Francesca Clapcich’s Ocean Race campaign is taking a detour before the Atlantic crossing, and it’s one that prioritises community engagement over pure competitive preparation. In the three weeks between arriving on the U.S. East Coast and the start of The Ocean Race Atlantic on September 1, the Italian skipper and her team will visit Boston, Newport, and New York to meet with sailing organisations and ocean health initiatives supported by her title sponsor, 11th Hour Racing.
The Changemakers Tour, running from August 14 to September 1, represents a deliberate choice to use the team’s platform for something beyond the race itself. Clapcich will host sailing days, boat tours, and speaking engagements with community groups working on ocean conservation and sailing access. It’s an extension of the team’s Believe Belong Achieve framework, a values-driven approach to offshore racing that sits somewhat apart from the traditional IMOCA grind.
“The Changemakers Tour revolves around championing the people who are creating a positive impact in their communities,” Clapcich explained. “Every stop, from Boston to New York, we’ll have the chance to engage with really inspiring organisations, to listen and learn from them, and share our Believe, Belong, Achieve program.”
The tour includes visits to Courageous Sailing in Boston, a long-established group working to open sailing to underrepresented communities, and the Community Boating Center in New Bedford, where local sailors will get the chance aboard the team’s IMOCA. A stop at the Billion Oyster Project on Governors Island rounds out the programme in New York.
Running parallel to the tour is the launch of the team’s internship scheme, which has recruited three young sailors from Rocking the Boat, a Bronx-based nonprofit that combines boatbuilding with rowing and sailing programmes. The interns will join the crew in Newport, gaining hands-on experience across communications, technical roles, and operations during the campaign’s final preparation phase. For Jade Adon, one of the three chosen, the placement opened doors she wouldn’t have accessed otherwise. “This internship is another door that Rocking the Boat has opened for me. I’m very excited to meet new people and feel what it’s like to sail on an IMOCA,” she said.
Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing, framed the tour as an investment in existing community solutions rather than a top-down intervention. “We believe some of the most effective solutions for ocean health are already taking shape in communities around the world. Our role is to invest in the people and organisations driving that progress, helping connect, amplify, and accelerate their work.” Adam Green of Rocking the Boat echoed that sentiment, noting the internship would give his organisation’s young sailors exposure to professional offshore sailing at a critical moment in their development.
The tour finishes just as serious preparation intensifies. On September 1, Clapcich’s crew will set off from New York toward Lorient in the two-week race across the Atlantic. By then, the team will have logged time with a network of ocean advocates and sent several new sailors back to their communities with stories from inside the IMOCA world.
