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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Tomorrow, Friday, August 16, 2024 I'll be setting sail. Again.

It takes a lot of organization and the unwavering support of incredible people to manage multiple projects, travel, and training.

I’m writing this on an airplane back to the US in a brief moment of quietness. I’m taking my daughter Harriet to stay with her Grandma while her Mom, Sally, is working in France for the US Sailing…

Francesca takes a look back on the first Act of the Ocean Fifty Series in Saint-Malo and looks forward to Act Two

Francesca’s dream is to race solo, non-stop around the world in the Vendee Globe - the pinnacle of offshore sailing