1970 This 21 e The edition will be marked by the first participation of the French, but also by the introduction of new selection regattas, which will be in force for the next editions, except that of 1988 and 2010. The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) - organizer of the Trophy - allows the"Challenger of Record" (yacht club presenting the first challenge for the competition) to organize a regatta between several competitors. The winner will be the challenger for the Cup final.
Marcel Bich - industrialist (Bic pen) and French yachtman - has been dreaming of the America's Cup for more than five years and launched the construction of the yacht France - 12 meters JI - in front of an historic monument in 1992. The boat was helmed by several skippers - Louis Noverraz, Popie Delfour and himself with the navigator Éric Tabarly. He spent a lot of money launching innovative production units, but did not win the much desired victory.
1974 Baron Bich decided to return to Newport for this new edition and this time hired 5.5 MJI World Champion Jean-Marie Le Guillou for the French helm. But once again it is a failure.
1977 For this 23 e edition, Marcel Bich makes build the France II, but the first tests are disappointing and it turns out that this new sailboat is slower than the old France (aged 7 years). It was Bruno Troublé, an Olympic double, who took back the helm of France II, who was finally relegated to oblivion in favour of France I. Watertight cockpits are added to meet the new regulations and the sail plan is slightly modified. Bruno Troublé recovered the helm of the former yacht and won a few races during the selections, but was eliminated before the final.
1980 Bic: For his latest campaign, the designer of the Bic pen launches the construction of his 3 e 12 m JI, a sailboat built in aluminium. Bruno Troublé is still at the helm and he will manage to reach the final of the challengers, but will be beaten by Australia. After four successive campaigns, Marcel Bich decided to withdraw.
1983 For this 25 e edition, France III - still helmed by Bruno Troublé - is bought by Yves Rousset-Rouard, producer of the film Emmanuelle. The selected Olympic athlete participates in its 3 e campaign, but will once again be beaten by Australia II, the future winner of the America's Cup, which takes the Cup after 132 years of invincibility American.
1987 America's Cup: This is the first time the America's Cup has been defended outside the United States. This 26 e will take place in Western Australia, in the Indian Ocean, off Fremantle. The race thus confirms its international status.
France is represented by French Kiss, skippered by Marc Pajot and financed by Serge Crasnianski - creator of Kis a key duplication company. She reached the semi-finals in Australian waters, for the last participation of the famous"twelve" (12 m JI) and will give the New Zealanders a hard time. It is the best participation of the French in the America's Cup. In parallel, a second French union, Challenge France, is led by Yves Pajot, Marc's brother.
1992 A new gauge is defined, the"America's Cup Class", which introduces dimensional, structural and manufacturing constraints to limit boat costs. In San Diego, on the new larger and more powerful America's Cup Classes, the City of Paris, this time financed by Pierre Legris, and led by Marc Pajot and Marc Bouët, lost again in the semi-finals after a nice run.
1995 France will be particularly hard hit on this 29 e edition with these two boats, France 2 and France 3, the two French America's Cup Class boats. Despite a brilliant crew led by Marc Pajot and Bertrand Pacé, France did not repeat its performances in the two previous Louis Vuitton Cups. Indeed, the first boat will break its mast and the second will prove too wide and not fast enough.
2000 The 30 e The America's Cup edition is being held in Auckland, New Zealand and will be the first without participation without challenger or American Defender. The French participate on 6 e Sens, financed by Bouygues Telecom and skippered by Bertrand Pacé (navigator-tactician on the three previous challenges) reached the semi-finals of an event dominated by the New Zealanders around Russell Couts.
2003 The Areva Challenge, supported by the nuclear giant and led by the trio of Pierre Mas, Xavier de Lesquen and Luc Gellusseau, is hardly a miracle in Auckland, and the yellow fluo America's Cup Class led by Philippe Presti and Luc Pillot is eliminated before the semi-finals. Ernesto Bertarelli's billionaire Alinghi's Swiss are the first Europeans to win the event.
2007 For this edition, the SNG (Société Nautique de Genève) which is the holder of the Cup since 2003 modifies certain resolutions of the act. The nationality requirement will be respected by the fact that the boat must be built in the country and a new retroactive rule prohibits any sailor who has worked for six months with a team involved in the Cup to change employer. This edition takes place in Valencia (Spain) in Mediterranean waters. This is the second time since the original 1851 race around the Isle of Wight that the regattas have been held in Europe and the first time they have been held outside the Defender country. Indeed, Switzerland does not have an opening on a sea, as specified in the act.
Areva Challenge, the challenge led by Stéphane and Ortwin Kandler finished 6th in the Louis Vuitton Cup with Thierry Péponnet then Sébastien Col at the helm. The America's Cup China Team, helmed by Frenchman Pierre Mas, is hardly better off.
2010 The French Challenge: There is no French Challenge strictly speaking, but the country is well represented Joseph Ozanne invents the rigid wing and Thierry Fouchier wins the America's Cup alongside the American challenge. It is thanks to this rigid wing, which replaces the sail of the BMW Oracle - USA 17 trimaran and gives it a decisive advantage, that the American challenger wins the Cup. This edition was characterized by the gigantism of the yachts, multihulls of 90 feet (27 m).
2013 The America's Cup: This is the first time in 43 years that there has been no French challenge in the America's Cup. The 34th edition is won in San Francisco on an AC72 by the Americans after a final of anthology. In Paris on December 11 of the same year, three renowned French sailors - Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauson - joined forces to conquer the oldest sports trophy.
