Francesca Clapcich unveils her crew on 11th Hour Racing for The Ocean Race Atlantic

Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing has revealed its international line-up to take on The Ocean Race Atlantic from New York, USA to Lorient, France this summer. 

Skipper Francesca Clapcich (ITA/USA) will be joined by Alberto Bona (ITA), Elodie-Jane Mettraux (SUI), and Will Harris (GBR), with Meredith Rodgers (USA) sailing as the team’s Onboard Reporter (OBR). The 3,000 nautical mile [3,452 mile | 5,556 kilometer] race will leave New York on September 1, and the lead boats are expected to arrive in the Brittany port of Lorient around September 8-10.

For Clapcich, assembling the right team around her was more than just selecting for individual talent; it was about building a group that could perform under pressure while sharing a strong human connection offshore.

“I really wanted to build a team with a mix of different experiences, and I’m pleased with the caliber of crew we have brought together – all of them with expert offshore sailing knowledge, ” she said. “The best thing is that we’re all very good friends, and sometimes it’s nice to go racing with people you genuinely enjoy being around. That was definitely part of the goal when putting this team together.”

A crew built on trust and complementary experience

Clapcich’s history with Mettraux stretches back nearly a decade. The two sailors first raced together during The Ocean Race 2017-18 and have remained close ever since, most recently in 2024 through the UpWind by MerConcept all-female Ocean Fifty program.

“Being a woman, I only needed to choose one other female sailor to match the 50/50 gender split rule put in place by the organizers, and sailing with Elodie again was an obvious choice,” Clapcich said. “She was my savior during my first Ocean Race, so I’m very happy to have her onboard again!”

Mettraux, a highly experienced offshore sailor who has competed at the top levels of professional sailing, sees the race as both an exciting sporting challenge and an opportunity to expand her experience in the IMOCA Class.

“It’s always a pleasure to sail with Frankie, and it’s a real privilege to be racing these incredible boats, especially on a transatlantic course that is both short and intense. This race is also for me a great opportunity to discover the IMOCA Class as I’ve had relatively little experience on these boats so far.”

Italian sailor Alberto Bona brings extensive solo and short-handed offshore experience to the team, having built a strong reputation in Class40 racing.

“It’s a great opportunity to sail together and to learn the complexities of the IMOCA world quickly,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of solo racing, and I’m looking forward to experiencing something different – racing fully crewed. Working within this team is really exciting and pushing this boat with four sailors on such an intense course is going to be incredible.”

British sailor Will Harris adds valuable familiarity with the boat itself. He has logged thousands of miles onboard the IMOCA including during its record-breaking performance in 2023 when it set the benchmark for the greatest distance ever covered by an IMOCA in 24 hours. Harris also shares a strong recent history with skipper Clapcich; the pair finishing second in the IMOCA Class in the 2025 Transat Café L’OR, a result that further strengthened their working relationship onboard.

“I’ve done a lot of sailing on this boat, we even set a record with it in 2023 with Team Malizia, so I’ve had some incredible experiences onboard,” Harris said. “When Francesca asked me to come back for The Ocean Race Atlantic this year, I was really excited about the opportunity. It’s a great chance to race again on a boat I know well and I hope that gives the whole team confidence.”

Joining the sailors will be American filmmaker Meredith Rodgers, who will document the race as the team’s Onboard Reporter.

“I said yes to this project because I really liked the vibe of the team and how diverse it is,” Rodgers said. “At first it felt a bit intimidating as I have never before sailed on an IMOCA, but being surrounded by such amazing people quickly made it feel like an incredible adventure that I’m really excited to be part of – and tell the story of.”

A fast boat and a fierce challenge

The Ocean Race Atlantic promises a short but intense battle across the North Atlantic. With four sailors onboard, the IMOCA will be pushed hard as the fleet races east toward Europe.

While racing, all competing teams will participate in a comprehensive ocean science program, supported by The Ocean Race Atlantic’s Official Impact Partner, 11th Hour Racing. The crews will gather critical ocean data to support scientists studying the impact of climate change on the ocean. 

The team’s boat, 11th Hour Racing, already holds the IMOCA record for distance sailed in 24 hours (641.13 nautical miles | 744 miles, 1,198 kilometers), set in 2023, a benchmark the crew will naturally be looking to defend, or even improve, on the transatlantic course.

“Sailing from west to east brings a completely different set of challenges, especially with the Gulf Stream and the surrounding weather systems, but we know this boat is incredibly fast, especially downwind,” Clapcich said. “If we get the right conditions, it’s definitely the kind of boat that can deliver some very special performances.

“And that’s exactly what makes it exciting. The fleet will be full of amazing sailors and when you line up for a race like this you know you’ll be racing against the best. We have a strong team, we’re already training together, and it’s coming together very naturally. Now we’re looking forward to getting out there and racing.”

Header image credit: Marin Le Roux – polaRYSE