Press Release 16
Friday 6 September, 2002 - Auckland
LE DEFI AREVA – Hauraki Gulf, here we come!
LE DEFI AREVA hoisted sail for the first
time this week to test the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. FRA-79,
one of the two fluorescent lime boats shipped out by the French
Challenger last week, boasted the logos of two new major sponsors,
Groupe Legris Industries and Devoteam Consulting.
As main sponsor for the French team
in the 1992 America’s Cup and ongoing supporter of the
Challenge, Groupe Legris Industries is joining forces with
Devoteam Consulting, (the Challenger’s web providers)
to assume prominence on the mainsail and hull of the French
boat in 2003 and a more important role in the Challenge.
"We are thrilled that Legris and
Devoteam have decided to join the ranks of major sponsors
in this year’s Cup Challenge", says General Manager
for LE DEFI AREVA, Xavier de Lesquen. "Legris Industries
has participated in the America’s Cup since 1992 and
has been with LE DEFI AREVA since its inception in 1997. Their
support has been invaluable to the development of the project,
as has that of Devoteam Consulting who have created an impressive
and interactive website for us."
After a month off the water and three years of preparation,
the French sailing team has been champing at the bit to get
back into training. "It was fantastic", says Philippe
Presti who was at the helm of FRA-79 as she made her maiden
voyage into the Hauraki Gulf. "There was a little bit
of anticipation before we sailed but the team quickly got
back into the swing of things and did some good work out there.
After three years of build-up, we are looking forward to some
great competition when racing starts on October 1st.
The French Challenge is still something of an unknown quantity
in syndicate circles, with the lime green boats as yet untested
against other challengers.
LE DEFI AREVA’s other boat FRA-69 is still in the base
hangar as it undergoes modification.
Groupe Legris Industries is an industrial
group specialising in the mechanical sector. The group employs
around 3300 people worldwide and in 2001, had an annual turnover
of 524 millions euros.
Devoteam Siticom specialises in technology consulting in IT
& T and e-business. They are LE DEFI AREVA’s internet
partner, co-producing and piloting the Challenge website,
www.defi.com.
www.ledefi.com already a success
First online in June 1999
10 million view pages since the America’s Cup 2000
1 million view pages since May 2002
7,000 subscribers on the mailing list
200 messages per day on the noticeboard (the biggest in the
sailing world)
Direct from Auckland
The new version of the site will offer video-streaming, games,
photos of the team and ‘Night News’ which will
give overnight updates on what’s been happening in the
Hauraki Gulf.
The web team includes four french journalists, an english
translator, a radio journalist, a video-streaming specialist
and photographers, all of whom form an integral part of LE
DEFI AREVA at the French Base in the Viaduct Basin.
LE DEFI AREVA pour
l'America's Cup 2003
83, Halsey Street
Auckland Central
New Zealand
PRESS CONTACT
Emma Wilkinson
Tel : +64 (0)21 633 530
E-mail : ewilkinson@ledefi.com
www.ledefi.com
