Cammas claims Championnat de France Promotion Match Racing title

by ISAF on 21 Mar 2013 Franck Cammas claimed a surprise victory at the ISAF Grade 3 Championnat de France Promotion Match Racing in Antibes, France beating Francois Brenac in the final. Building winds up to twenty knots pushed the sailors on the final day with the success of the operation downwind under spinnaker vital for overall success.

The first matches of the final day saw the climax of the semi-finals with Cammas and Brenac bringing in a 2-1 lead which meant there was very little room for errors for Emmanuel Dyen and Arthur Herreman who were up against them. But Cammas and Brenac were confident and breezed past them to set up the final whilst Dyen and Herreman fought for the bronze medal.

In the first match of the final, Brenac had the advantage at the first mark but an error allowed Cammas to pass to take a 1-0 lead. Brenac was unable to find the form he had on the first run which allowed Cammas and his crew to sort out their manoeuvres, boat operation and strategy as they pushed ahead. Two further race wins ensured it was a job well done in the final by Cammas and gold went his way.

'We did not expect to win,' said Cammas. 'With the fourth place in Group A after the round robin, we had to go through the repechage and snatch qualification. We could have finished eighth. Fortunately we made the repechage. While others went through to the next stage, we spent hours on the water and during the repechage, we changed the way we navigated which took us to the final victory.'

On the error made in the first race of the final Brenac said, 'During the upwind leg, we started to re-pass in front and at the spinnaker hoist, the spinnaker trawled in the water. On the next two matches, we both had good speed upwind, but they still had an advantage in the manoeuvers and downwind, they always chose the moment to gybe to be on the lay-line.'

In the Petit Final Dyen brushed Herreman aside with ease to take the bronze.

1st - Franck Cammas (YC point Rouge)
2nd - François Brenac (YC Antibes)
3rd - Emmanuel Dyen (CNV Aix les Bains)
4 - Arthur Herreman (SNPH)
5 - Baptiste Choquenet (EV Cherbourg)
6 - Yann Guichard (AN Ile aux Moines)
7 - Cédric Château (CV St Aubin Elbeuf)
8 - Nicolas Troussel (Club de la Vallée des Fous)
9 - Nicolas Andrieu (SR Rochelaises)
10 - Maxime Mesnil (YC Cherbourg)
11 - Mathieu Durand (APCC Voile Sportive)
12 - Emmanuel Taine (COYC Hyérois)

http://www.sailing.org/