Day 5 - Daily Download, and the team creep into first place!
Day 5 of the Transat Café L’OR and Francesca and Will onboard 11th Hour Racing have moved to the front of the fleet as they negotiate a tricky light-wind ridge on the approach to the Canary Islands.
Day 4 Daily Download - up to third and surfing downwind
Day 4 and the duo of Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris have risen to third on the tracker. It’s a beautiful morning and the last 24 hours have gone well for the crew onboard 11th Hour Racing.
Day 3 Daily Download - breakneck speed down Portugal
It’s Day 3 of the Transat Café L’OR and Francesca and Will are maintaining their place in the lead pack of four boats. It’s a fast and furious downwind run down the Portuguese coast.
Day 2 Daily Download - a firm foot in the leading pack
Day 2 of the Transat Café L’OR and Francesca and Will are in the leading pack of four boats in the IMOCA fleet, at one point over night moving up into second position. The sun is out and the mood is good onboard!
Day 1 Daily Download - strong position after a tough first night
It was a tough first night for Francesca and Will onboard 11th Hour Racing, but they have done a brilliant job of keeping themselves and the boat in one piece through the night. Read the very first of our Transat Café L’OR Daily Race Reports by Ed Gorman here.
How to follow the Transat Café L’OR - all the links are here!
Follow all the action from the Transat Café L’OR here! We’ve got the tracker here, plus all the updates from the race course. Keep returning back here for daily updates, videos, photos, and news from Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing!
And they’re off! Transat Café L’OR start day action
And they’re off! It’s finally here - Start Day for the Transat Café L’OR. Find out how things went for Francesca and Will as they set off on the 4,350 nautical mile race across the Atlantic from Le Havre, France to Martinique in the Caribbean.
Will Harris shares his thoughts with two days to go to the start
With just two days to go before the start of the Transat Café L’OR, Will Harris, shares some insights on what happens in the final countdown before the start gun. From saying goodbye to his family to weather routing to sauna-time, it’s a busy time for the team.
It’s Time to Go Racing … countdown to the Transat Café L’OR is on
In just a few days, I’ll line up on the start of the Transat Café L’OR, a 4,350-mile double-handed race across the Atlantic from Le Havre, France, to Martinique. It’s one of the toughest races in the IMOCA calendar, and it marks the beginning of a new chapter for me.
‘Hot’ doesn’t even come close to describe it … Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe was 🔥🔥🔥
It was beyond hot onboard Team Malizia for the last leg, from Cartagena, Spain to Nice, France. It was all we could do to keep up our calorie and water intake to ensure we didn’t end up lacking energy or get too dehydrated.
Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe - done! Looking forward to Leg 3 to Nice, France
Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe was such a mix - of weather, of speed, of wind - everything! It feels good to be sitting here in Cartagena, in my air-conditioned apartment, cool, showered, and in the quiet.
On Sunday I will be onboard Team Malizia for the start of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe
I arrived in Portsmouth, UK, yesterday just in time to see Team Malizia arrive after Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe. The fleet had left Kiel in Germany on August 10, and after 1,000 nautical miles, it was a close fought battle right to the finish with Paprec Arkéa.
From the start to the finish line: the story of my first race
A week ago, I sat on a train from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Paris, reflecting on the Course des Caps race around Great Britain and Ireland I had just completed aboard Malizia-Seaexplorer.
Francesca Clapcich finishes Course des Caps in 4th with Team Malizia
After over six days at sea, Italian/American offshore sailor Francesca Clapcich and her teammates onboard Malizia–Seaexplorer crossed the finish line of the Course des Caps – Boulogne-sur-Mer – Banque Populaire du Nord, the first-ever IMOCA race around Great Britain and Ireland.
Course des Caps: race updates from onboard with Frankie!
Team Malizia is currently sailing off Ireland’s wild east coast, heading south toward the finish line in Boulogne-sur-Mer. They’re expected to arrive late tomorrow, navigating strong winds along the way. Francesca continues her offshore adventure aboard Malizia - Seaexplorer.
Francesca is co-skippering Team Malizia in inaugural Course des Caps
Frankie is going to co-skipper Malizia-Seaexplorer with Britain’s Will Harris in the upcoming Course des Caps. Read on to find out more about this 2,000 mile race around Great Britain and Ireland.
The moment has finally arrived: I’ve sailed on my future IMOCA!
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to properly meet my future companion for my solo race around the world: the 60-foot sailing boat, Malizia-Seaexplorer. The occasion: one of the first training sessions with Team Malizia.
Our 2025 Team Schedule Is Here… And It’s Packed!
Now that the news is out there that I’m joining Team Malizia for The Ocean Race Europe, I can finally share our team’s schedule for 2025. It’s going to be a busy one!
Will Harris joins Team Francesca for TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR
It’s official! Will Harris is going to be my co-skipper for this year’s TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR. I’m really pleased we’ll be racing alongside each other - he knows the IMOCA we’ll be racing inside out and I’ll be able to learn so much from him. Stoked to get going!
The first season has come to an end
As the first season of Upwind by MerConcept has come to an end, I finally have a moment back home in the mountains in Park City, UT, USA to reflect on what an incredible year it has been.