SailRaceWin: Races Around Islands... Part Two B: Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland

Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race

Another race, another record for Cammas and Groupama:

* Time of passage over the finish line: 1126 hours BST
* Race time: 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes
* Average speed over the 1,802 mile course: 12.74 knots
* Lead over the previous record: 14 hours and 3 minutes

Franck Cammas on the pontoon after the victory. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Video from Sam Davies Ocean Racing of Telefonica Azul passing ICAP Leopard in the Solent:

Video from Volvo Ocean Race of 'Cat and Mouse' with two Volvo Open 70s going head to head in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland race:

Video from the start by Groupama:

Video from Sam Davies Ocean Racing of Groupama 70 passing ICAP Leopard and going around Beachy Head:

by Anne Hinton

Another race; another record, and this time on just one hull!

Franck Cammas, and his Groupama team took part in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland race in the VO70 Groupama 70 - formerly the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race winning Ericsson 4. For competition, the 2008-9 third placed Telefonica Azul, with her former inshore skipper, 49er world champion, Iker Martínez, in charge; both boats glad to find some competition a year before the start of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. The Sevenstar course length of 1,802 nautical miles, as well as the conditions, and sailing the boats in Volvo Ocean Race setup, lent credence to similarity with the round-the-world race's legs too.

Groupama 70 (ex-Ericsson 4, winner of the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race) is in the right colours for advertising the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Before the race, Cammas said: "Our aim is victory. We're going to be pushing both Groupama 70 and her crew, so we can find out what our limits are. It's important to set ourselves a goal and find out what it's like to race whilst under pressure as we've still got a lot to learn. The fact that we're racing against a top quality adversary will enable us to answer certain questions which we wonder about when we're sailing on our own".

Questions answered with the new record time for the Sevenstar of 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes!

Inspiration

Franck Cammas was inspired to explore the planet by sailboat racing, as a nine year old child, from reading Eric Tabarly's book "Tour du Monde de Pen Duick VI". Once he had started reading the book, he could not put it down until he had obtained a glossary and fully understood all the terms and the true magnitude of that achievement.

Large multihulls are ideal for breaking long distance speed records, such as the Trophée Jules Verne race around the world, for which Cammas and the Groupama team established a new record time of just over 48 days in March 2010. However, Cammas is a very driven person and it is not just speed records that interest him; finishing first in racing against other boats is also good - something he is about to attempt singlehanded in the trimaran Groupama 3 in the Route du Rhum, starting from St Malo on 31st October.

Franck Cammas' goal is to make ever further discovery of the earth; to be surprised by the places and the people. A team race around the world, with stops, enables him to fulfill this passion, hence looking towards the Volvo Ocean Race, which is sailed in monohulls. (A new MOD70 trimaran around-the-world circuit has been proposed, but so far there is only one taker, whereas the Volvo Ocean Race is long-established and already has excellent credentials, guaranteeing first class competition en route.)

Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland: reverse course!

The course for the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland was reversed to anti-clockwise, due to stormy weather expected off Ireland in the first part of the race period, just before the start. As it was, the ride out of the Solent and the first 20 or so hours, was the best for the participants. "Sailing under fractional spinnaker and one reef mainsail, on a close broad reach, the cockpit is reminiscent of a bath and at times Groupama 70 is making in excess of thirty knots" wrote Yann Riou on day one. Cammas described it as "rather reminiscent of sailing on Groupama 3's leeward float"!

Cockpit taking plenty of water aboard Groupama 70, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Pranged by a Ker46 on their mooring just before the start, Groupama 70 had 15 minutes, or 25 miles, deficit to make up on Telefonica Azul, after patching the hole. Past the Dover Straits they thought that they had chosen a path to make up ground, but "we ended up in a field of offshore wind turbines, which weren't shown on our marine charts. We were forced to zigzag our way between them and the sandbanks, which wasn't great for making fast headway", said Cammas. The crew were also unable to rest due to the constant need for manoeuvres.

Telefonica Azul charges out of the Solent. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race/RORC.

Later it was slamming on the waves at speed that reduced the crew's off-watch sleep: "On deck the cold is beginning to set in. We are sailing at 60 degrees North after all! Down below it's rocking and rolling too. Any moving about is dangerous, and it's a struggle to maintain your balance with each movement. The fatigue is beginning to show on our faces", wrote Yann Riou, as Groupama 70 sailed up the east coast of Scotland.

Groupama 70 powers out of the Solent at the start of the Sevenstar race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race/RORC.

Telefonica Azul charges along. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race/RORC.

Telefonica Azul charges along. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race/RORC.

Passing Tele Blue...

Prior to passing Muckle Flugga, the northernmost point of the Shetland Islands, which marked the turn south again for home on the race route, Groupama 70 overtook Telefonica Azul. While it appeared to those on land only looking at the day race tracks as though Groupama 70's more westerly position had given them a better seaway in a more favourable, if lighter, wind direction, when asked about the overtaking after the race, it became clear that Telefonica Azul had also had an issue on board.

Jean-Luc Nélias, Groupama Team's navigator, "By slipping across to the East during the climb along the Scottish coast, Telefonica lost out on an opportunity that we were able to make the most of offshore of Edinburgh. However, we're heading towards a windless zone which we won't be able to get round. We're going to take 24 hours to get free of it and that will allow Telefonica to make up ground on us".

Telefonica Azul break a fitting and lose ground

Neal McDonald, Watch Captain, Telefonica Azul. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Neal McDonald, Watch Captain on board Telefonica Azul, said that while flying out of the Solent at 20-30 knots was a high point of the race, Telefonica Azul had just encountered their low point: "having a fitting break at the top of Scotland that prevented us using our heavy weather jib for 10 hours. This allowed Groupama to get from 20 miles behind to 30 miles in front - heart breaking from a racing point of view but the sort of price you pay in these type of racing boats when things break. When the failure occurred it was pitch black (as it always is when things go wrong!) and blowing 35 knots in a horrific seaway.

"To get the sail down we had to go down hill [turn around and sail downwind] for 20 minutes (rapidly giving away hard earned windward miles) with all hands on deck wrestling the thing down below. It then took about an hour to sort out the mess and get the rather under powered storm jib up and back on our way again. Very disappointing but we are still fighting hard to get back at them.

However, if the North Sea, heading north, were rough, McDonald commented "I have never known the sea so flat down the western side of the British Isles!"

Impressive Scenery

Racing they may have been, but the scenery in the far north impressed the whole of the Groupama crew, who were still commenting on the beauty of the Shetland Isles on their return to Cowes some days later. "The light is fabulous and the air clear. There are birds everywhere. As Charles Caudrelier said, we'd love to come and spend a few days holiday here if we were sure to find sunshine and not rain..." wrote Nélias in the log, as they passed the islands.

Aboard Groupama 70, off the Shetland Islands, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Aboard Groupama 70, off the Shetland Islands, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Media crew member, Yann Riou, also recorded his thoughts as they passed the Shetlands: "A fabulous passage to the North of the Shetland Islands this lunchtime! In what were still quite big seas, and a breeze of around twenty knots or so, we went round the North of the island of Unst. The least that can be said is that it's a wild place. Aside from a lighthouse and a radar station, we didn't see many signs of life testifying to human presence. But what a place!"

On the conditions up to the top of Scotland, that were very much full on, Charles Caudrelier said: "It's the speed which makes a boat dangerous. I've never had to hook myself on so much to manoeuvre. Safety really isn't a joke as we're often having to manoeuvre and you're quickly carried along by the sea and the waves... It's restrictive to hook yourself on sometimes, but it's also essential."

Lighter conditions allow time for resting

Weather conditions fell lighter after Shetland, allowing the crew some rest. The lighter conditions also favoured Telefonica Azul. "We're sailing upwind in about ten knots of breeze or less. We spotted Telefonica this morning, when we fell into a light wind. We came here to do some contact sailing, but we haven't seen a lot of each other since the start. We're happy to be in front but we'd have liked to sail side by side" admitted Caudrelier. When asked why they're not waiting for Telefonica he replies: "I think it's a skipper's nature. I can't see him waiting for a rival. Added to that, we're keen to beat them by as wide a margin as possible".

Yann Riou: "This morning Telefonica was just a few miles astern of us. Since that time we've been able to get away from her by being the first to hit a little wind.

"Aboard Groupama 70 today, there isn't much stirring. The crew are making the most of the light airs to dry the boat out, wash themselves and get some rest. The boat is making headway on flat seas under gennaker.

"On deck the crew are concentrated on getting the most out of the slightest wind shifts. Down below discussions are becoming more numerous and the galley is the place to be for those crew off-watch."

More beautiful scenery

"Yesterday evening had a fantastic spectacle in store for us as the sun set over the Flannan archipelago. Yet another stunningly beautiful place, which has left more than one of us with the urge to return here" said Yann Riou, Groupama 70's media crew member.

Aboard Groupama 70, off Ireland, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Aboard Groupama 70, off Ireland, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Off western Ireland, in force 3 and flat seas...

Questioned about their direct rival, Groupama 70's navigator seems fairly calm: "It would seem that Telefonica is a good boat downwind in medium light conditions. They're catching up with us a bit as there is more wind. This situation is set to last as far as the Fastnet and then become more stabilised. The closer he gets to us, the more he encounters the same conditions as us. We have a small but fairly comfortable lead.

Aboard Groupama 70, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

Aboard Groupama 70, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

"As regards manoeuvres, things have been calmer since yesterday. We're sailing under Masthead Zero and we're trimming the sheets. There isn't any water on deck. We're being diligent but it's okay. It's fairly pleasant compared with the first few days".

Bishop's Rock lighthouse from aboard Groupama 70, © Yann Riou / Team Groupama.

On arrival back in Cowes, Franck Cammas commented that it was essentially the weather patterns off western Ireland that had allowed Telefonica Azul to catch up towards Groupama 70 once more around there. Equally, however, lighter weather in the western part of the English Channel on the return to Cowes gave Groupama 70 a much larger lead in the final stages of the race.

Skipper and navigator working together

As regards his association with Franck, who he's racing with for one of the first times since they did a transatlantic race in a Figaro back in 1996, Groupama 70's navigator, Jean-Luc says of the skipper: "Franck has gained in substance. He was a young man when I first knew him, and it was right at the start of his career. Today he's self-assured and certain of his decisions.

"We've followed the same schooling and we look at things in the same way. It remains to be seen how things pan out when things aren't going so smoothly but all's well so far".

As far as finding out when Groupama 70 will cross the finish line of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland, the navigator concludes: "The big onboard computers are giving us an ETA in Cowes on Sunday after chicken and chips time but before the Fish and Chips". Actually, they did arrive in time for chicken and chips...

Chicken and chips - after the champagne!

Franck Cammas and champagne. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

"Our arrival in the Isle of Wight was pretty magical. We powered along the island at over twenty knots under spinnaker before tacking against the current in the Solent. On crossing the finish line off the Squadron, the exhaustion swept over us. That's how you build a team; it's important" says Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator aboard Groupama 70.

Franck Cammas on the phone talking to Louay Habib about the race, for the press release. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

As the winner of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland tied up to the dock in the port of Cowes, the bottle of champagne was passed around the whole crew. Very much in demand, Franck Cammas had to do a steady stream of telephone interviews and after his first confrontation against a Volvo Ocean Race specialist, the skipper of Groupama 70 was ready and waiting: "Our aim in this race was to see how the work this new team, on a new boat, has been doing over the past six months would measure up to a reference like Telefonica. The battle was great and very close-fought. We really battled hard. The confrontation was worth its weight in gold with the crew forced to sail under pressure for the first time since Groupama's engagement in the Volvo. This victory has motivated the whole team to push themselves as hard as they can. As far as the record is concerned, it's the icing on the cake" explained a happy Franck Cammas.

New Record Time Round Britain and Ireland

By taking 14 hours and 3 minutes less time than the previous Sevenstar RBI reference, Groupama 70 has confirmed the fast pace of these Volvo Ocean Race monohulls, which are capable of peak speeds in excess of 30 knots, as well as regularly sailing faster than the strength of the wind, like the multihulls that the skipper of Groupama is so familiar with.

Neal McDonald and Iker Martínez break out the champagne for Telefonica Azul. Image copyright Patrick Eden/RORC.

Telefonica Azul also beat the former record time around Britain and Ireland, established in 2009 by Dee Caffari and Sam Davies. Both VO70 boats exceeded speeds of 30 knots during the race around Britain and Ireland. Top speed on board Groupama 70 was 31 knots, and Telefonica Azul believed that they had achieved much the same.

Cammas: Greatest Satisfaction is Team Building

Franck Cammas on the pontoon. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

However, the greatest satisfaction for the recent winner of the Jules Verne Trophy is a human one: "We have a new team. None of my crew come from the multihull and the three Groupama trimarans. It was necessary for me to become integrated. For that there's nothing more valuable than a race to get to know each other well and gain trust. I've learnt more in six days of racing than in six months of training in Lorient during our day sails. This victory binds our crew for the future".

Crew of Groupama 70

1. Franck Cammas, skipper
2. Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator
3. Laurent Pagès, watch leader
4. Magnus Woxen, watch leader
5. Charles Caudrelier, trimmer
6. Erwan Israël, trimmer, under 30 years of age
7. Martin Strömberg, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
8. Sébastien Marsset, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
9. Mike Pammenter, bowman, under 30 years of age
10. Martin Krite, bowman, under 30 years of age
11. Yann Riou, media crew

Telefonica Azul and Iker Martínez

Iker Martínez, Skipper, Telefonica Azul. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Iker Martínez will skipper Telefonica Azul in the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, while continuing his 49er Olympic skiff campaign. Aren't these very different? "A VO70 is like a skiff!" says Iker. "Sure, you can just get in the car with the boat on the back and go with the 49er, while a round the world campaign involves a lot of organising with the team, and learning hydraulics, mechanics and electronics, but we did both last time, although we didn't really practice for the Volvo Ocean Race until after the 2008 Olympics. This time we are sailing Telefonica Azul alongside too." Martínez is also doing the double-handed Barcelona World Race, with his 49er partner, Xabi Fernández, commencing in December.

Route du Rhum for Cammas

Cammas solo on board Groupama 3. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Studio Zedda.

As for Franck Cammas, the swansong in the giant Groupama 3 trimaran for the French skipper will be his singlehanded race in La Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale departing St Malo on 31st October for Pointe à Pitre in Guadeloupe. After that he will just be seen racing on one hull until after the Volvo Ocean Race (participation in the Extreme 40 catamaran series in 2011 has also be cancelled for Groupama).

Royal Yacht Squadron cannons. One was fired to acknowledge Groupama 70's home-coming, as the first boat over the finishing line. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Another race - another record, for Cammas and Groupama