K-Way and Team Orient Express at the America's Cup

The America's Cup is the oldest competition in the world, a history of obsessions, traditions, and revolutions dating back to 1851, when the schooner America won the race around the Isle of Wight and kept the trophy at the New York Yacht Club for almost a century. Almost two hundred years have passed, but the challenge of men against the sea still holds the same primal energy despite the lunar transformations that have taken place in the competing vessels. This is the first absurdity that catches the eye as soon as you see the boats, first in the hangars and then on the racecourse. The hulls are so smooth and shiny that they resemble more like spaceships from a science fiction movie than the boats we are used to seeing. And perhaps it is fitting that a competition that is about to reach its two hundredth year of challenges is also the most revolutionary and forward-looking, like the Kevlar sails that vibrate in the gusts of wind in Barcelona. We are, in fact, in the gulf that characterizes the Spanish city, where for months and in some cases years, the teams that have chosen to challenge the contender Emirates Team New Zealand have been preparing.

After the competition was opened to multiple challengers in the 1970s, it immediately became international, with sailing clubs from all over the world competing for the historic cup. Among the many nations that decided to take to the water, France has never failed to propose a challenger, and in this edition, they have gone all out with Team Orient Express. We met Quentin Delapierre, the skipper of the French boat, on the racecourse in Barcelona a few weeks before the official races began on the same waves. "The America's Cup is the most important sailing competition that exists, there really is nothing else like it. If you are one of the very few people in the world who have the opportunity to participate, you can't let it pass you by," Delapierre tells us. Despite his young age, he has already competed in both the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the Nacra17 class and in the SailGP championship. And to lead Orient Express in Barcelona, he even chose to skip the homecoming of the Olympic Games. "It was a very painful decision, but I couldn't juggle three projects at the same time (Delapierre is still the skipper in SailGP, editor's note). With Manon Audinet - the skipper of the female boat of Team Orient Express - we wanted to redeem ourselves from the disappointment of the last edition, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this." 

But the thrill of the America's Cup, the feeling of being able to steer a boat that barely touches the water, a marvel of technology and human ambition, flying at over 30 knots, is irresistible. The AC75 hull, the official vessel of the 37th America's Cup, is a monohull with foils that measures 20.7 meters in length and can lift itself above the water at over 100 km/h. It requires a crew of eight people who must coordinate perfectly to avoid even the slightest mistake that could compromise the match race. "We are a very close-knit group that is working hard to be at our best for the big event. Maybe we had less time to work here in Barcelona compared to other teams, but we have made the most of every minute." Between gym work, training with simulators, and studying the continuous improvements to be made to the boat, the days spent in Barcelona have had very little to do with the Catalan city. But the French team does not complain, fully focused on the most important sailing competition. 

An opportunity made possible by the commitment of K-Way, the first sponsor to support the initiative of French owner Stephan Kandler and the Societé Nautiqué de Saint-Tropez, which has created all the performance and lifestyle garments for the 200 people involved in the French dream of the America's Cup. "K-Way initially didn't know much about the world of sailing, but they came with a lot of interest, and the team knew how to manage the relationship between K-Way technicians and our desires. I'm pretty sure you've seen what K-Way has done on the life jacket, and it simply impressed the global competition."

The work of K-Way has impressed Delapierre and his staff, creating a wide range of collections that includes jackets, fleeces, breathable and waterproof pants and shorts in dark blue or beige, with the iconic K-Way logo accompanied by that of Orient Express and other sponsors. Then there are t-shirts, technical pants, Lycras, and thermoregulating underwear. Even the Claude, the ultimate windbreaker from K-Way, has been redesigned for use on the boat, with the LeVrai 3.0 fabric dyed in dark blue and featuring the graphics of Orient Express and the America's Cup. "We are extremely happy with the look for the entire team, without sacrificing comfort and the performance required of all members of our squad." The aesthetics of the teams, in fact, are one of the reasons that have made the America's Cup a legend, and having your logo on the sailors' uniforms and on the shiny keels that cut through the water is a source of pride for the brands. And for the BasicNet Group, it is a return: from 2005 to 2010, they dressed the Italian team Mascalzone Latino with the Kappa brand. Now, they have chosen the French project, returning home to where the rain and windproof material factory originated.