Accomplishments and Honors:

• 1st, 505 Worlds, crewing for Ethan Bixby (1981) and Gary Knapp (1982)
• 1st, Finn Gold Cup: 1979, 1980
• Crew on the first boat to win the Jules Verne trophy for going around the world in under 80 days
• America’s Cup – Crew member aboard Stars & Stripes sailing to defeat the Super mono hull KZ1 with Dennis Conner
• Cam was a television commentator for the America’s Cup race between Alinghi and BMW Oracle.
• Skipper for team USA aboard MOD 02- Orion trimaran.

Cam is one of the world’s most recognized and successful sporting figures due in part to his versatility as a sailor. His achievements range from twin Finn Gold Cups championships and winning the 505 World championship, to Big Boat racing and offshore multihull record setting. He was a key crew member on board Dennis Connor’s victorious Stars and Stripes catamaran when they decidedly beat the 90ft super-monohull from New Zealand during the 1988 America’s Cup. Cam was the only American aboard the Commodore Explorer, the catamaran that in 1993 broke the mythical 80-day around-the-world record to become the first holder of the coveted Trophée Jules Verne. In The Race, the ultimate around-the-world sailing competition among unrestricted multihulls that took place in 2000, Cam Lewis’ 110ft catamaran Team Adventure was arguably the fastest boat in the fleet and only serious damages pushed his team into third place.

The following piece is from the website SpeedDream:
If you have followed sailing over the last three decades one name has always been at the forefront; Cam Lewis. From a young, hot dinghy sailor who won the Finn Gold Cup in 1980 and soon followed it with back-to-back world championship victories in the 505 class in 81/82, Cam has turned his ample sailing talent into a career at the cutting edge of the sport. Now, in between his time spent racing fast boats and commentating on events like the Americas Cup, Cam plays the hands-on role as skipper of SpeedDream.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the SpeedDream project,” Cam recently told a BBC film crew. “The leading edge of the sport is where SpeedDream is going to be pushing the edge, learning from it and really opening up people’s eyes to something a little bit different.” Learning, pushing the edge and opening up peoples eyes have been the hallmark of a three decade career as professional sailor for Cam and his trademark “Sail Fast” slogan which he has been applied to a broad section of sailboats from dinghies to super-multihulls.

In the early ‘90s Cam was invited by celebrated French sailor Bruno Peyron to be the only non-Frenchman aboard Commodore Explorer as they attempted to break the mythical Jules Verne 80-day circumnavigation time. The 86-foot catamaran seemed well suited for the job, but a 27,000 nautical mile circumnavigation is fraught with pitfalls and the crew had their fair share along the way. So it was with great relief that they crossed the finish line back in France with a scant 18 hours to spare. Their 79 day and 6 plus hours circumnavigation time would stand for many years and the accomplishment won Cam the coveted Rolex Sailor of the Year award.

Not satisfied with that accomplishment, Cam led a team to build a brand new 110-foot catamaran to participate in The Race, a new circumnavigation event for maxi-multihulls. On a tight budget, but with a crack team, Cam and company led the race into the Southern Ocean before the forward crossbeam started delaminating from the fire-hydrant intense waves. Team Adventure was sidelined for repairs both in South Africa and New Zealand, but still went on to finish in third place overall, a good showing despite the setbacks.

Cam is one of a few people that operate well at high speeds. He thinks best when the platform under him is skating perilously close to the edge be it skiing, ice boating or plain old sailing as a seriously fast pace. There is no panic; just pure adrenaline-filled bliss and a hunger to break new territory and win competitive races. From the outset Cam was enthusiastic about the possibilities of a boat like SpeedDream.

Source:
Hancock, Brian. “SpeedDream Profile – Cam Lewis, Skipper.” SpeedDream – Excellence Through Innovation. SpeedDream. 6 March 2013. Web. 5 April 2013. <http://speeddreamblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/speeddream-profile-cam-lewis-skipper.html>