Franck Cammas is a French sailing hero, but this year marks his first-ever campaign for the oldest trophy in international sport.
Cammas has a long list of achievements including winning the Jules Verne trophy, Volvo Ocean Race, Little America’s Cup and many other World Championship titles. Now he takes on his challenge yet: to lead a French team to victory in the America’s Cup.
When Franck Cammas rounded Cape Horn aboard a flying catamaran
About Franck Cammas
Franck Cammasย (born 22 December 1972 inย Aix-en-Provence) is a French yachtsman.ย He has lived in Brittany since his victory in the Challenge Espoir Crรฉdit Agricole in 1994. After completing a two-year maths course for the โGrandes รฉcolesโ, as well as a piano academy, Franck Cammas finally opted for a career in sailing. In 1997, at the age of 24, he won theย Solitaire du Figaroย and a year later helmed his firstย trimaranย christenedย Groupama. Despite his late entry into competition, he is one of the most talented and respected sailors in theย Ocean Racing Multihull Associationย world.
Later, Cammas wasย skipperย of the 60-foot (18ย m) trimaranย Groupama 2, with which he won fiveย ORMAย championships. His last trimaran, the 103-foot (31ย m)ย Groupama 3ย was designed to break ocean racing records.ย Groupama 2ย holds the record for being the fastest yacht in aย transat Jacques Vabreย race andย Groupama 3ย once brokeย Jules Verne Trophy, which she held for nearly two years.
After winningย Route du Rhumย and the Jules Verne Trophy in 2010, Cammas has switched from multihull to monohull racing and won theย 2011โ12 Volvo Ocean Raceย with theย Open 70ย Groupama 4.
Cammas is involved in theย 2017 America’s Cupย as a skipper forย Groupama Team France.
Cammas is the father of two girls and practices other sports including skiing, boardsports and cycling.