shared by the French and Spanish teams was plagued by primarily hydraulic issues, affecting the starts of races 1, 2, 3, and 4, thus preventing the French team from competing on the water.

"The fact that the technical problems on the boat occurred before the start of the races meant the race officials had to instruct our crew not to compete for safety reasons. In their terminology, the boat was classified as ‘INR’ – ‘Instructed Not to Race’ – which granted us 4 compensation points," explained Louis Viat, Operations Director in coordination with the organisers.

"During the final race yesterday, the hydraulic issue could not be detected before the start. It was a leak at the rear of the boat, which the crew could not visually detect. The boat ended up almost entirely out of hydraulic fluid, making it uncontrollable and unmanageable. It no longer responded to the sailors’ commands, and they were forced to withdraw from the race. We did everything we could to explain the situation, but our request for redress was denied." 

Had redress been granted, the French team would have been given INR status and the corresponding 4 points, allowing them to qualify for the fleet race finals happening today.

A rapid learning curve for a strong and skilled group 

Sixteen months have elapsed since the selections and training sessions began in March 2023 and the group of seven young women and men that make up the Orient Express-L’Oréal Racing Team have formed a robust and capable squad.

"We inevitably end this campaign feeling frustrated, betrayed by technical issues after months of preparation,” said Enzo Balanger, skipper and helmsman of the AC40. “We were confident in our sailing abilities and our training sessions showed we could hold our own against the other teams.

“I don’t want to focus on this unfortunate end or the fact that we couldn’t express ourselves fully on the water. We succeeded in creating a solid group, a dynamic, and a collective spirit. We have learned so much, both in sailing on a high-speed foiling boat and technically, on this type of vessel. 

“With Matisse, Théo, Gaultier, Ange, Lou, and our data expert Alexandre, we are proud of yesterday’s three races and our impressive win. We are stronger thanks to the training we’ve received over the past year, and well-prepared for future challenges. A big thank you to the team, for their support, and to our partners, especially Orient Express and L’Oréal. We are fully aware of the privilege of having iconic French companies that believe in young people, and we are deeply grateful to them." 

What’s Next? 

Six teams will race the fleet race finals today and the Final Match Race is scheduled for later in the week to conclude the 3rd edition of the Youth America’s Cup.

As for the young members of the Orient Express-L’Oréal Racing Team, they are looking forward to a brief period of rest to recover from the emotional rollercoaster of recent days. Then, it’s time to prepare for the future, with some focusing on individual sporting projects and others continuing their professional training alongside their high-level sporting careers. 

Stephan Kandler, CEO of Orient Express Racing Team: "I want to express our utmost admiration for this remarkable group of seven. We – Team France, FFVoile, ENSVN, Orient Express, L’Oréal, NextWorld, and the team – are proud of this mentally strong and highly skilled collective after an intense year of training. I will not dwell on the technical issues of the boat or our powerlessness in that regard. 

“Together with my partner Bruno Dubois, we are working towards the future and are committed to providing our teams with opportunities that match their talent, so they can fully express themselves. France has exceptional emerging talent, and it is vital that we remain engaged in the America’s Cup, the Youth America’s Cup, and the Women’s America’s Cup, which represent the highest levels of international sailing competition." 

Next up for Orient Express Racing Team is the first ever Puig Women’s America’s Cup which gets underway from the 5-13 October. Joining the six challenger teams representing New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, the United States and France are six new teams from Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia. The Qualification Series will run from 5-9 October, followed by a Final Series on 11 October before a winner takes all Match Race Final on 13 October. Meet our team here.