Francesca Clapcich to co-skipper Team Malizia in the Course des Caps round Britain & Ireland Race
by Francesca Clapcich 28 Jun 00:56 NZST
Team Malizia © Marin Le Roux - polaRYSE / Team Malizia
Italian/American offshore sailor Francesca Clapcich will join Malizia-Seaexplorer as co-skipper for the inaugural edition of the Course des Caps-Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord.
The 2,000 mile race will see 11 state-of-the-art, 60-foot sailing boats race around Great Britain and Ireland, leaving Boulogne-sur-Mer in Northern France on June 29, 2025. The team will be led by Britain's Will Harris, joined by co-skippers Clapcich, Cole Brauer (USA), Julien Villion (FRA), and onboard reporter Flore Hartout (FRA/NED).
Clapcich commented: "It's exciting to see a lot of interest in this first IMOCA race of the season, and with 11 teams on the startline the quality of racing will be really high. This is the second time I've raced around the British Isles - the first time being in The Ocean Race 2017-18 with Turn the Tide on Plastic - and I remember how challenging it was. We will race through three really different areas - the North Sea, the North Atlantic, and the English Channel - and there can be a huge range in weather conditions, sea states, and tidal currents. We are going to have to be really on the pace when it comes to sail changes and boatwork."
This new event on the IMOCA circuit starts and finishes in Boulogne-sur-Mer in the north of France with the fleet setting off on June 29, and is expected to take between five and eight days. The 11 teams will race either anti-clockwise or clockwise, depending on the route announced by the Race Committee in the final briefing 48 hours before race start.
The record to beat for 60-foot boats around the British Isles currently stands at 5 days, 14 hours, and 54 seconds currently held by the Artemis-Team Endeavour crew, skippered by Brian Thompson (GBR) in 2014.
The circumnavigation of the British Isles is a challenging route due to the unpredictable weather conditions, strong winds, and frequent storms. The Course des Caps route will take the fleet through a diverse mix of conditions from the open waters of the Atlantic to the narrow passages through the Scottish islands. In addition, the teams will have to navigate powerful tidal currents particularly in the English and Bristol Channels. Heavy maritime traffic will also require extra vigilance to avoid any risk of collision, especially near major trade routes.
"The Course des Caps is a great test for the team before The Ocean Race Europe", explains skipper Will Harris. "It isn't a small journey at all, it's almost the same miles as crossing the Atlantic. It will be a full-on race, packed with maneuvers and traffic as we race around Britain and Ireland. As skipper, I feel a big responsibility to keep the boat intact, the crew safe, and lead us to a good result. We've got a strong team for it, we've done a good bit of training this spring, including coaching with the Pôle Finistère, and we know our boat really well."
During the race, Team Malizia will carry the OceanPack onboard, an automated laboratory that continuously collects crucial Ocean data such as CO2 and oxygen levels, temperature, and salinity. These measurements help scientists better understand the Ocean's vital role in regulating our climate.
The Course des Caps is the opening race of the 2025 IMOCA Globe Series Championship, giving Clapcich her first chance to score points in the annual 'World Championship' of offshore racing. After the race, Clapcich will be part of Team Malizia's Ocean Race Europe crew for four of the five-leg race before she takes ownership of Malizia-Seaexplorer. "I'm excited to join Team Malizia for this summer of racing. It will be a great opportunity for me to get to know the boat better before I take her over in October, and be alongside people like Will who have tens of thousands of miles racing her under his belt. Soaking up as much of his knowledge as possible is vital for my steep learning curve in sailing an IMOCA."
Clapcich's first race in her newly acquired race boat with Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing will be the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR from France to Martinique, where Harris will join her as co-skipper onboard the renamed 11th Hour Racing.