AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- French syndicate Le Defi fired skipper Luc Pillot on Friday -- four days from the start of the quarterfinals of the America's Cup challenger series.

A new afterguard of Phillippe Presti as the skipper/helmsman, Luc Gellusseau as tactician and Phillippe Mourniac as navigator was announced in their bid to beat Sweden's Victory Challenge.

Le Defi sailing manager Pierre Mas said Pillot was still part of the team but would not be on the boat.

"It was a difficult decision,'' Mas said. "We are in a crucial moment in the competition and we have to take into account all our strengths and weaknesses.''

The French have won only two of their 16 races and just scraped into the last eight as the bottom-placed syndicate.