Francesca Clapcich arrives at the Vendée Arctique 2026 as perhaps the most decorated female ocean racer in the world, yet she remains relatively unknown in the Southern Hemisphere despite sailing credentials that would impress any New Zealand offshore competitor. The Italian-American professional has spent the past decade collecting results across multiple sailing disciplines, from Olympic trials to The Ocean Race’s gruelling 40,000-nautical-mile circuits.
Born in Italy but based in Utah, Clapcich represents a rare breed of sailor: versatile, accomplished, and still hungry. She contested Olympic games in two different classes (Laser and 49erFX), skippered 11th Hour Racing to victory in the 2022–23 Ocean Race, and most recently finished second in the IMOCA Class during the Transat Café L’OR double-handed transatlantic race in 2025. Her 60-footer, a 2022 VPLP design, carries the livery of 11th Hour Racing, an American sustainability-focused organisation headquartered in Rhode Island.
For New Zealand sailors, Clapcich’s Ocean Race victory carries particular weight. Winning that race requires mastery of everything from downwind flying in trade winds to heavy-weather survival in the Southern Ocean. She’s done it at the absolute highest level, managing crew and strategy across five continents. Now she tackles the Arctic challenge alone, taking her IMOCA into waters most Southern Hemisphere sailors only read about.
The Vendée Arctique represents a stepping stone toward her stated goal: competing in the 2028 Vendée Globe, where she’ll circumnavigate non-stop. At 40-plus days to the Arctic Circle and back, this race tests the mental fortitude and technical precision required for a full circumnavigation. Clapcich has already demonstrated she can manage sleep deprivation, mechanical failure, and isolation in open ocean. The northern route simply adds extreme cold and navigation complexity to an already punishing brief.
What sets her apart isn’t just results but her commitment to sustainability and inclusive ocean racing. In a sport historically dominated by well-funded European teams and wealthy individuals, Clapcich champions diversity both on her boats and within her professional life. New Zealand sailing would do well to watch her progress in the Arctic.
