© B.STICHELBAUT

Coville960

Having been caught in high-pressure weather fronts, almost capsized off the coast of Brest, France, and worked his mind and body to exhaustion on two hours of sleep, Thomas Coville sounded amazingly calm and lucid in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Via satellite phone conference call last week, he spoke to a group of journalists about his attempt to sail around-the-world in less than 57 days, 13 hours. He has completed about one third of the journey on the trimarin Sodeb'O thus far.

© Courtesy Barcelona World Race

Loïck Peyron, co-skipper of the Barcelona World Race entry Virbac Paprec 3, will also be thinking about his challenge for the 34th America's Cup as he sails around the globe non-stop.

The day before any racing event can be stressful—at least it is for this writer—but completing last-minute preparations during the pre-start of one of the world’s biggest long-distance races is something else altogether. Yet, between checking equipment and finishing other odds and ends the day before the start of the Barcelona World Race, Loick Peyron took a few minutes to speak with Sailing World. Peyron, along with 2007 BWR winner Jean Pierre Dick as his teammate, is one of the race’s favorites.

© AFP/Route du Rhum

Franck Cammas celebrates his victory in the Ultimate Class of the 2010 Route du Rhum. Cammas sailed Groupama 3 solo, though the boat is normally sailed by a crew of 10 or more.

Franck Cammas didn’t shatter the course record, but managed Tuesday to bring Groupama 3 across the Atlantic from France to finish first in the Ultimate Class of the 3,540-mile Route du Rhum race. Cammas took the time to speak with Sailing World by phone from Guadeloupe. He said he had spent the last two days celebrating and was still trying to catch up on his sleep. But he still had a lot to say about what went right during the race and the tremendous physical and strategic challenges he faced.