Clapcich makes history as the first woman to win the IMOCA Globe Series; eighth place in the Route du Rhum seals the title

Italian-American offshore sailor, Francesca Clapcich, onboard 11th Hour Racing, has finished the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, in eighth place, clinching the IMOCA Globe Series championship title – the first time a woman has won the offshore sailing championship title.

Clapcich crossed the finish line off Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 19:41 local time on November 12 [0041 UTC, November 13] after 11 days, 11 hours, 39 minutes, and 9 seconds, having raced 3,954 nautical miles across the Atlantic – her very first solo Atlantic crossing.

“I am super happy to be here in Guadeloupe, but that was a brutal race. It was a race of two halves, but between the boat and myself we showed that we can definitely fight for the podium. I was there … I was in the fight, even without the boat being 100%.

“The last few days have not been the easiest of my sailing career, but at the same time I was trying to find joy in just being out there on the ocean. How special is it what we are doing? There are so many good parts to offshore sailing, you see the sunsets and the sunrise, there is no land, no other people. Life is simple out there. We should remember – when things feel really complicated – how simple things can really be.”

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