Franck Cammas, the skipper of Groupama Team France, is recovering following surgery on his leg after a training accident.
Credit : Y Zedda
Cammas was two-boat training with his team in foiling GC32 catamarans when he lost his balance and fell overboard. His leg was struck by the rudder. The speed of the boat, combined with the fine edge of the foil, resulted in a double break of the fibia-tibia in his right leg.
He was transported to shore by RIB and then to hospital by helicopter. Specialists performed surgery on Monday night and on Tuesday the news came that the surgery was a success. Franck has a long road ahead of physical rehabilitation, but he has been assured by doctors he will not lose the use of his foot.
On Tuesday morning, Cammas was already asking about his team, anxious that they should resume training. He also expressed gratitude for all of the well-wishes sent his way.
While the injury isn’t expected to significantly impact the Groupama Team France campaign for the America’s Cup, it does put an end to Franck’s bid for a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games.
The reactions:
Thierry Martel, Groupama, partner to Franck Cammas since 1998:
"Firstly, we're extremely relieved to learn that Franck won't lose the use of his right foot. The coming months are likely to be tough at times for a sailor who sails nearly 320 days a year. However, we're confident that Franck will take up the gauntlet with his familiar fighting spirit. He can count on our unfailing support. A genuine relationship of trust has been established between Franck and Groupama, armed by an eighteen-year partnership. We will remain loyal to him as he has always been to us and we're certain that he'll come out of this even stronger than before. We also trust in Bruno Dubois, Michel Desjoyeaux, Olivier de Kersauson and the entire Groupama Team France to really prepare well for the 35th America's Cup. It's a feature of a team to pull together and organise itself when one of its own has a problem".
Bruno Dubois, team manager of Groupama Team France:
"It's hard to find the words in times of crisis like those we've been experiencing since yesterday. We're working hard to make up the deficit we have in relation to the other teams... and there's still a long way to go before the first events in Bermuda in 2017. We will keep the focus on our common goals and naturally we hope to see Franck back at the helm very soon".
News : L'opération s'est bien passée pour Franck Cammas (Fr)
http://www.scanvoile.com/2015/12/loperation-sest-bien-passee-pour-franck.htmlFrom America's Cup and Groupama
