Franco began sea kayaking at the age of fifteen. He was lucky enough to be brought up in the Channel Islands. The small scattered islands, fast tidal streams and summer fogs ensured that navigation was a key skill learnt at an early age. In 1978 he was one of a team of three Jerseymen who completed the first circumnavigation of Ireland by sea kayak. In 1989, with Kevin Danforth, he made a made a record breaking unsupported crossing of the North Sea. He is the managing director of Pesda Press and still occasionally manages to fit in some freelance coaching (he is a BCU Level 5 Coach). He now lives in Wales and his interests are sea kayaking, whitewater, rock and ice climbing, and ski-mountaineering. His current passion is a twenty-nine foot yacht called 'Firebird'. He has paddled throughout the United Kingdom and in many parts of the world including Nepal, Scandinavia, the coast of Brittany in France, the European Alps, Peru and Western Canada.