Franck Cammas: "The Vendée Globe is now like a Solitaire du Figaro around the world"

A new challenge on the horizon 

In his career, the Vendée Globe remains an unexplored challenge. Today, the evolution of IMOCA and the level of the class attract him more than ever: a race that combines sporting excellence and technological development, two driving forces at the heart of his approach since the beginning. "It's not so much the journey that appeals to me as the intensity of the exercise. Many boats are able to compete for victory, the speeds are close, and the race is constant. In my eyes, it has become a real Solitaire du Figaro around the world," he emphasises. In recent years, he has focused on collective projects, but he is now more interested in the solo dimension on these 60-foot monohulls. For him, the difficulty lies not only in the sailor's endurance, but also in the ability to exploit these flying machines to their full potential.
 

Fascinating machines

What particularly appeals to Franck is the complexity of today's IMOCAs. "They are very difficult and unstable boats, largely because of the foils and the rules, which limit certain stability solutions. We are no longer in an Archimedean world as before. Everything depends on dynamic balances and speeds that completely transform the way we sail." Such characteristics pose new challenges: living on board in extreme conditions, withstanding shocks, managing to manoeuvre alone while keeping the boat close to its optimal performance. "Giving a person the ability to stay on these machines for 70 days, exploiting 90% of their potential, is a real technical headache," he admits. It is precisely this complexity that attracts him, in every detail: the shape of the hull, the efficiency of the foils, the ergonomics of the cockpit, the management of energy. 

This technical curiosity is backed by solid experience. On 60-foot monohulls, he first collaborated with the Charal team alongside Jérémie Beyou, before winning The Ocean Race in 2023 with 11th Hour Racing Team. A trajectory that continues today, with The Ocean Race Europe on Holcim-PRB.

an extraordinary track record  

His experience has been built up over a career marked by success, beginning in 1997 when he won the Solitaire du Figaro at just 24 years of age. This first achievement set the stage for a long history with Groupama, where he became skipper the following year. He held this role for many years and quickly established himself as one of the masters of the ORMA class, racking up victories and records. With these multihulls, he distinguished himself in particular on the Route du Café, which he won four times (2001, 2003, 2007 and 2021). In 2010, he reached a new milestone by triumphing in the Route du Rhum, before breaking several offshore records and achieving international acclaim by winning the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race. ‘I've been lucky enough to sail on many different types of boats. Each experience has taught me something important,’ he says, convinced, and rightly so, that this wealth of experience is now a major asset in his development in IMOCA and, in the future, will enable him to compete in the Vendée Globe, with the aim of winning.

A vision focused on tomorrow

Always seeking new horizons, he is not satisfied with just sailing. Responsible for the design of the French Challenge for the America's Cup, he works closely with architects and engineers on appendages, hulls and control systems. ‘High-level sailing progresses through transfers and crossovers.’ In 2025, he also launched Sailing Generation, an organisation designed to offer young talents the opportunity to train on the most demanding platforms, from IMOCA to Olympic series. It's a way of passing on his knowledge while keeping his own challenge in sight. Because although his Vendée Globe project is still in the early stages, it already embodies what the Cammas brand stands for: high standards, innovation and a desire to push the boundaries.