Franck Cammas

Cowes UK - Though rarely disappointing, the racing of the Extreme 40 iShares Cup catamarans definitely proved EXTREME this week, as the winds never fell below 25 knots during all three days of racing. The lucky spectators at this year's Cowes Week had a real treat as they watched high speed hull-up racing, one sailboat capsize after another, and dramatic crashes these past few days, as the iShares Cup fleet and all-star sailors tested their skills sailing off the Isle of Wight. High action, top sailors and big winds - yacht racing just doesn't get much more exciting than this.

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.

Saint Nazaire, France - With a narrow margin of only 6 minutes, Franck Cammas and the crew of Groupama 2 won the ORMA class over Pascal Bidégorry and the crew of Banque Populaire in the Record SNSM. The 560 mile course took 2 days 1 hour 58 minutes and 14 seconds to complete - not the times usually seen in multihulls. But the course, with its light winds and strong currents, was a favorite of the competitors, as it allowed tactics to shine in a variety of conditions.

Brittany, France - The fourth edition of the Record SNSM started yesterday off the eastern jetty in the port of Saint Nazaire, on France’s Brittany coast in the Atlantic. A crewed yacht race from St. Nazaire to St. Malo and back, this sailing race is providing a fantastic spectacle, with a mix of amateur and professional sailors competing on high speed monohulls and multihulls. The fleet of Imoca monohulls include seven of the yachts which will be competing in the upcoming Vendée Globe this fall.

BMW ORACLE Racing starts a two-week training session this week from Lorient, on France’s Brittany coast. They are training on board the 60-foot multihull Groupama 2.