VALENCIA - The French K Challenge America's Cup team has been re-born with a new name: Areva Challenge.
Areva Challenge also said they would be building a second new boat, to be launched in November this year, for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup regatta.
As K Challenge, the French team hasachieved good results for a smaller challenge, racing 2000-generation boats. The highlight came in the match racing series of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 8, where the team won seven of 11 matches, including victories over the heavyweight teams of Alinghi and Emirates Team New Zealand.
Stéphane Kandler, team GM, says the new sponsorship agreement "will enable us to embark on this sporting adventure with a view to achieving one of the best performances in this legendary international competition."
The team moved its operations to the Port America's Cup in Valencia yesterday morning with its freshly re-painted boat arriving under tow in the morning.
Areva is an international power company with over half of its 58,000 employees based in France.
All 12 teams are now based in the Port America's Cup, with Emirates Team New Zealand, Areva Challenge and China Team the only squads yet to sail from Valencia this season.
America's Cup racing begins again soon with the Louis Vuitton Acts 10 and 11 from 11 to 21 May.
