Second place for Frankie & Will in the Transat Café L’OR
Francesca and Will take second place in the double-handed sprint across the Atlantic, the Transat Café L’OR, finishing in 12 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 46 seconds, 5 hours 47 minutes behind the winners, Charal.
Day 12 - ‘keep pushing’ is the motto from onboard … and keep safe
The last day of the Transat Café L’OR and Francesca and Will are just 130 miles from Fort-de-France, Martinique. Just keep pushing is their motto - and the focus is on keeping the boat safe all the way to the finish line.
Day 11 - 600 miles to go - the countdown is on to the finish
With 600 miles to go to the finish of the Transat Café L’OR in Martinique and the fight is on for the podium positions. Frankie and Will are hand-steering to squeeze the maximum speed out of the boat.
Day 10 - the battle for the podium is underway
Day 10 and the battle for the podium is well underway as Frankie and Will race towards Fort-de-France, Martinique in the Transat Café L’OR with a little over 1,000 nautical miles to go as of this morning.
Day 9 - a wild Trade Wind ride to the West
Day 9 and the it has been a wild ride for Francesca and Will for the past 24-hours, averaging over 26 knots. Martinique is just three and a half days away as the duo battle to keep their hold on the podium.
Day 8 - despite a penalty, holding firm to third place
Despite receiving a 30 minute penalty yesterday for breaking the seal of their liferaft, Francesca and Will are holding firmly onto third place in this double-handed battle across the Atlantic.
Day 7 - halfway done, half way to go and into the Trade Winds!
Overnight, during a long hitch out to the west under the Canary Islands, Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière on Charal drew level and then eased ahead of 11th Hour Racing to retake the lead on day seven.
Day 6 - first to the Canaries, a significant milestone
And the news from onboard 11th Hour Racing just keeps on coming as Francesca and Will are the first to the Canaries - a significant milestone in the Transat Café L’OR. But the next 24 hours are going to be tricky as they pick their way south.
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.
The Ocean Race Europe done! Lessons learned, shifting modes, and what’s next …
What a race! Ocean Race Europe was short, intense, and full of learnings. Now a little rest, then back to Lorient for final deliveries, testing, and our last opportunities to try new solutions before the Transat.