Groupama 2

You must register/login in order to post into this group.

Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Franck Cammas

in

Boating and Sailing News 20 Jul

Ask the world's top sailors who they think is the best, and you often hear the name Franck Cammas. In France, Franck Cammas's position on the fame scale lies somewhere between Rock Star and Religious Icon. Young, handsome, and very skilled, Cammas is enjoying a record-breaking career at the helm of Groupama's mighty multis, while still popping off to race everything else that floats - taking second on the f-18's a couple weeks ago, for instance.

Even Franck's sponsorship is legendary, with Groupama committing over a decade of support. This kind of dedication from a backer is nearly unheard of in any sport, particularly in sailing, and it's turned out to be a winning partnership. In 2007 alone, team Groupama took no less than five records, including an amazing 24 hour distance record of 794 miles on Groupama 3.

Franck has been sailing and winning on Groupama 2 while Groupama 3 is in the yard, having spectacularly lost a pontoon over the winter. It will be too late to take the 'round the world speed record in the upcoming Southern Summer, but next year, watch out! A stronger, battle-tried Groupama 3 with Cammas at the helm may soon be the fastest thing that sails around the world. Record-breaker, father, and lover of the sea, Franck Cammas is this week's Sailor in the Spotlight

We caught Franck at the festivities in Brest last week:

YP: Could you tell us how you started sailing?

FC: I began sailing relatively late, at the age of 10 in Marseilles, in an Optimist at the Vieux Port.

YP: Did you begin racing in the Optimist?

FC: My earliest recollection of racing was on the bow during Trials in Hyères, south of France. There was a lot of wind and waves. The boat was planning. It was great. I’d never sailed so fast across the water.

YP: Do you look for speed and competition elsewhere - do you enjoy other sports?

FC: Obviously my favorite sport is sailing, I love it as much today as I did in the past. However, I also really love the mountains, whether it be hiking or downhill skiing.

I also really enjoy go-karting. It’s fast and there are some great battles on the track.

YP: Why did you choose to become a professional sailor, and what do you enjoy most about your career choice?

FC: I opted to become a professional sailor, as sailing and the sea are something I feel passionate about. And what could be finer than making a job out of something you are passionate about?

I think it’s the best way to get to the top, because you then enjoy working. Groupama provide me with the means to achieve this, and I thank them for that.

YP: You've now had over a decade sailing the Groupama trimarans. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give the 25 year old Franck who just started? What have you learned?

FC: I would advise him to benefit from every opportunity to go out and sail on any kind of boat. You learn something new every day and it’s a very good idea to get as many experiences as you can with different crew and skippers. It’s good to watch how the top sailors sail and understand what works well!

YP: We all have to rely on our boats to a great degree, but none so much as record-breakers. When you have a major structural failure like happened on Groupama 3, how do you learn to trust that boat, designer, or builder again? Or, on the other hand, can you never really have much faith in these cutting-edge designs - is that part of the challenge?

FC: We know the architects and constructors well, and we adhere to their approaches. That’s why we chose them. However, you have to work hand in hand with them to avoid errors as best you can, and also be able to share with them the [real world] experiences of the sailors. After that, sailing remains a mechanical sport, and obviously we don’t know it all.

We always try to get the boat making headway with an eye on performance, and therefore, even with a conservative strategy, it is always difficult to perfectly understand the stresses on our boats because the sea is always a surprising environment, and is always different. However, it is clear that when we take the start of a race with Groupama, we know that in order to win, you first have to finish.

YP: We're assuming you will be going for the Jules Verne Trophy in the 2010 season. During an attempt like this, is what's going through your head more about "Groupama 3 vs. Orange 2" or "Franck vs. Bruno"?

FC: Sailing is a team sport and a team adventure: As a result I think of it more as Groupama against Orange.

YP: As skipper, though, it's your team. What qualities do you look for when building a crew?

FC: When I make up my crew, I search for competence, team spirit, an open mind, motivation, passion, enthusiasm, the ability to work hard and the ability to take the knocks! That’s a lot of characteristics to bring together but I am lucky to have some top notch sailors around me.

YP: Do you have any pet peeves - anything that drives you crazy about crew?

FC: No, there’s good in each of us. You simply have to try and work on the strong points and erase the weak points!

YP: It seems you'll sail anything that floats. What's been your favorite boat to sail?

FC: Multihulls and trimarans - Groupama 2 and 3 in particular! I like multihulls a great deal as they are thoroughbreds, elegant and very fast. To sail aboard a boat which transforms the wind is fabulous and above all very intelligent.

YP: What are your personal goals for your sailing career?

FC: My aim is to continue sailing and racing on boats I am passionate about, and against very high performing teams!

YP: And how about your family, are your daughters sailing yet?

FC: My daughters are 3 and 5, and still a little young to sail.

YP: Do you think that by the time they might choose to follow in your footsteps, the technology will put women on equal footing with men in big boat racing?

FC: In ocean racing, women are already on a par and in lots of crew positions. They shouldn’t have any kind of complex in regard to men. They also have some advantages, particularly that of finding funding more easily!...

YP: Well, maybe we'll see a new sailing dynasty emerge. What 'fatherly' advice would you have for anyone who wants to become, like you, one of the world's greatest sailors?

FC: To sail and get the most you can from every experience!

- Brad Hampton for YachtPals.com

Read More about Groupama 2 and Groupama 3

Submitted By YachtPals on 20 Jul

Franck Cammas, Groupama 3, Groupama 2, France, Jules Verne Trophy, Sailing, sailor, yachting, yacht, groupama, Camas, Frank Cammas, Franck, Cammas,

Bookmark/Search this post with: