Groupama 3 wins 2010 Route du Rhum!

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Doug Lord, Nov 9, 2010.

  1. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
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    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

  2. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Victory: Groupama 3 wins Route du Rhum!

    From Team Groupama:

    2010/11/09-17h05A victorious finish for Groupama 3 and Franck Cammas in Pointe à Pitre
    Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010

    It was at 15 hours 16 minutes 47 seconds (GMT) today that the skipper of Groupama took victory in his first solo transatlantic race! Beneath the glorious sunshine of Guadeloupe and surrounded by a horde of spectator craft, Franck Cammas couldn't conceal his happiness and his emotion. He covered the 3,539 miles in 9 days 3 hours 14 minutes and 47 seconds, at an average speed of 16.14 knots... Franck Cammas' achievement is a sizeable one on a trimaran spanning 31.5 metres in length and 22.5 metres wide! In fact she is the biggest boat that has ever competed in the Route du Rhum la Banque Postale! Hearty congratulations to Franck for expertly helming his Groupama 3.

    After a triumphant departure from Saint Malo where they took the lead of the fleet from the off, Groupama 3 and her skipper led the Ultimate fleet virtually from beginning to end, only conceding their leadership during the first 24 hours. Since 31st October 1202 GMT, Franck Cammas hasn't once eased off the pace aboard Groupama 3. After a series of tack changes, gybes and brainstorming sessions with his routers Jean Luc Nélias and Charles Caudrelier, the 38 year old skipper takes victory on the highest step of this much coveted podium thanks to his southerly route. This solo victory was all that was lacking in the list of achievements racked up by this passionate and talented sailor.

    Groupama and Franck Cammas have been together for 13 years now. Loyalty and commitment form the backbone of the insurance and banking group and they unquestionably play a large part in this success.

    Jean Azéma, Genereal Manager of Groupama summed up the company's reaction: "I am very happy for Franck as it's a fabulous victory, which tops an impressive list of achievements with one of the finest solo races there is, the Route du Rhum. All the group's representatives and colleagues, who have followed and supported Franck for the past 13 years, are proud of this victory.

    I'd also like to thank the shore crew and the sailing team for their commitment in fine tuning Groupama 3 over the past 4 years, through the various record campaigns and the ambitious gamble to configure our trimaran for one man alone.

    Today's victory is a reflection of a solid partnership between the Team led by Franck and Groupama, which is constantly seeking to combine the sporting aspect and the business aspect.

    Groupama and Franck will now continue the adventure on another type of boat, right around the globe, marking our commitment to sailing and the loyalty of this partnership.

    Our shared adventure, which is expressed in the joy of victory, but also sometimes in the more difficult times, will remain based on reciprocal trust which enables ambitious projects to be built upon.

    I am delighted that this victory has come just days before the start of the Banque Postale IARD, which Groupama is partnering. It augurs well for our future success."

    In a hour's time, Groupama 3 will be tied up in the harbour basin of Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe, in front of the Place de la Victoire! All that remains is for Franck to fully savour his achievement.


     
  3. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
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    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Groupama 3

    From Scuttlebutt Europe:

    Cammas King of the Rhum
    Photo by Thierry Martinez, ThMartinez/Sea&Co, www.thmartinez.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

    When he brought the giant 31.5 metres trimaran Groupama 3 across the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe today (Tuesday) under perfect sunshine and light breezes Franck Cammas (FRA) clinched the 9th edition of the Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale, the legendary 3542 miles transatlantic race from Saint Malo for solo skippers which takes place every four years.

    Cammas completes an outstanding year with the giant multihull which he now steps off for high next challenge, racing fully crewed round the world in 70 foot monohulls.

    In March this year he already set the fully crewed round the world Jules Verne Trophy record with the boat, sailing with a crew of ten to smash the record by 2 days 08 hours 35 minutes.

    Groupama 3 crossed the finish line at 16h 16min 47secs (CET Paris) (15hrs 16mins 47secs GMT/ 11hrs 16mins 47 seconds Local time)

    The elapsed time for the course, after starting Saint Malo at 1302hr (CET/Paris) was 9 days 3 hours 14 mins 47 seconds and the average speed over the course on the water was. 20.39 knots for an actual course sailed of 4471 miles.

    But the course record of 7 days17 hrs 19 mins 6 seconds, which was set in 2006 by Lionel Lemonchois in an exceptional weather pattern still stands.

    Cammas adds his name to the legend of the 'Rhum' as successor to Mike Birch, Marc Pajot, Philippe Poupon, Florence Arthaud, Laurent Bourgnon, Michel Desjoyeaux and Lionel Lemonchois.

    * Breaking the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe at 02 hrs 52 mins 48 secs today (Wednesday, CET/Paris) ( 01 hrs 52 mins 48 secs GMT/ 21 hrs 52 mins 48 secs local time Tuesday (CET -4hrs)) Francis Joyon on the 29.7m trimaran IDEC took second place in the 9th Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale solo Transatlantic race which started from Saint-Malo, France at 1302hrs (CET) Sunday 31st October.

    The elapsed time for IDEC is 9 days 13 hrs 50 mins 48 secs . His average speed is 18.19kts for the distance he sailed of 4181 miles. Over the theoretical course distance of 3539 miles Francis Joyon's average speed is 15.40 kts Joyon finished 10 hrs 36 min 1 secs behind Franck Cammas winner (Groupama 3).
     

  4. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Groupama 3---Victory!

    From Groupama:

    2010/11/10-00h35Initial reactions from Franck Cammas on his arrival
    Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010



    "I've been savouring this achievement since this morning. To get to the northern tip of Guadeloupe is rare. I said to myself: "savour these final moments. And it has been a superb day. Arriving here in daylight hours too... who could ask for more? "

    "My fourth participation has proved to be the good one. The other Route du Rhums weren't so easy or successful for me. It was a daring gamble to set off with Groupama 3, which was originally designed for ten people. From the first night, things didn't go too badly and I believed I could do it. As a result I got onto the attack and here I am in Pointe-à-Pitre. "

    "It's incredible. I've never seen so many people at a race finish. Added to that, to have traversed the Atlantic with this boat, I couldn't have wished for more, but to end up with a result like this is something else. The infatuation for this race is exceptional and it's set to continue as there are a whole raft of other finishes which will follow on from this."

    "It may not show but I've very tired. Physically it's always very hard. In terms of your nerves it's no worse than before as Groupama 3 is a very stable boat. I managed to get some rest, but when you're at the front, it's stressful to be there and you're constantly wanting to be on the attack. You need a certain amount of organisation though and a certain amount of tonicity throughout the week. Physically you spare no amount of effort because you want to battle and aren't sparing of your energy because you're keen to do battle and do well. You're flat out and give it your all to get the boat making headway. The Route du Rhum is a sprint, at least it's becoming a sprint more and more. It's a fairly short race. When you're in the lead you forget the pain and you forget the effort."

    "The race was roughly how I imagined it would be, but each Route du Rhum is different as the weather patterns are different. To finish close-hauled over the last 24 hours is pretty atypical after all. I even ended up passing close to Saint Barts which is pretty rare. It's quite an unusual Route du Rhum with some big boats. I didn't know my adversaries before the start but I admired their skippers for what they had achieved single-handed and I still admire them today. I'm very happy to get to Pointe-à-Pitre before them."

    "The race has left me with some extraordinary memories. The first 24 hours was about discovering the boat, discovering my potential in relation to the others. At the end of the first night I found there was a fairly positive opportunity when I passed Cape Finisterre. From that point I really enjoyed this Route du Rhum."

    "Victory in a legendary race like this is fantastic. I didn't expect it when I set out, so I didn't put any pressure on myself for this reason and so it's even more fantastic to be here today. It's a fabulous moment! In competitive sailing, you only know fairly late in the day if it's going to be alright. When you get to the northern tip of Guadeloupe it's a good thing to find you have quite a good lead over the others. However, rounding Cape Finisterre the first night, you can gauge how each competitor is doing and in the breezy conditions, I knew we were in on the action."

    "Compared with four years ago, the finish in Guadeloupe was a lot more impressive this time around. I was fifth four years ago and there were a lot fewer people and it was midnight. To be here, as the winner, is something very special."

    "I'd like to thank my boat for bringing me this far. A circumnavigation of the globe was already quite a feat. To complete this Route du Rhum, intact, together... she's my shell! It's very important to have experience of your boat. We're completely dependant upon each other."

    "As regards my adversaries, I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to battle against them. I consider them to be great sailors, who have done some incredible things. I shall be even more proud to be there to see their finishes and take their lines. This time was my time, but at other times it has been theirs. It's a game, and it's a great thing that there are adversaries of this quality for the game to be as enthralling as this one."


     
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