Saint-Tropez supports Team FRENCH SPIRIT

Around the skipper, Philippe Presti, and the helmsman Bertrand Pacé, which constitute the pillars of Team and with the support of private funding, the French team put in place a program that includes both the participation of sailors in various regattas and the monitoring of a new architect design competition to build the future design team. "If we can not foresee everything, we must prepare to it" explains Marc Pajot.

Philippe Presti was in Marseilles all week to sail aboard the TP 52 Audi Q8 at the French Audi MedCup edition and Bertrand Pacé is in Saint-Tropez from this weekend to attend the Giraglia Rolex Cup aboard Near Miss. On this occasion, in the presence of Jean-Pierre Tuveri, Mayor of Saint-Tropez, the team gave appointment to journalists and personalities from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez to present the news of the french challenge.

Fabrice Levet joign Team FRENCH SPIRIT as a coach
The name of Fabrice Levet is linked to the America's Cup in France for over 15 years. With its size and its south west accent - he was born in Toulouse 48 years ago - Fabrice Levet could with no problem pretend to be one of 15 former red and black. Yet as a sailor he is one of the most respected in France. He started in Olympic sailing, crowned by a participation at the Olympic Games in Barcelona on Soling. Fabrice will then enter the world of the America's Cup and will not leave it. From 1992 to 2007, he accumulated campaigns within the various french challenges, first as a teammate and more recently as a coach. Meanwhile, he officiates at the Ecole Nationale de Voile where he trains the crews of match racing and this year, the team which will participate in the Paralympic Games in Beijing. "I know that Bertrand Pacé had long wanted to work again for a french challenge. We are old accomplices and it is thanks to him that I am here to join Marc Pajot and Team FRENCH SPIRIT. In this project with Philippe Presti, we have great talents together."

A world unique design competition
While the contour of the 33rd edition of the America's Cup is getting more accurate - confrontation between Alinghi and BMW-Oracle Challenger on multihulls - Team FRENCH SPIRIT has initiated an innovative approach by launching a competition for architects around the design of future AC 90 rules. The arrival of a new gauge is a genuine return to zero and a fresh start for all teams regarding the design. To establish the best possible design team, extensive consultation was launched last April to 7 french firms and 2 foreigners, under the supervision of a jury chaired by Philippe Gouard.

Officials supports At this day, Team FRENCH SPIRIT received supports from the followings officials:

Bernard Laporte, State Secretary in charge of Youth and Sports
Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the French Sailing Federation
Jean-Pierre Tuveri, Mayor of Saint-Tropez
M. Jean Louis BORLOO Minister of State and Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development
Chantal Jouanno, President of ADEME (French Agency for Sustainable Development and Energy Savings)

Team FRENCH SPIRIT committed in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment and ambitions to sensitize a large audience on the occasion of this great sporting event.