Group Hug

So, alright, they've done it again. Fécamp, located in Normandy, hosted the 4th multihulls Grand Prix of the season last week end, and Franck Cammas's Groupama won big time: eight races have been disputed, and the mean green trimaran won seven of them… finishing 3rd when Fred Le Peutrec's Gitana XI was able to contest their supremacy. Overall, Foncia (skippered by Armel Le Cléac'h - impressive this weekend) takes the second place, while Pascal Bidégorry is third.

One must bear in mind that Groupama's domination this weekend just sums up the whole GP season, since out of 30 races held so far (split between the GPs of Corsica, Marseille, Vigo in Spain and Fécamp), Cammas and his crew met victory 27 times! An amazing figure - and true, the boat (2004 generation, VPLP designed) is notably fast, but that doesn't explain it all. The Groupama boys have been sailing together for quite a time, they train a lot and Franck Cammas has a very rigorous approach when it comes to getting the best out of his trimaran. Curved foils, central daggerboard fitted with an adjustable flap, canting mast… modern 60ft trimarans are complicated and require a serious learning process. Launched last year, Groupama is a light and sharp boat, with wave-piercing bows and a relatively flat central hull near the transom (for better downwind performances). The mast is one metre further aft than on the previous boat, and a lot of work has been done to centre the weights. The crossbeams are 8 centimetres lower than on the old trimaran, in order to reduce their total frontal surface, thus their resistance in terms of aerodynamics. The aerodynamics were studied with powerful simulation software, which also showed that given the speed reached by modern multihulls, an effort deserved to be made to reduce drag: this is why the back part of the front crossbeam has been fitted with a fairing, to allow for a better airflow!

Interestingly enough, a lot of the R&D work done for this boat has also been employed for the Groupama 3 giant (32 metres), currently being built at Multiplast, and due to be launched in spring 2006. Could be promising… considering the awesome results obtained on the 60 footer. Aboard this beast, Cammas and his crew will take on the Jules Verne Trophy…

PS: just for the anecdote… 4 of the 6 trimaran skippers who competed this weekend are previous winners of the Solitaire du Figaro (Franck Cammas - 1997 / Michel Desjoyeaux 1992 & 1998 / Pascal Bidégorry - 2000 / Armel Le Cléac'h - 2003).

Next and final GP of the 2005 season in Lorient, Sept. 30/Oct. 2. The great shot is courtesy Yvan.Zedda.

- Jocelyn Blériot, Course au Large

09/13/05