Kiwi Perspective and Changes over time from Tony Rae, plus
Excerpts from a Pre-Race Interview with Franck Cammas, the Volvo Ocean Race Winner, and 2013 French National Match Racing Champion
Volvo Ocean Race interviews carried out in July 2012 by Anne Hinton
Excerpts from a Pre-Race Interview with Franck Cammas, the Volvo Ocean Race Winner, and 2013 French National Match Racing Champion
Volvo Ocean Race interviews carried out in July 2012 by Anne Hinton
Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Paul Todd
Neal McDonald, Team Telefonica
Neal McDonald, Team Telefonica. Image copyright Maria Muina/Team Telefonica
AH: How many races around the world have you now completed, please? When was the first one? Will this be your last one, or will you be back for more?
NM: I've started 8 round the world races of one form or other – finishing six of them. My first complete round the world race was on Silkcut in 1997. This [2011-12] will be the last one for me – I'm definitely too old for another one – the time commitment for the pre-race training and the race itself is too much for me at my stage in life with a young family.
Neal McDonald with his young family. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Ian Roman
AH: What were the strengths of Team Telefonica in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race, please?
NM: We had a great sailing team, a good shore team and plenty of time to prepare for the race. Time I believed we used wisely. I also feel we had one of the fastest all round boats and a good sail programme. We started the race in great shape and I imagine we had probably done more sailing than all the other teams.
Team Telefonica shore-side. Image copyright Team Telefonica/Maria Muina
AH: What were your favourite experiences from the last Volvo Ocean Race?
NM: I really enjoyed the fast sailing on the leg into Lorient where we had 2 boats in sight and everyone was pushing hard. That was possibly the best sailing I have ever done.
Neal McDonald racing on board Team Telefonica. Image copyright Daniel Fructuoso/Team Telefonica
AH: What were your least favourite experiences from the last Volvo Ocean Race?
NM: Finding we had a pretty major structural problem early on in the Southern Ocean that forced us to sail the boat under its potential for the rest of the leg.
On the rail on board Team Telefonica. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Daniel Fructuoso
AH: What were your most memorable moments from the last Volvo Ocean Race?
NM: Strangely enough sailing into Brazil was my most memorable part of this race. We had such a huge reception - it was great!
Team Telefonica. Image copyright Maria Muina/Team Telefonica
AH: What aspects of other teams have you most admired during the course of this Volvo Ocean Race, and why?
NM: I admired Camper ETNZ's organisation, teamwork and determination. I believe that they achieved a better result than several faster boats.
AH: How do you see the introduction of a one design boat changing things for future Volvo Ocean Races, please?
NM: I have mixed feelings – I still like the concept of the design innovation that the race has had up to now – but for sure a one design race is way better than no race, which is what I imagine would have been the case if it had remain as it is in the current economic climate.
Neal McDonald at the helm of Team Telefonica. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Daniel Fructuoso
AH: What are your future sailing plans, please?
NM: Unsure. I will be doing the odd regatta here and there just to keep me up to date and in touch with what is going on, but I have no plans for the bigger picture yet [as of July 2012].
AH: Thank you very much for your time.
Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Hamish Hooper
Tony Rae, Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand
Tony Rae aboard Camper ETNZ. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Ian Roman
AH: Trae – how long ago was it that you previously raced around the world, and in what boat/skipper was that, please?
TR: My last race was with Dalts on NZ Endeavour in 1993 - so a fair break from it.
AH: What changes have you noticed (apart from being older!) between your previous circumnavigation and the one completed in 2012, please?
TR: The race has changed a huge amount since then – in fact its now called the Volvo Ocean Race not the Whitbread. We only had 5 stops and this time there was 9 plus in-port races. The boats are way more physical because of the weight of the sails and the speed they are going , there just way more powerful for their weight. We had 15 [people] on Endeavour and these boats are limited to 10 plus a media man. We had a cook and this time the media man is the cook, or, should I say, boils the water.
Camper ETNZ getting very wet. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Paul Todd
Because of the speeds you do now they are very wet compared to the ketches so with the amount of water over the deck there is always way more potential for injuries.
AH: Are Kiwi teams sailing around the world different (both people-wise and in their set-up) from in the days of Sir Peter Blake’s circumnavigations, please?
TR: In some ways they are but, as you know, the Camper team was made up of a few different nationalities so in that way its always going to be different. It was different with Blakey as skipper but I don't think he would have suited these types of boats as alot more of the racing this time relied on short course, boat on boat sailing which is where Nico and Stu were very good.
Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Ian Roman.
AH: Are you a good onboard medic? How did the job compare with previous around the world onboard doctoring (issues of incorrect fillings in teeth aside…)?
TR: As far as a medic goes I think I had the right attitude for it and I enjoy looking after that area which I think is a big part of it. It’s not all about just dealing with major problems; it’s more often being more of a nurse and trying to look after a lot of small issues to stop them getting worse, i.e. small salt water infections, strains, chest infections, dehydration, common cold, etc.
Medicine Man Trae injects local anaesthetic into Mike Pammenters severed lip and broken tooth aboard Camper ETNZ. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Hamish Hooper
AH: What were the best times for you in the last Volvo Ocean Race?
TR: - Making it to Chile, fixing the boat, and making it to Brazil in time for the next leg.
- Winning the last leg to finish 2nd overall.
AH: What were the worst times for you in the last Volvo Ocean Race?
TR: - Having a good leg out of NZ and then breaking the boat.
- Leading into Lisbon and getting beaten by Telefonica.
Camper ETNZ. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Paul Todd
AH: What was the funniest moment for you in the last VOR?
TR: The equator crossing is always pretty funny if you have already been around the Horn and you can be King Neptune!
AH: How have you found the inshore legs compared with the offshore ones in the Volvo Ocean Race?
TR: The inshore races are always very hard as these boats are not set up very well to sail short courses and it is so important to get a good start when the race only lasts an hour, but they are bloody hard work but also good fun!
Camper ETNZ. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Hamish Hooper
AH: How was getting the 24 hour speed record twice over in this Volvo Ocean Race?
TR: It was very cool to have the speed record but when we lost it to Tele [Telefonica] we were gutted so we really pushed the boat hard during that time and claimed it back which we thought was rightfully ours. It was all about not having any down time during that 24 hours.
AH: It seemed that the A4 kite added reaching horsepower aloft to Camper ETNZ on Leg 9 that had previously been missing from the boat. Do you think it would have been possible to use this sail at an earlier stage in the race to improve performance?
TR: The A4 was a good call in that leg and it worked well for us and was easier to make the call to take that sail as it was a short leg so the forecast was more accurate so it was not such a big risk.
Camper ETNZ. Image copyright Camper ETNZ/Chris Cameron
AH: Do you want to do the Volvo Ocean Race again in the new one design boats?
TR: I'm not sure if I will get to do it again, but that will all depend on who does it and if they will take me again.
Trae works out in the gym. Image copyright Camper ETNZ/Chris Cameron
AH: What effect do you think that the new one design boats will have on the race?
TR: With the race going to One Design it will change a lot, but does get 8 boats on the start line which is the main aim for Volvo and I guess for sponsors. I don't think it’s so good for a Team like Team NZ as we have so much resource to us in the design world...
Great racing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Ian Roman
AH: What are your immediate sailing plans [July 2012]?
TR: I am now back full time with Emirates Team NZ as a back-up sailing team member which going to be very different and very exciting.
AH: Thanks very much, Trae!
Groupama leads Camper ETNZ - 1st and 2nd overall in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Paul Todd
Post Script
Excerpts from an interview with Franck Cammas in 2010, on his participation in the VOR and also his America’s Cup plans after the Volvo Ocean Race
Groupama 4 seemingly races without crew in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Paul Todd
FC: We are switching [to one hull] just for the Volvo Ocean Race because we want to do an offshore race with crew and there is only one like that!
AH: What about the MOD70?
FC: It’s a new class. We don’t know how this will pan out. It is not the same size of event as the Volvo Ocean Race.
Franck Cammas at the wheel looks around as a huge wall of water washes the decks of Groupama 4 during the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Yann Riou
AH: For you it is always the ocean race? You were involved with the America’s Cup and BMW Oracle Racing?
FC: Yes, it’s interesting for sure and it will be more interesting after the Volvo Ocean Race for the America’s Cup, but for now we have a lot to learn!
Groupama 4 racing the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Yann Riou
Addendum
They clearly learnt very quickly as Franck Cammas and the Groupama team won the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12!
The Groupama team win the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Volvo Ocean Race/Ian Roman
Now, in 2013, Franck Cammas is training in C class catamarans for the Little America’s Cup… en route to the main event at a later stage, no doubt! He is also campaigning an M34 and will compete in the Tour de France à la Voile this year.
Franck Cammas and the Groupama team of Devan Le Bihan, Erwan Israël and Christophe André win the French National Match Racing Championships 2013 in Antibes. Image copyright O. Bourbon
AH
