China Team news: Interview with Xavier de Lesquen

CHINA TEAM NEWS

Interview with Xavier de Lesquen, executive manager of China Team: "Sports ambitions come to light today"

"A stronger team for the next edition, established sports goals, important activities in China starting next October, Xavier de Lesquen, executive manager of China Team, explained the future of the syndicate.

During the press conference in Peking last week, Wang Chao Yong announced that his objective was to mount a stronger team, finishing the middle of the field, with a budget in the order of 50 to 80 million euros for the 33rd edition and capable of reaching the semi-finals for the 34th edition. How are you going to go forward now?

This is effectively the objective we have settled on; China Team's participation in the 32nd America's Cup is an extraordinary adventure, having accomplished the purpose to create the Chinese team and get media exposure across the world and above all in China. Today, we have come to decisions on our sporting ambitions, some of which involve a stronger budget, the development of extensive program of activities in China with the establishment of a base to sail America’s Cup Class boats and reinforcement of ties with media partners.

What chances do you give yourself to put together this budget?

It depends in part on the date and the format for the next AC. It also depends on our own calendar. One important phase is the event we are organizing in Qingdao in October 2007, with Longtze and another invited America’s Cup class boat. It will be the first America’s Cup class sailing in China, at the Olympic Marina site. That is going to be an enormous celebration, with a television show relayed throughout China, a Match Racing competition aboard Longtze Premier, sport keelboats produced in China. We want to use this occasion to announce the organization of the next campaign, with the actual partners of China Team and the new sponsors for the 33rd AC.

If you are not able to bring all of this together, are you ready to enter into the Cup for a fourth time with the smallest budget and minimum sporting results?

We will be successful. It is the historical direction. China will be strong in the America’s Cup and more rapidly than we think.

Do you intend to continue with a Western-Chinese team model, or say Franco-Chinese, or are you going to become essentially a Chinese team with a Western minority?

We are China Team, a team of men and women, which represent China in the America’s Cup. There are not two or three composites in the team but a group united in the effort. We will have more and more Chinese team members because Chinese sailing is mounting in strength and because it is going to constitute a talented pool of sailors. It is already extraordinary to have a total of 8 Chinese sailors who have sailed in America’s Cup regattas. Rarely has such a large group of young sailors, without any experience in the Cup, had this opportunity. It seemed a bet against all odds almost three years ago. Today we admire the progress accomplished by the different individuals. To return to the fundamental, to create a stronger team, forces us to recruit individuals for their technical and human qualities. It is a requirement which is going to apply to all, whatever their nationality, French, Chinese, or others.

Are you going to base your activities in China from now on? ACM seems to have announced that if China would participate in the next Cup, an Act would be organized there. Can you confirm this information?

It is a major objective to develop our activities in China. Some our first tasks, during this edition, were awaking the interest of the public, the sponsors and educating the media of our activities and in particular those taking place in China. From now on, we are going to develop regular competitive practice in China on America’s Cup class or other boats. Furthermore, we are going to see to it that there is a major event on America's Cup class every year in China. The first event will be in Qingdao in next October.

The 32nd Cup is finished for you in terms of sports, but the competition continues. What do you think of this edition? Are you in agreement with those who believe costs should be limited from now on?

I think that this edition will make a mark in the history of the America's Cup. I am not speaking again about the first Chinese participation, but the Cup's arrival in Europe, the new yearly format, Valencia as the host city, the enlargement of the organization, and the quality of the regatta. It is also the progression of the competition, because we are not at the end of our surprises; all of this is going to make up the historical character of this edition! Cost limitations are of major importance. We are totally in favor of a drastic change in economics.

Valencia May 22nd

Xavier de LESQUEN, executive director.
“It is an important step, for China Team, for Tag Heuer and for LONGTZE. We have put into place a common plan to develop the potential of LONGTZE. LONGTZE showed excellent reliability during its first two weeks of sailing and we are completely satisfied by the architectural choices and construction of the boat in Dong Guan. We can now focus our time and efforts on detailed development of the boat. The development of our activities in China is next. Our objective is to return to China immediately after the end of the 32nd edition, where we will work with, as we have already done, Lladro and Chivas, our other principle partners, to further the sporting, technical, promotional programs and events in China.

Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO TAG Heuer,
“TAG Heuer has always appreciated respected and supported the most audacious and courageous challenges in terms of a partner for watch making. Even though China Team holds one of the weakest budgets in the upcoming competition, the team has reached a remarkable performance level notably thanks to its new hull constructed in China. At this stage, it is TAG Heuer’s duty to bring in additional support so that these extraordinary efforts can finish with a totally homogenous and successful boat.

Source: CHINA TEAM/Remi Villard