Clapcich and Harris Secure Historic IMOCA Second Place
Alexandra
Port operations in Fort-de-France required tight coordination with Martinique pilots, race committee timing systems and harbour moorings as 11th Hour Racing crossed the finish, recording an official elapsed time of 12 days 1 hour 32 minutes 46 seconds in the IMOCA division of the Transat CAFÉ l’OR Le Havre Normandie.
Race finish and official times
Italian-American skipper Francesca “Frankie” Clapcich and British co-skipper Will Harris delivered a high-speed finish on 11th Hour Racing, taking the gun for second place at 11:02 local time off Fort-de-France. They crossed the line 5 hours and 47 minutes after the race winners, Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière aboard Charal.
| Position | Skipper(s) | Boat | Elapsed Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jérémie Beyou & Morgan Lagravière | Charal | ~11d 19h 45m (approx.) |
| 2 | Francesca Clapcich & Will Harris | 11th Hour Racing (IMOCA) | 12d 1h 32m 46s |
| 3 | Sam Goodchild & Loïs Berrehar | MACIF Santé Prévoyance | 12d + (close pursuit) |
Key tactical moves
The pair led the fleet on the passage around the Canary Islands, demonstrating strong VMG and foil handling in downwind conditions. However, Charal used the trade winds to exploit a higher sustained boat speed and ultimately escaped the immediate covering zone. A consistent duel with MACIF Santé Prévoyance (Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar) occupied much of the central Atlantic phase.
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- Canary Islands gate: 11th Hour Racing held first through the transition but could not fully contain Charal’s speed in the trades.
- Trade-wind sprint: Charal’s top-end pace yielded a multi-hour advantage down the final approach.
- Endgame management: Clapcich and Harris extended their hold on second in the final hours through consistent routing and sail control.
Significance for female skippers and career context
Clapcich’s result stands out: as a past World and European champion in the 49erFX Olympic skiff class, she is now achieving one of the most notable IMOCA results by a female skipper since Ellen MacArthur’s second place with Roland Jourdain into Salvador de Bahia in 2005. At 37, Clapcich is also skippering her own 11th Hour-backed IMOCA program with an eye toward a future solo challenge for the 2028 Vendée Globe.
Her maritime CV is notable: two circumnavigations including victory in the 2023 The Ocean Race (crewed), and now a podium in a major transatlantic solo/multihull-class race. This cross-discipline experience — Olympic skiff to crewed round-the-world and now IMOCA — underlines a trend of sailors translating short-course aggression into offshore endurance performance.
Equipment and program logistics
Running an IMOCA campaign carries complex logistical demands: hull prep, foil maintenance, routing licenses, spares inventory, and shore team coordination during stopovers. For teams like 11th Hour Racing, aligning sponsorship, sustainability messaging and technical upgrades (foils and appendages) proved decisive in maintaining competitiveness across varied weather windows.
Crew and campaign checklist
- Skipper & co-skipper training schedules and watch systems
- Spare foils, rudders and rigging components pre-staged in strategic ports
- Weather-router contracts and satellite communications packages
- Customs and berthing pre-clearances in finish ports such as Fort-de-France
What this result means for the IMOCA scene
The podium underlines the continued evolution of foil-equipped IMOCAs and the role of tactical routing: a combination of human expertise and platform performance determines outcomes. For younger sailors and teams considering entry into high-performance offshore classes, Clapcich and Harris’s run demonstrates that well-managed logistics, consistent sail handling and strategic risk-taking in trades can yield breakthrough results.
Historical perspective
Female skippers in IMOCA have historically been rare on transatlantic podiums; Clapcich’s finish revives comparisons to Ellen MacArthur’s early-era IMOCA results and signals gradual diversification in offshore skippers’ profiles. The competitive arc from inshore skiff classes to offshore IMOCA campaigns is increasingly visible among top-tier sailors.
Implications for leisure sailing and charter markets
High-profile offshore racing helps raise public awareness of cutting-edge yacht design and offshore capability, which filters down into charter and boat rental expectations. Advances in foil technology, weather routing, and onboard systems create a trickle-down effect: charter operators, marina facilities and refit yards adapt to newer standards, and charter clients increasingly seek experience-oriented rentals—fast passage days, performance sailing and adventurous itineraries.
| Area | Potential Impact on Charter & Rent Markets |
|---|---|
| Technology | Growing demand for high-performance, responsive boats; more interest in sail handling demos. |
| Experience | Clients seek sporty day sails and flotillas that echo offshore tactics in safer inshore conditions. |
| Destinations | Increased interest in dynamic routes — Canary Islands, Caribbean trade-wind passages and Atlantic rally legs. |
GetBoat always keeps an eye on news related to sailing and seaside vacations, as we truly understand what it means to enjoy great leisure and love the ocean. The service values freedom, energy, and the ability to choose your own course, placing no limits on a good life and helping clients find a vessel to match preferences, budget, and taste.
The key takeaways are both sporting and practical: Clapcich and Harris demonstrated that logistics, sail handling, and tactical decision-making in trade-wind conditions determine transatlantic outcomes as much as peak boat speed. Their podium also highlights how an IMOCA campaign’s shore-side planning—from spares and port clearances to routing and crew rotations—feeds directly into on-water success. If you are planning your next trip to the sea, you should definitely consider renting a boat (boat rentals, rent a boat, rent a yacht), as each inlet, bay, and lagoon is unique and tells you about the region just as much as the local cuisine, architecture, and language and also the unique aspects of the service. GetBoat.com
Forecast: this specific Transat IMOCA result is unlikely to reshape global tourism flows by itself, though it adds momentum to interest in Atlantic rally routes and Canary–Caribbean itineraries. It remains relevant to customers because it highlights evolving safety, performance and destination storytelling in sailing. However, its immediate global tourism impact is modest. To gain a deeper understanding of this unstable and ever-changing world, as unpredictable as the sea, join the community of boat enthusiasts and get the best deal on your first rental.
Summary: Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris’s second-place finish in the IMOCA division of the Transat CAFÉ l’OR confirms the growing importance of integrated logistics, shore planning and tactical acumen in modern offshore racing. The contest between 11th Hour Racing, Charal and MACIF Santé Prévoyance illustrated how trade-wind strategy and platform performance translate to podium results. For those inspired by offshore competition, chartering a yacht or renting a boat offers a tangible way to sample the ocean’s rhythm—whether a day sail from a marina or an extended charter that crosses gulfs and open water. Platforms that provide transparent listings, clear specs and reliable reviews make it easier to choose the right vessel for sailing, yacht charter, rent or sale needs across destinations and activities. From a captain-led day trip to a superyacht charter or an adventurous sailing cruise, GetBoat’s global reach and user-friendly tools help match travelers to the right boat for memorable marinas, clearwater coves and fishing-filled bays.
