The America's Cup begins in one month (May 26 to June 25, 2017). The regattas are organized in Bermuda in the Great Sound. The bases of the 6 teams are located in Dockyard, in the East, at the very end of the archipelago. We had the chance to visit Groupama Team France's base with a prestigious guide: Franck Cammas himself.
Franck greeted us that morning on the dock just outside the base. He explains us how the compound works: "We built a temporary base with 3 tents and containers for the offices. It's a financial choice since the base cost us about 300,000 euros. The British Team BAR's base, which is a permanent structure with many buildings, cost 3 million euros..."
Indeed, a few stacked containers with a beautiful terrace overlooking the lake welcome us. It is the VIP place for the receptions of the different partners. But with Franck we enter the heart of the matter with the visit of the first tent. Here, no photo, discretion obliges.
The first tent welcomes the AC 50 catamaran which is used for the competition. The tent is big enough for him to enter it completely with a workshop part on the sides and behind him. At the time of our visit, the boat is moreover suspended in height so that the 2 enormous foils can go down entirely. These carbon parts are more than 3 m high. It is not now that we will be able to see the cockpit..
The 2 rudders are placed on a trolley behind the boat. It is a sensitive part that remains well hidden from the view of the other competitors. In fact, these fittings are not included in the rules and can be modified by each team. We're pointing out to Franck Cammas that the 2 exposed rudders aren't identical! "That's normal. Yesterday we sailed with two different rudders to test them. But today we're going to have the two identical ones on the boat". The differences don't matter, a stronger connection between the bottom of the rudder or a different curve on the leading edge. Impossible with our novice eyes to explain the differences. With the secrets lurking around the boat, we won't know any more.
The second tent houses the boat's wing. Or rather the wings since Groupama has two of them. The wing in use is laid flat and those involved are busy working on it. Franck Cammas explains: "Though the profile and volume of the wing are defined by the rules, the structure and all the mechanisms are specific to each team. For our part, we've developed a system which enables the wing to reposition itself at the same angle after the tack" To show us, he lifts up a black panel under which we see some rods and other jacks. But that's all we'll know..
Finally the third tent is less secret. It is in fact the place where the sports hall and the canteen are located: the place of life. Sailors train there 4 hours a day when they are not sailing and 2 hours on sailing days. These "beautiful 95 kg babies", as Franck Cammas presents them, are there to operate the coffee grinders and produce energy to run all the hydraulic systems onboard. Weight training is compulsory for everyone!
Though Groupama Team France's base isn't the largest or most impressive, it's clear from this visit that the teams really enjoy working on this cutting-edge project. Let's hope that this is enough to make up for the delay, a financial delay which has led to a delay in the fine-tuning.
