PRESENTACION
EQUIPO
«GROUPAMA»
Saturday, December 11th 2010, 14:00 GMT
Since Groupama announced its participation in November 2009, the team has been building momentum and strength, training on their Volvo Open 70, Groupama 70 (formerly 2008-09 race winner Ericsson 4), and designing their new boat, Groupama 4.
Yesterday Groupama presented the team that will compete for the Volvo Ocean Race Trophy in 2011-12. Despite having had a very busy year including most recently winning the Route du Rhum on Groupama 3, skipper Franck Cammas played an active role in selecting the crew.
The crew list includes several Volvo Ocean Race veterans, French offshore specialists and some young blood.
Damian Foxall (41), Ireland
Helmsman, trimmer and crew manager
Three editions of the Volvo Ocean Race (2001, 2005, 2008). Winner of the Barcelona World Race.
Phil Harmer (31) Australia
Helmsman, trimmer, pitman and master sailmaker
Third Volvo Ocean Race (2005 and 2008).
Magnus Woxén (39) Sweden
Helmsman, trimmer and mast consultant
Fifth Volvo Ocean Race (1997, 2001, 2005, 2008).
Jean-Luc Nélias (48) France
Navigator
An old acquaintance of Franck, competing together in a double-handed transatlantic aboard a Figaro. Participated on one leg of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race on Green Dragon.
Charles Caudrelier (36) France
Helmsman, trimmer, navigator and in charge of performance
Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the Transat Jacques Vabre.
Sébastien Josse (35) France
Helmsman, trimmer and head of on-board systems
Another Volvo Ocean Race veteran, the former skipper of ABN AMRO TWO is plunging back into extreme sailing.
Yann Riou (36) France
Media Crew Member
Triple winner of the Mini Fastnet. Under the rules, media crewman Yann won’t be allowed to touch a single sail or sheet.
Jacques Caraës (51) France
Media Crew Member
The most senior member of the crew, Jacques holds the Jules Verne Trophy with Groupama, and also competed in the Whitbread with Eric Tabarly in 1993.
A feature of the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race is that three of the crew must be born on or after 1st September 1980, and the remaining crew fit the bill:
Martin Krite (30) Sweden
Bowman, boat captain
Second Volvo Ocean Race (2008) for this professional navigator who is also a pastor.
Brad Marsh (27) New Zealand
Bowman, rigger
Member of Ericsson’s shore crew in 2008-09 and sailed for Team New Zealand during the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Martin Strömberg (28) Sweden
Trimmer, pitman and sailmaker
Second Volvo Ocean Race (2008).
Erwan Israël (30) France
Trimmer, helmsman, In-Port race manœuvres, safety
First Volvo Ocean Race, Erwan is a familiar face on the Figaro circuit.
Sébastien Marsset (25) France
Trimmer, pitman, deck hardware, safety
The youngest crewmember is a Mini specialist and is Groupama 3’s technician.
Besides these sailors, the Groupama skipper is relying on the team’s heads of department to make their challenge a success.
Luc Gellusseau is in charge of relations with the organisers and keeps an eye on each stage of the project to ensure that the decisions made conform to Volvo Ocean Race rules.
Laurent Pagès is in charge of the sail programme. Watch leader aboard Telefonica during the last edition of the race, he joined the Groupama Sailing Team back in August 2009.
Other key members of the team include Loïc Dorez, heading the design office; Pierre Tissier, head of boat construction; Hervé Le Quilliec, in charge of logistics; Australian Ben Wright, head of the shore crew; Olivier Mainguy, in charge of the rigging; and Stéphane Guilbaud, team manager, who has worked alongside Franck Cammas since 1997, the year when he won the Solitaire du Figaro.
