Franck Cammas Is the Man in the Jacques
Vabre!
November 17 - Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
The 4,200-mile Jacques Vabre Race from
France to Brazil is, along with the Route du Rhum, the most prestigious
- and exciting - race sailed out of France. For the second time
in a row, 30-year old Franck Cammas has become the top dog with
his 60-ft tri Groupama, covering 4,600 miles in just over
10 days - for a blistering pace of 17.57 knots. He was helped
by crew Franck Proffit, who had crewed for Loïck Peyron
when the latter won with Fujicolor in 1999.
The duo had to be fast, because Belgacom,
with Jean-Luc Nélias and Loïck Peyron, finished just
over an hour later. Belgacom actually averaged .11 of
a knot faster, but sailed a longer course. While the first half
of the race and the doldrums had been rough, it was great to
the finish. "Like skiing on two inches of fresh powder!"
Photos Courtesy www.jacques-vabre.com
Karine Fauconnier |
Taking a brilliant third just five hours
out of first was skipper Karine Fauconnier, the first lady of
the race, with Irishman Damian Foxall aboard Sergio Tacchini.
This great finish is surely going to propel the stunning
Frenchwoman to even greater glory, as she and her crew bested
many of the giants of ocean multihull racing. For example, Ellen
MacArthur, sailing with Alain Gautier, finished ninth.
But the day really belongs to Cammas, who
has certainly proved his mettle over the years. At age 24, he
won the Solitaire de Figaro, which propelled him into the 60-ft
multihull ranks. A couple of years later, he cobbled together
the parts of various outdated 60-ft tris to beat all the latest
and greatest designs in the St. Malo Transatlantic Race. And
now two Jacques Vabre victories in a row. And the future looks
bright, for his new tri, a 60-footer from brand new molds, is
nearing completion.
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In another amazing feat, Lalou Roucayrol and Pascal Bidegorry,
who would finish sixth, covered an staggering 613 miles in one
24-hour period. That's just 12 miles short of the record for
60-footers. The all time 24-hour sailing record is just under
700 miles, set by 110-ft maxi cat. Is there anybody else who
thinks the America's Cup ought to be sailed in 60-ft tris?
Even though the Open 60s started the Jacques
Vabre days earlier than the tris, they are still at sea. We'll
have a report on Wednesday.
1. Groupama (Franck Cammas - Franck
Proffit) 10d 23h 10m 41s
2. Belgacom (Jean-Luc Nélias - Loïck Peyron)
11d 00h 22m 42s
3. Sergio Tacchini (Karine Fauconnier - Damian Foxall)
11d 03h 20m 28s
4. Géant (Michel Desjoyeaux - Hervé Jan)
11d 06h 27m 31s
5. Biscuits La Trinitaine (Marc Guillemot - Yann Guichard)
11d 08h 11m 55s
6. Banque Populaire (Lalou Roucayrol - Pascal Bidégorry)
11d 09h 27m 44s
7. Sodebo (Thomas Coville - Jacques Vincent) 11d 11h 20m
15s
8. Gitana (Lionel Lemonchois - Marc Guessard) 11d 19h
50m 45s
9. Foncia (Alain Gautier - Ellen MacArthur) 11d 20h 38m
06s
10. Sopra Group (Philippe Monnet - Laurent Bourgnon) 11d
20h 55m 50s
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